Probiotic Drink Presumes Racism

the_porn_baby

Does anyone else find this a bit strange / disgraceful?

A certain probiotic yoghurt drink currently has a new ad campaign along the lines of: 2 out 3 IRISH people felt better (after drinking one).

Doesn't this totally play on the acceptance that Ireland is predominantly racist?
And is this product aimed solely at people who don't want foreigners in the country?
Why not just say 2 out of 3 PEOPLE felt better!?

The company isn't even Irish - so they can't argue that non-Irish people will have other preferences, this brand is well-known all over Europe (and possibly in other continents).

HelterSkelter

I assume you are taking the piss, or put too much coke on your cornflakes, yeah???

tunney

Don't be a spa.

county

stop being so pedantic.

and i am one of those non irish people

kizzyr

the_porn_baby wrote:

Does anyone else find this a bit strange / disgraceful?

A certain probiotic yoghurt drink currently has a new ad campaign along the lines of: 2 out 3 IRISH people felt better (after drinking one).

Doesn't this totally play on the acceptance that Ireland is predominantly racist?
And is this product aimed solely at people who don't want foreigners in the country?
Why not just say 2 out of 3 PEOPLE felt better!?

The company isn't even Irish - so they can't argue that non-Irish people will have other preferences, this brand is well-known all over Europe (and possibly in other continents).

If the study was carried out only on people who are ethnically Irish well then there is nothing wrong with what they are saying is there?
Not everyone who is Irish is white, Celtic Irish you know:rolleyes: Many people of different ethnic descent have been born here and not just in the last 5 years or so and aren't any less Irish than either you (presuming you are what you consider to be Irish) or me.

the_porn_baby

Why not simply say: 2 out 3 PEOPLE felt better?

I don't see the point of putting Irish in there, whether they're trying to appeal to first, second or third generation Irish people there's no real need for it.
The assumption is that we're xenophobic - and they're right.

county

the_porn_baby wrote:

.
The assumption is that we're xenophobic - and they're right.

no thats your assumption

generalmiaow

you do realise advertising is about appeal right?

Sam Vimes

are you serious? they're trying to appeal to the irish market so they said 2 out of 3 irish people prefer it. if they were selling it in england they'd say 2 out of 3 english people prefer it.

i assume they did a survey and they were the results. i doubt they told black people to fcuk off and performed dna tests to find the true blood irish among us. they could have said 2 out of 3 people prefer it but that wouldn't indicate that the survey was done in ireland

Robbo

Racist breakfast products are nothing new. Probiotic drinks are coloured white to appeal to casual racists whilst Rice Krispies are merely the Aryan equivalent of Coco Pops. Witness the rise in white cheese.

It's a conspiracy dagnamit.

whiskeyman

LOL at above!!!
Classic.
Have you phoned Joe Duffy about this yet?
Let me know if you do. This is one show I'd listen too!

the_porn_baby

Robbo wrote:

Racist breakfast products are nothing new. Probiotic drinks are coloured white to appeal to casual racists whilst Rice Krispies are merely the Aryan equivalent of Coco Pops. Witness the rise in white cheese.

It's a conspiracy dagnamit.

I'm starting another thread on how offensive the Sugar Puffs name is to Derek Mooney.

I wouldn't say it's a very good modern marketing ploy to essentially exlude foreigners from the campaign. If the ad said 2 out of 3 people preferred it (without mentioning nationality) then I would assume the drink is more widely accepted!
Nobody can deny Ireland is xenophobic - and of course that's my assumption.
If marketing is about appeal why not appeal to everyone in the country?

generalmiaow

are you trying to make out the racists will look at the product and say: "good for Irish people, eh? that's just perfect for a racist like me!" or are you posit that the marketers themselves don't want black people buying the product? why, exactly, do you suppose they threw racism into their ad campaign?

MarkR

I'd imagine they mention irish people as they asked people in Ireland. They probably didn't ask for passports etc, but went under the assumption that the people they spoke to, if in ireland, were irish.

*hands OP nice cup of tea and sits him down*

generalmiaow

the_porn_baby wrote:

Nobody can deny Ireland is xenophobic - and of course that's my assumption.

anyone else see a contradiction here? you're begging the question by inferring Ireland is xenophobic because marketers are supposedly aware of the fact.

the_porn_baby

generalmiaow wrote:

anyone else see a contradiction here? you're begging the question by inferring Ireland is xenophobic because marketers are supposedly aware of the fact.

I don't assume Ireland is xenophobic, I honestly believe it. I was answering an earlier posters question when I used the word 'assumption'.

I presume they threw racism in because they know what the general feeling among natives in this country is. I think it's tacit.
I can see a wider appeal in simply saying 2 out of 3 people preferred it - that's my point.

Liam Byrne

Of all the marketing approaches, this is actually one that I completely agree with.

Considering the amount of UK ads (think cockney accents on Daz ads, etc) that are on TV, it's nice to see that a company actually views Ireland as a separate country with its own market and tastes.

If you're a white Irish female, a phrase like "70% of white Irish females prefer Dove Self-Tanning Lotion" will catch your attention more; that's not sexist, racist or colourist, it's a fact!

Far too many ads would say "America's favourite probiotic" and make that sound like it's relevant or important; who cares ? we're from Ireland so what America does should have no bearing.

And that's just it......if they indeed did the survey in Ireland, there's a debate
as to what "Irish" could mean (we met them in Ireland, we dialled Irish phone numbers, they had red hair and freckles, etc, etc), but at least they did a survey here (if they didn't, then THAT would be a cause for complaint).

Being considerate or sensitive to issues is one thing, but this thread is so PC that it's almost PunC.

At least it's better than showing adverts of cars surfing or changing into transformers; I'm telling you, when I work up the cash and buy one of those, if it sinks I'm gonna sue!

the_porn_baby

Liam Byrne wrote:

Of all the marketing approaches, this is actually one that I completely agree with.

If you're a white Irish female, a phrase like "70% of white Irish females prefer Dove Self-Tanning Lotion" will catch your attention more; that's not sexist, racist or colourist, it's a fact!

Far too many ads would say "America's favourite probiotic" and make that sound like it's relevant or important; who cares ? we're from Ireland so what America does should have no bearing.

And that's just it......if they indeed did the survey in Ireland, there's a debate
as to what "Irish" could mean (we met them in Ireland, we dialled Irish phone numbers, they had red hair and freckles, etc, etc), but at least they did a survey here (if they didn't, then THAT would be a cause for complaint).

I think you're going of the mark with some of points here mate. That Dove example would obviously be aimed at that particular market - I doubt they'd rack up many sales if they said "70% of fat Irish men prefer Dove Self-Tanning Lotion".
The yoghurt drink doesn't have a niche market because anyone from 3 years old to 93 years old could potentially drink it.
The point is the ad could alienate anyone who doesn't consider themselves Irish - and I'm not being PC, I couldn't give a **** if a certain company only wants Irish people to drink poxy bifidus myarsius. In my opinion it's a terrible ad campaign when you consider the amount of immigrants in the country now.

And obviously if they carried out the survey here it would include foreigners.

boss^is^dead

ya it must be said that's it's kinda nice to have something aimed at appealing the Ireland as a country,nothing wrong with english/american/german etc ads but about 80% of our tv isn't our own!Hell I hate fair city/the clinic/the late late show/ eurovision lol:D so I watch channels and programmes from other countries!I think porn baby should probably stfu,I think his name is offensive,I think racism is in it's own way quieting down!I think Ireland has flexed a lot by way of forgien nationals working and living in this country,and we've come a long way from what would have been 30 years ago!!
I mean with all the sensitivity(spelt wrong!:()in the world between sunni's sheite's and muslims throwing the coran around and all screaming about offending there belief's,it's time for a bit of cop on!

it was an add,it was a poll,it's a ****ing yogurt,and if that offends you,I think you may need to take a holiday to clear your head!And when a spainish radio station feeds a statistic about something spaniards like,and you can't understand it,see how offended you get!

idiot..

the_porn_baby

boss^is^dead wrote:

I mean with all the sensitivity(spelt wrong!:()in the world between sunni's sheite's and muslims throwing the coran around and all screaming about offending there belief's,it's time for a bit of cop on!

:eek:

I think you are perfectly summed up by your signature:
1+1=.....??......!!!!.....!!
I never said I was offended so grow up and read the posts.

This isn't a moral issue for me, that's why I put it in Consumer Issues.

TerrorFirmer

the_porn_baby wrote:

Why not simply say: 2 out 3 PEOPLE felt better?

I don't see the point of putting Irish in there, whether they're trying to appeal to first, second or third generation Irish people there's no real need for it.
The assumption is that we're xenophobic - and they're right.

Well lets see, perhaps cos the SURVERY WAS DONE IN THE COUNTRY ITS BEING SOLD IN

Gillo

You are definetly reading too much into the ad. I would have just assumed that the prodcut had been tested in Ireland from what they said.

IMHO, you're taking the whole PC thing way too far, thats yours right to do it. If you do feel so strongly why not make a compliant through the proper channels.

Incidently if there is anyone here who is not Irish (how do I word this without causing offence), I'd love to hear they opinion. (Oh wait this website is boards.ie so we obviously won't don't wait anyone else other than Irish people here.

whiskeyman

the_porn_baby wrote:

The yoghurt drink doesn't have a niche market because anyone from 3 years old to 93 years old could potentially drink it.

There's a huge difference in targetting who purchases the good, and then the end user of the product.

These are somewhat niche, and are mostly targetted at a young and well educated demographic, and probably those with young children.
Many of these are the Celtic Tigers cubs, and are proud of the country they now live in and it's successful economic era. It's also a 'everyone else is at it, why aren't we' soceity, explaining even more why 'Irish' here is highlighted.

generalmiaow

Actually, the_porn_baby, if you want to throw arguments of racism about, perhaps you should re-read your own posts.

I don't assume Ireland is xenophobic, I honestly believe it

actually, in your previous post you did state it was your assumption that Ireland was xenophobic. Are you including all these "non-Irish people" in Ireland you claim this advertising ignores? Or are you just making a generalised statement about a whole people?

You also claim that non-Irish people are a "race" or at least are defined by a race - (xenophobia != racism by the way) - are you claiming that people living here with non-Irish ethnicity are any less Irish than the rest? That sounds pretty much exactly like racist type of view you're accusing Irish people of having. So stop making generalisations about race and national identity before you even think about accusing people of being xenophobic.

There is no logical connection in your argument whatsoever. You have failed to explain the connection between the advertising and the buyer.

the_porn_baby

I'm didn't initially read into the ad too much - I just think it's interesting that a topic like this can't be discussed without people having the typical 'cop on to yourself' attitude. The ad has the 'Irish people' bit in small print.

It would be sensible to say it was Ireland's favourite drink, at least that would encompass the entire demographic.

Once again, I'm not being PC, I just think the way the ad is presented is ridiculous considering it could be aimed at Ireland rather than Irish people.

The ad is aimed at Irish people, that's the connection between the ad and the potential buyer generalmiaow.

I said earlier that I honestly believe Ireland is xenophobic - I didn't say I was.

generalmiaow said:
You also claim that non-Irish people are a "race" or at least are defined by a race - (xenophobia != racism by the way) - are you claiming that people living here with non-Irish ethnicity are any less Irish than the rest?
:eek:
Of course a person born in Ireland, to Irish parents, is more Irish than someone who was born in, for example, Pakistan to Pakistani parents!

I never said "non-Irish" people were a race, that's a farcical accusation.

whiskeyman

the_porn_baby wrote:

The ad is aimed at Irish people

How do you know? Did you create the campaign?
Just because it claims it's a favourite of Irish people, or 8/10 Irish cats prefer it (or whatever), doesn't mean it's targetting solely at Irish people.

Here's another way of looking at it. Remember the queues of people outside McDonalds when it opened first in China and Russia? People there wanted to associate themselves with a Western (or American, if you will) product.

Same could be applied here. With nearly 10% of the population now comprising of non nationals, they may well be seeking to fit in better to our society. Should they see such an ad that's advertised as a popular brand/product in their new country, they may be influenced to purchase in order to 'fit in'.

How you jumped onto the whole race card is beyond me.

the_porn_baby

whiskeyman wrote:

How do you know? Did you create the campaign?
Just because it claims it's a favourite of Irish people, or 8/10 Irish cats prefer it (or whatever), doesn't mean it's targetting solely at Irish people.

Look at it this way. Remember the queues of people outside McDonalds when it opened first in China and Russia? People there wanted to associate themselves with a Western (or American, if you will) product.

Same could be applied here. With nearly 10% of the population now comprising of non nationals, they may well be seeking to fit in better to our society. Should they see such an ad that's advertised as a popular brand/product in their new country, they may be influenced to purchase in order to 'fit in'.

How you jumped onto the whole race card is beyond me.

You're right, the best way to fit in to Irish society is to buy a probiotic yoghurt drink.
The ad is aimed at Irish people.

generalmiaow

The ad is aimed at Irish people, that's the connection between the ad and the potential buyer generalmiaow.

I mean the connection between the advertiser who is pushing the message that assumes the buyer is racist, and the buyer who would be buying the product because he is racist. Do you honestly believe the type of people who want foreigners out will buy a product because the survey used to promote it was discriminating in this way? How would this presumption of racism actually sell products? This is what you have failed to show: the connection between the advertising and your unsupported generalisation that the Irish are xenophobes. Once again, who are these people? Are they posting in this thread and buying probiotic yoghurts? Why are you not including the type of people you mention below?

Of course a person born in Ireland, to Irish parents, is more Irish than someone who was born in, for example, Pakistan to Pakistani parents!

I never said "non-Irish" people were a race, that's a farcical accusation.

Yet you accuse the advertisers of presuming racism?! I know non-Irish people are not one race, nor are they many races in that sense - because there is no Irish race, by your own admission. Therefore, how can only including Irish respondents in a survey be racist?

I can see that you're being serious, but the fact that it was in the small print shows that they were merely backing up the claim by showing that a survey had been conducted here. It's not too presumptious, let alone racist or xenophobic to say that a survey which was conducted in Ireland was answered by Irish people, it's just convenenient. They used phrases like this in every country in the world. I'd bet that the ad says the same thing with different countries' names everywhere it is shown, whether or not the ad company decides that the country in which it is being shown is xenophobic.

whiskeyman

the_porn_baby wrote:

You're right, the best way to fit in to Irish society is to buy a probiotic yoghurt drink.
The ad is aimed at Irish people.

Well, that for me sums up your argument and train of thought. (and with that postcount, you're verging on trolling with a reply like that).
You're not willing to see it from another light that's totally reasonable.
I simply meant that it's all part of immigrants trying to adapt into an Irish lifestyle, and not the only part. To take it like that means that you are taking far too much information at a very odd angle and making bizarre assumptions.

Fine... if you think it's racist, go complain to the ASAI.

bmaxi

Perhaps it would have been more correct to say " 2 out of 3 people in Ireland". Considering that there are "Irish" people spread all over the planet it would have to be some broad survey to include 2 out of 3 Irish people whatever their colour, shape or size.

MarkR

the_porn_baby wrote:

Of course a person born in Ireland, to Irish parents, is more Irish than someone who was born in, for example, Pakistan to Pakistani parents!

I hadn't realised they had perfected the irishness test, thought it was still at the clinical trials stage. I was born in the states to an irish mother, (I've been living in ireland for 17 years) does that mean that a person who was born in Ireland and moved away, staying overseas for the next 30 years is more irish than I am?

*sniffs* Smells like troll to me.