Sexually demeaning Irish Broadband advertising

haz

The following advertising image for "The perfect girlfriend in a box - never gets 'a headache'" for Irish Broadband, from RTE News Online, is offensive and sexually demeaning.

http://www.irishbroadband.ie/girlfriendinabox/main.html

http://adserver.adtech.de/adlink|536|1123922|0|105|AdId=1209549;BnId=1;itime=73137105;nodecode=yes;link=http://www.irishbroadband.ie/girlfriendinabox

http://a1767.g.akamai.net/v/1767/2939/7d/imageserv.adtech.de/apps/205/Ad1209549St3Sz105Sq398596V0Id1/gf_island_200x200.gif

Wishbone Ash

Why give it further publicity if you find it offensive?

petes

There is also one for "Boyfriend in box". I think its funny.

Wishbone Ash

Bring it to the attention of : http://www.asai.ie/

Joeyjoejoe43

Its Humour Haz. You could make a similiar point about almost any ads these days. I would'nt let it get you down :cool:

Blisterman

Jesus Christ, the amount of ads that are demeaning to men, and you don't see us complaining.

Honestly, have you nothing better to do?

FlutterinBantam

Had a look. In my opinion a bit of harmless fun.

I wouldn't get over excited myself.

DamoKen

haz wrote:

The following advertising image for "The perfect girlfriend in a box - never gets 'a headache'" for Irish Broadband, from RTE News Online, is offensive and sexually demeaning.

http://www.irishbroadband.ie/girlfriendinabox/main.html

http://adserver.adtech.de/adlink|536|1123922|0|105|AdId=1209549;BnId=1;itime=73137105;nodecode=yes;link=http://www.irishbroadband.ie/girlfriendinabox

http://a1767.g.akamai.net/v/1767/2939/7d/imageserv.adtech.de/apps/205/Ad1209549St3Sz105Sq398596V0Id1/gf_island_200x200.gif

well spotted Haz, forwarded it onto everyone in work. hilarious stuff! thanks

MikeHoncho

Its just offensive to good advertsing in general. If you think about the product they are selling which is "Broadband in a box" surely your target audience are narrowband subscribers. There is no way in hell that a narrowband subscriber would be able to use that application properly.

Also Irish advertisers cant make something which is supposodley funny without making me cringe. That ad is just creepy to me.

I applaud them for trying to do a viral ad but the execution is poor at best.

haz

Blisterman wrote:

Jesus Christ, Honestly, have you nothing better to do?

No, I have been barred me from all vocational group activities but the staff are still letting me in the computer room during rec time.

mickoneill30

MikeHoncho wrote:

I applaud them for trying to do a viral ad but the execution is poor at best.

I disagree. It's obviously working. This is the second time I've come across this link in a forum and obviously most people who've read it on this and the other forum have clicked on the link. If a few of those clicks turn into sales then it's done its job.

If I was working for IBB I'd probably be logging onto these forums and create threads like these to generate a few more sales.

flogen

This is the greatest thread ever.

I think a forum like Consumer Issues will probably do it more justice.

(sorry Dub, roundtower, wwm)

Liam Byrne

Now if only advertising was factual and actually referred to the product being sold.

Mind you, then the IBB ad would have to say "regularly unreliable and unavailable", "too slow to be of any real use", etc...

Oh, hang on - maybe "girlfriend in a box" is appropriate after all

haz

I posted the message because I think that the notion that another human being could be boxed and should always be ready for a paying customer's needs (whether girl- or boyfriend) is offensive. Humour it might be, if I was seeking entertainment, but I was actually reading the business news on the RTE website. Yes, I could contact the ASAI (in fact that is one of my hobbies, with 100% of my complaints upheld), but I would prefer to disseminate and discuss. I did not expect the moderator to move the post from "Politics" to "Biz - Consumer issues".

Red Alert

Honestly the world is becoming dumbed down - why are you so annoyed at this ad? I'm fed up in particular when the feminist lobby start this rant about any ad that features an attractive girl. Chill out.

Aoife-FM104

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Why give it further publicity if you find it offensive?

Exactly my thinking. My first thought was -

"This is someone from Irish Broadband's marketing department wondering why no one is talking about their inoffensive, lame advert."

professore

haz wrote:

I posted the message because I think that the notion that another human being could be boxed and should always be ready for a paying customer's needs (whether girl- or boyfriend) is offensive. Humour it might be, if I was seeking entertainment, but I was actually reading the business news on the RTE website. Yes, I could contact the ASAI (in fact that is one of my hobbies, with 100% of my complaints upheld), but I would prefer to disseminate and discuss. I did not expect the moderator to move the post from "Politics" to "Biz - Consumer issues".

Grow up. You would have fitted in well in Nazi Germany.

ClockWorkOrange

Boy thats a moronic advertisement, what i do when i see something like that is to make a mental note never to purchase anything from the company responsible..

bmaxi

I'd hazard a guess the OP doesn't eat Cadbury's Flakes or Yorkie Bars. God preserve us from P.C.

newby.204

bmaxi wrote:

God preserve us from P.C.

my thoughts exactly,
i know you should attack the post and not the poster, but lady get a life and while your at it A SENSE OF HUMOUR!!!

haz

bmaxi wrote:

I'd hazard a guess the OP doesn't eat Cadbury's Flakes or Yorkie Bars. God preserve us from P.C.

It is a question of context. If I was watching a pornographic movie I would not complain that onanism was contrary to doctrine, even if I had purchased the film in a Roman Catholic sex shop. If I wanted to scratch my arse, pick my nose and belch I would not choose to do so on the Luas - Irish Broadband's advert on RTE's business news pages is like doing so for the sake of gaining attention by offence. I don't like it and "feminist lobby", "P.C.", threatened by an "attractive girl" or not, I should not have to "grow up" or "ignore it" because it is "harmless fun" even if I live in 21st century Ireland and not "Nazi Germany". I eat my cornflakes in the morning without seeing Pamela Anderson's nipples because my choice of newspaper doesn't display them, and don't complain about papers of the mentality to do so.

Red Alert

does it exploit dogs when Bus Eireann have the red setter on their ads then?

haz

Red Alert wrote:

does it exploit dogs when Bus Eireann have the red setter on their ads then?

I hadn't noticed that the dogs were portrayed as sexual available at any time for the instant gratification of travellers.

tbh

haz wrote:

I hadn't noticed that the dogs were portrayed as sexual available at any time for the instant gratification of travellers.

you've obviously never splashed out for a first-class ticket so.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

How about the meteor ads...>? Now THAT is demenaing to women. And men.

jester77

I think it's fairly obvious that the OP works for this company (or their marketing company) and is using the boards as a viral marketing tool, this thread should be locked. It's a very poor attempt by the OP to try and market this as offensive as even the most humourless person wouldn't even consider this in any way offensive. :rolleyes:

layke

Society will clearly crumble.

I'll never understand why people get offended by such ads.

aidan_walsh

Aoife-FM104 wrote:

Exactly my thinking. My first thought was -

"This is someone from Irish Broadband's marketing department wondering why no one is talking about their inoffensive, lame advert."

Oh, the irony...

OP, meh.

haz

jester77 wrote:

I think it's fairly obvious that the OP works for this company (or their marketing company) and is using the boards as a viral marketing tool

I have no connection with the company, the marketer or the broadcaster. I am indeed beyond sexual reproduction and attempting to procreate memetically. If I wanted the advert banned I would not be drawing attention to it. I am expressing my view that people should not be exposed to gratuitous offence in contexts they don't expect it, such as the example given, whereas others seem to feel an absolute freedom to offend in any form they please at any time they please.

tbh

I think you have to grow a thicker skin, or you'll spend your whole life being offended.


but hey - if it makes you happy....

haz wrote:

The following advertising image for "The perfect girlfriend in a box - never gets 'a headache'" for Irish Broadband, from RTE News Online, is offensive and sexually demeaning.

that's a matter of opinion, it would seem most people disagree.

jester77

haz wrote:

If I wanted the advert banned I would not be drawing attention to it.

Sounds like viral marketing to me!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing