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

bmaxi

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, 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:

I tend to disagree. Why then the fit of pique when Mods moved the post from Politics to Consumer Issues where, imo and no offence, it is more likely to reach a wider audience?
I also detect, in his/her reply to my previous post, an element of snobbery, the use of the word onanism rather than masturbation or good old fashioned wa*k is designed to put plebs in their place. The implication that "This sort of thing" is alright in the Star or the Sun but not in the "Business pages" of whatever hallowed publication he/she reads.
If I'm wrong, then all I can say is congratulations on a brilliant stroke.
Incidentally, I'm not sure I'd be interested in seeing Pamela Anderson's nipples over me porridge, they're probably on her back by now.

haz

bmaxi wrote:

I also detect, in his/her reply to my previous post, an element of snobbery, the use of the word onanism rather than masturbation or good old fashioned wa*k is designed to put plebs in their place.

"That sort of thing" was called onanism, but I see it has indeed been modernised (http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm - paragraph 2352). Likewise, my reference to newspapers is that content that is appropriate in the context of one may well offend in another. I would not be complaining about this advert if it was in the Sun, Star or any paper I expected similar content. I would, and do, complain when I see similar content in context I do not expect it.

However, and the point of complaining, is "that sort of thing" is now unapologetically widespread, appearing in banner and textually centred images in all forms of web communication. Firefox didn't stop this one.

Caryatnid

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

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

Hear hear.

phantom_lord

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

i loled. thanks op...

Skud

is it me or did they rip off ads? like carlsberg comes to mind

bmaxi

haz wrote:

" (http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm - paragraph 2352). .

If this is indicative of your preferred choice of reading matter (and I intend no slur in this), then it is not hard to see where you are coming from. The notion that the ad is out of context with the publication is another matter, it is a business, advertising a product, in the media.
If,however unlikely, the Pope were to promote the merits of Irish Broadband in bringing religion to the masses via the Internet, within the pages of the Sun, would you consider the content of the ad to be out of context with the publication? Would you campaign to have it withdrawn?

haz

bmaxi wrote:

If this is indicative of your preferred choice of reading matter (and I intend no slur in this), then it is not hard to see where you are coming

I am not campaigning to have anything withdrawn by anyone - there are more effective means for that. I am sure my preferred reading matter includes material that would offend readers here, but I don't post it here. I am stating that the representation of a human being as a saleable, ever-ready, boxed commodity is offensive and sexually demeaning, and inappropriate within the State broadcaster's business news pages. I won't comment on the level of misunderstanding of my own motives / beliefs / annoyance. I will comment on the intolerance of the pervasive view that nobody has the right to be offended or to express offence any longer, just put up with whatever tastelessness surrounds them.

I would like advertising content, including sidebar and contextual web advertising, to be more appropriate to context - which detracts in no way from anyone else's freedoms (other than their perceived right to cause gratuitous offence).

aidan_walsh

inappropriate within the State broadcaster's business news pages.

It was an ad sent to the RTE website by an independent third party ad service. Its not RTEs fault.

I would like advertising content, including sidebar and contextual web advertising, to be more appropriate to context

Wouldn't we all. And there are many people working on it, but unless you have something to add to their efforts, or are willing to ask RTE and other websites to change their policies, what can you do?

Anyway, how do you know the context was deemed incorrect? An advert for an Irish business sent to the Business page of an Irish website doesn't ring any alarm bells to me regarding relevancy.

Next time, Ad-Block it and move on.

haz

aidan_walsh wrote:

Wouldn't we all. And there are many people working on it, but unless you have something to add to their efforts, or are willing to ask RTE and other websites to change their policies, what can you do?

Amazing - 39 posts on and someone addresses the issue, not my imagined personal characteristics!

bmaxi

haz wrote:

I am stating that the representation of a human being as a saleable, ever-ready, boxed commodity is offensive and sexually demeaning, and inappropriate within the State broadcaster's business news pages.

This is purely subjective. If the consensus within these pages were applied on a national level then the "We" who are the State do not share your opinion and, by extension, "We" don't object to it's being aired by the State's broadcaster.

dr.bollocko

Every single ad featuring a male on tv has some barely human hairy ****stick Demi-gorilla falling over, ****ing up and generally acting stupid for the benefit of making women everywhere seem incredible, ingenious, smart sophisticates. Every single ad featuring a woman has some waif-thin rake of a supermodel whoring out gawdy crap to the masses and hawking goods by selling on insecurities and negative self image. Advertising as a whole is damning and destroying all humanity in this world ad by ad, day by day.

We are advertising idiocy to idiots through every possible means of media. Busses, billboards, shops, radios, speakers, tv's, the internet, newspapers, magazines, comics, cards, clothes, the virus of advertising has the world in its slimey feverish grasp and is slowly squeezing our balls until our dollarsigned eyes pop out with a pot of hidden gold.
Advertising is responsible for dumbing down the world.. I applaud the OP for standing up on this one, but if you think thats a problem, the real problem of advertising is like the atlantic ocean. What you have identified here is an infrequently dripping tap in an under-used kitchen in a house full of deaf people.

haz

bmaxi wrote:

This is purely subjective

It is not purely subjective. The ASAI code states:

2.16 Marketing communications should respect the dignity of all persons and should avoid causing offence on grounds of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the traveller community.

http://www.asai.ie/code.asp

The Equal Status Act 2000 states:

(4) Sexual harassment takes place where a person .... (c) subjects the victim to any act or conduct with sexual connotations, including spoken words, gestures or the production, display or circulation of written words, pictures or other material, where (i) the act, request or conduct is unwelcome to the victim and could reasonably be regarded as offensive, humiliating or intimidating to him or her, or (ii) the victim is treated differently by reason of his or her rejection of or submission to, as the case may be, the act, request or conduct or it could reasonably be anticipated that the victim would be so treated.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA8Y2000S11.html

The image of placing a girlfriend in a box for the instant gratification of a purchaser would appear to me to more than meet these criteria. RTE is not (under current practice) a conduit, it is a publisher and therefore liable for all content including advertising disseminated on behalf of other parties.

bmaxi

haz wrote:

It is not purely subjective. The ASAI code states:

http://www.asai.ie/code.asp

The Equal Status Act 2000 states:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA8Y2000S11.html

The image of placing a girlfriend in a box for the instant gratification of a purchaser would appear to me to more than meet these criteria. RTE is not (under current practice) a conduit, it is a publisher and therefore liable for all content including advertising disseminated on behalf of other parties.

I'm sorry to appear so thick but could somebody identify the supposed victim in these ads. From what I've seen, nobody appears to be under any duress, quite the opposite I'd say. As to the ASAI code I don't see the relevance, you obviously do so I say again, subjective.

aidan_walsh

The image of placing a girlfriend in a box for the instant gratification of a purchaser

But not the "boyfriend in a box"? Interesting...

Out of curiousity, are you female by any chance?

haz

aidan_walsh wrote:

But not the "boyfriend in a box"? Interesting...

Irish Broadband do also sell a boyfriend-in-a-box" who "includes new, improved 'listening feature'", "comes with own vacuum", "back-rubs and tea-making a speciality", buys you shoes and spanks you when you push his button. The girlfriend "features off-button and only 1 mood", "Hottie friend", "accessories available" and "laughs at your jokes every time".

Yes, I probably would have blocked the boyfriend popup without comment - advertising imagery of men is also offensive (see dr.bollocko's excellent post above), but I'll leave that to others.

fly_agaric

Haz wrote:

I could contact the ASAI (in fact that is one of my hobbies, with 100% of my complaints upheld)

I salute you!;)

dr bollocko wrote:

We are advertising idiocy to idiots through every possible means of media.

(LOL) You'd think such people wouldn't buy "idiocy" when they have so much of it already.

Haz wrote:

I'll leave that to others.

Like who?
Have you really managed to reproduce "memetically" so that some of the little mini-mes filled with your inspiration can share the workload of complaints to the ASAI?

haz

fly_agaric wrote:

Have you really managed to reproduce "memetically" so that some of the little mini-mes filled with your inspiration can share the workload

Which of us were you asking?

More seriously, the point is out there for people to reject, and then they can boast to their girlfriends about it....

Aoife-FM104

haz, if you're for real, you've got too much time on your hands.

I see from your other posts you like to complain about things.

Get a hobby!

Theta

I don't really see the problem tbh, It's an ad that plays on a well known stereotype and a mildly humorous ad at that. This ad is not going to have major social implications on how women should be treated it will be simply brushed off as a harmless joke. So what’s your problem??

What annoys me is when people complain about ads they deem offensive and get them removed from view of the general public. If you deem something to be offensive just don't view it. It's as simple as that!

haz

irlmarc wrote:

What annoys me is when people complain about ads they deem offensive and get them removed from view of the general public. If you deem something to be offensive just don't view it. It's as simple as that!

That is my entire point - I want to live in a world where racists, sexists, unionists, nationalists, pro-life, pro-choice, Darwinians, creationists, Jihadis, neo-colonialists and any other flavour of thought can be expressed in context (some of these have no free expression - I would prefer their voices to their violence). But I do not wish to have an adverisement placed, without any relevance, in the centre of a text I have chosen to read. I block the popups and they change the server, there is no option to "don't view it" as there is with a printed publication. There are plenty of contexts where offensive and sexually demeaning advertisements would not cause offence, RTE's business pages is not one of them.