Absolut

Agency: Chiat Day
Advertiser: V&S
Creative Director: Gerry Graf
Creative Director: Rob Smiley
Art Director: Pam Fujimoto y Phil Covitz
Copywriter: Brandon Davis
Photographer: Vincent Dixon
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Moms are the only ones who will keep on shopping during the crisis

Every year moms spend $2.1 trillions in the US, with projection of reaching $3 trillions by 2012, informs Maria Bailey, CEO at BSM Media.

This Group growths and is loyal to products and services. Now more than ever it’s important to understand this group, which is the one that will keep on shopping despite the crisis.

Mothers control 85% of household spending and 70% of them feel that companies don’t know how to talk to them.

Following data is also meaningful:

• 90% of mothers use the same products at home and the office
• 88% of mothers feel entirely responsible for the household budget
• For the first time in history the market comprises four generations of mothers

Sara Moore and Betsy Westhoff, the founders of MomWise spoke to mothers around the World and they reached the following conclusions about how to get with marketing to moms. Here comes a brief manual:

Understand their priorities
Satisfying family´s needs is the priority for moms. Little rewards will come later on.

Economic home
81% of mothers have cut back eating out and 72% have reduced out-of-house entertainment. This means that mothers now interact with brands in a different way, so companies should think how mothers could enjoy their products without leaving home.

Celebrate savings
Sales work, but lately everything pretends to be a bargain. It’s a high time to convert shopping experience into something positive, and not try to save on quality or service.

Help her
Facing the crisis, in order to cut some spending, mothers will undertake new tasks at home: manicures, hair coloring… This means that brands should try to simplify their products.

Ecology
Moms want both: economic and eco-friendly products. They won’t pay extra to be green any more.

However, Lisa Druxman, Mompreneur´s columnist, stands out the importance of realizing that not all moms are the same. She describes three moms´ generations: baby boom moms, Gen X moms and Millennium moms.

One of the most important common characteristics of all moms is the amazing power of word of mouth. As points out BSM Media, mothers love to talk, compare and share. Once you win one mom’s trust, you can be sure that she will talk about the brand all around. But it works the other way round as well: once you disappoint her with the product, she won’t hesitate to do a black PR.

This segment is the only one that, despite the crisis, will keep shopping. After all, children have to eat, wear clothes, go to school… The only thing that has changed is the way they buy, and here is the gap for marketing. Understanding mothers is the only way for companies to insert their product into mom’s basket.

What other factor marketers should take into consideration when talking to mothers?

Source: AdAge, Marketing Moms, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Istock.
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Mango knows how to get along with women

Mango fashion brand is present in all the continents and chooses the best way to get along well with women of each continent.

Smart, in vogue and inexpensive. Mango has set up its stores in the world’s most important cities, selling elegance and simple clothes that women like.

Apart from its clothes, Mango takes care about its marketing strategy in order to approach more efficiently the women’s world and create a “World of Mango”.

Women Designers
Designers and famous actresses are who create exclusive collections for Mango. Penélope and Mónica Cruz, Sandrina Fasoli, Elizabeth hurley and Adam Lippes are some of them.

MangoShop
The Mango’s online store is design with all details. Lucid conditions, phone service, different way of payment, refund… everything is very clear, and clothes can be chosen by categories: style, garment, price or size.

In addition, for each garment you can find advices on how to match clothes perfectly.
Online discounts are significant.

Online and offline fashion shows
Shows where new Mango collections are launched always become big events. Every time the scenery is carefully designed. The events are always attended by famous people, like Naty Abascal, Alejandra Prat or Dakota Johnson.


Brand’s clients can follow Mango’s fashion shows via the Internet.

Shopping Nights and Shopping Events
Mango closes its stores in order to offer to its guests a relaxing night with discount shopping, good live music, beauty and fashion advices, special cocktails, snacks, fashion magazines…


Sponsorship and collaboration.
Another way of approaching its target is sponsorship and collaboration.

Mango is one of the sponsors of ARCOMadrid. This way, Mango is associates itself with art, vanguard and international undertakings. In order to make the best of the sponsorship, Mango creates the Mango Performing, where shows with the participation of international artists take place.

As a sign of solidarity, Mango collaborates with Fero Fundation during the World Day Against Breast Cancer. Mango and Cruz sisters have created a limited edition of t-shirt. The entire profit will donated to the foundation.

Mango Fashion Awards
“The button” are the International awards organized by Mango. They help promoting young fashion designers internationally.

Blog
What more, Mango has a blog where it publishes news related to the brand.

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Summing up, Mango knows female world perfectly and approaches its female target in the best way possible: being present in the entire world of beauty, but without forcing the image of a plastic woman.

Mango proposes something for the body and something for the spirit and sense of solidarity.

Mango’s strategy is global and it has the same structure everywhere it goes, but always taking cultural factors into the consideration. London, Paris, New York, Norway, Dubai, Madrid, Athens, Munich, Warsaw, Singapore, Toronto, Riga, Prague…are some example of cities where Mango celebrates its events.

Without doubts, if Mango keeps its strategy, its clothes are going to stay in vogue.
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Area of Creativity is controlled by men

Grupo Consultores has just published the Yearbook of Best Spanish Advertising Agencies and Kika Samblás, the general director of the group, has been interview by Mujeres y Cia.
Kika says that the number of creative women in agencies is increasing:

"In advertising there are many women, but they mostly work in account departments or are dealing with clients. Every time more women are directors, but in creative departments men are still a majority in Spain, as well as all over the world. There are women that are very good as creatives, but they are very few of them. In the world of advertising women will find many opportunities, and they are equally valued for their skills, but the real challenge is to stand out in the area of creativity"

As a consumer, women are an interesting target for advertisers, because of their relatively recent incorporation into the labour world. According to Samblás, advertisers pay more attention to age categories than to genders.

Kika Samblás states that there are still some brands that use stereotyped language, because there are still many housewives that do not work professionally. However, this trend is changing, and the brands that do not use stereotypes are the ones that are possibly going to succeed.

Summarizing, Kika points out three most important landmarks:

• Turning to the global advertising solutions used in the past and integration with the specialized solutions used nowadays
• Younger teams working in the agencies
• Adaptation to the digital world

Source: Mujeres y Cia.
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Orange campaigns: created by women

Everybody for free



For its latest campaigns Orange has chosen Comunica +A agency, which creative team is made up in majority by women.


Full credits
Agency: Comunica+A
Advertiser: Orange
Product: Oferta comercial
Brand: Orange
Sector: Telecomunicaciones
Consumer contacts: Marcos Martínez de la Escalera y Miguel López Hidalgo
Creative director: Paula Dicenta
Copy: Eva Pastor
General Account Director: Marta González
Account Director: Marta Plaza
Producer company: Ferragut
Piece: Spot TV 30

What’s curious, the only men in this work group is responsible for contacts with the client— a job that is usually done by women. Orange and Comunica +A switched a common division of roles.

This spot was launched in summer of 2008 and was filmed in Bolonia´s beaches (Cadiz) during three days. 400 extras, 20 models and a helicopter were needed. Spot’s music is a rock version of a popular song “Un elefante se balanceaba”.


Fusion



Full credits
Agency: Comunica + A
Advertiser: Orange
Product: Fusión de Orange
Client contacts: Marcos Martínez de la Escalera y Vanessa Barreiro
Creative Director: Paula Dicenta
Art: Antonio Díaz
Copy: Sonia Gómez
Copy: Fernando de Miguel
General Account Director: Cedric Bertin
Account Director: Enrique Rot
Producer company: Coolshot Films
Producer: Plácido Castaño
Postproduction: Infinia
Piece: Spot “Fusión” (40” y 30”)

This spot was filmed in Quisco and Laguna Verde beaches and in Intercomunal Park (Chile).

Here creative director and copy are both women, although in full credits appear some new names. This proves that women are not only able to create brilliant advertising campaigns, but they are considered good creatives as well.

I wonder now: do you notice any female influence watching these spots?
It’s difficult to prove if a man could have created a similar concept. However, it’s visible that this spots reinforces the idea of friendship and community and these ideas are usually valued higher by women than by men.

Fuente: MiraLoQueVeo, Anuncios.com
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Letter to a female creative

............................................................................................................
Dear Miss Ford:
Your letter of recent date has been received in the Inking and Painting Department for reply.Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that work is performed entirely by young men.

For this reason girls are not considered for the training school. The only work open to women consists of tracing the characters on clear celluloid sheets with India ink and filling in the tracing on the reverse side with point according to drections.

In order to apply for a position as “Inker” or “Painter” it is necessary that one appear at the Studio, bringing samples of pen and ink and water color work. It would not be advisable to come to Hollywood with the above specifically in view, as there are really very few openings in comparison with the number of girls who apply. Yours very truly,
...............................................................................................................................................................

This letter, sent by Disney in response to a job inquiry made by one woman who applied for a creative position, is dated 1938.

Fortunately, 21 years later, a letter like this one wouldn’t have a chance to be written. In 1959 in USA came to life a new law, stating that no candidate can be rejected because of his sex.

This letter approaches us the reality of those years, and makes us feel fortunate, considering legal advances and social awareness that we have developed since that time.

Source: Creative Skirts.
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Has household products´ advertising changed?

Detergents, electrical appliances… over decades household products have filled advert space at TV, radio and newspapers.

According to Andalusia Audiovisual Council’s report, cleaning products´ advertisements represent 4,53% of the total of broadcasted adverts. The same report shows, that 79% of adverts reproduce both female and male stereotypes.

Argentinian Bussiness University´s Design and Comunication Institute´s report says that housewives are represented in cleaning products, hygiene, and beauty advertisements.

Does it mean that modern household products´ ads keep the same line as the past ones?

Not so long ago women were the only ones in charge of house works. Husband was bringing money home and woman was waiting for him at home with washed and ironed clothes and the dinner ready.

Adverts of detergents and electrical appliances were reflecting this status quo. Women were the target and advertisers talked to them directly. They had to use that specific detergent and washing machine if they wanted their men to be happy, and in order to be considered a good mother.

Nowadays in many houses the above family model is followed, although a modern woman is not longer a full-time house wife. The trend is that she dedicates herself to a professional work and mostly combines it with domestic tasks. The husband is often involved in some house works.

However, levels of this involvement are not equal and women continue spending more time doing these chores.

A recent report of Whirpool american fundation, based on more than 7000 women interviewed in France, German, Italy, UK and Spain says that half of incomings at 86% of surveyed women state that looking after family is their responsibility.
This may be the reason why household products´ ads keep on having women as their primary target. Although, there is an increasing number of brands that try to integrate men in their communication.

It is clear that housewife role model is changing, but has household products´ advertising change as well?

If we consider the target, we could say no: women are still the target. The only difference is that woman is no longer a simple housewife, but a businesswoman. Let’s see some examples:

COLON..................................................................ARIEL






Despite the time passing by, the detergent keeps on “empowering” women. In the first ad the woman is a mother that cares about her family. In the second one, the woman seems independent and powerful.

LAVADORAS BRU..................LAVADORAS WHIRPOOL

These washing machines adverts show two different types of women. The first print gives a great importance to the marriage ceremony and compares it with the moment of purchase. The second one presents a woman who knows caring about her best clothes.
We can notice some differences at Tv spots too:

WIPP EXPRESS



WIPP EXPRESS



ASPES



WHIRPOOL



There is no doubt that women are the target... always?
PUNTOMATIC



This campaign is an exception among hundreds of adverts which seem to be a copy of the ones broadcasted many years ago. I am referring to these ads in which mother struggles to clean her children’s clothes. Almost nothing has changed in these types of spots.

I wonder if advertising simply reproduces stereotypes and sexist patterns or is it a reflection of the reality…?
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Barack Obama about women

"We assume that women are the backbone of our families, but we often ignore the fact that women are the backbone of our middle class."

In these words the new president of the USA has referred to women during "Women for Obama" event, in July of 2008 in New York.

Historically in the USA there are more women voters than the men ones. Obama is aware of this fact and he decided to run for feminine votes. How? Surrounding himself with women: his wife Michelle, Hillary Clinton, Eva Longoria, Oprah Winfrey and his sister.

The strategy was aimed to indentify Barack with women's values. During different events "Women for Obama", women were directing their speeches and actions to women.

Obama's sister declared in Mexico that Obama is a "dedicated feminist." His family background has also been very useful for the strategy. His sister talked about how he brought her up and about how is he presently bringing up their two daughters.

Meanwhile, Michelle travelled around the country looking for women in strategic places: hairdressing salons, nurseries, art galleries, etc.

Oprah Winfrey expressed publically her support and the actress Eva Longoria encouraged women to vote for Obama by highlighting his acts of defense of women's rights, “including reproductive freedom”.

The union with Hillary Clinton was not accidental, as he was concious that many white women supported her on her way to the White House. During the event "Women for Obama" in New York, the two politicians aimed their speeches to women representing working class.

Obama´s call centres were very well organized and the women where the ones to call women.

The candidate also reserved a separate space for women in the Internet: at Women for Obama they can find everything about the candidate.

And the strategy has succeed: 56% of voting women has chosen Barack Obama.

The president elect has sorround himself with women: Hillary Clinton, Janet Napolitano, Susan Rice and Lisa Jackson will form a part of his government.

It´s an another step towards change.

Source: Antonio Gutierrez´s Blog, El Economista, Las noticias de México, BBC.

Women do not want perfect models in adverts

A research carried out by Ben Barry, researcher at Cambridge University, shows that women do not feel identified with very slim, young and white models.

The research includes a sample of 2000 women from the UK, US, China, India, Canada, Brazil, Kenya and Jordan, shows a change in women’s attitude towards beauty.

Ben Barry proved that women consumers respond more favourably to brands whose models are of their age, size and background. People do want to see someone who represents them in all these three factors.


Apart from women under 25 years old and Chinese female consumers, most of surveyed persons feel positive towards models that bear a resemblance.

"The women want models who look like they were part of the fashion industry but who at the same time look like themselves. It makes them feel that they are being included in the industry and that they are considered beautiful”, says Barry.

Latest campaigns of some brands, as Dove or Nivea, used these concepts.

However, luxury brands use the image of a perfect woman in their advertisements.
Despite Barry’s conclusions, there are some experts who prefer to be cautious with the results.

Paddy Barwise, professor of marketing at London Business School, thinks that there is a big gap between what women say and what they do at point of sale.



Will Ben Barry’s conclusions be taken into consideration in the next campaigns?

Source: MarketingDirecto, The Guardian, WARC

Edesa gets along with housewives of 25-65 years old

A report prepared by Milward Brown consulting reveals that Edesa´s last campaign, “Edesa Kitchen Dance”, increased brand visibility and reached the memory index of 64%.
Pop



And you, who are you? The campaign’s slogan reflects brands intentions: represent itself through music and dance, which is a way of personal expression. Four styles make up the campaign: pop, romantic, sport and metallic.

Romantic



Sport



Metallic



Each video targets specific kind of person and the brand wants to update the collections from time to time.

What decides that the campaign gets along with its target: women?

As we can see in the credits of the campaign (at the bottom of the text) the influence of feminine thinking in the creative process was very little, so it seems that Wonderland’s contributors put themselves mentally in housewives´ position.

House works are usually tedious and boring, and modern housewives rarely spend their entire time on cleaning and cooking. Maybe relating electrical appliances to an atmosphere of fun and relax is what made this spot connect with the new type of housewives?

Nowadays house is no longer just and only a space to live, but it’s a place where to have a good time. Edesa knew perfectly how to make the best profit of this aspect and how to present it in the campaign.

Edesa makes a step forward, and this way obliges other brands to approach women in a similar way- taking into consideration new ways of doing things.

An interesting report by Sarah Moore and Betsy Westhoff explains that the marketing which helps consumers understand how to enjoy brands at home is the one that will focus the attention.

However Edesa should rethink if its target public keep on being only women or could it be singles as well.
Full Credits

Advertiser: Fagor electrodomésticos
Product: relanzamiento Edesa
Agency: Wonderland
Creative Director: Santiago López
Art Director: Esteve Bou Nolla
Agency Producer: Gustavo González
Production company: Lee Films
Producer: Yago Carvajal
Piece: spots TV 20" y 10"
Title: "Romantic", "Metallic, "Sport", "Pop"

Source: MarketingNews, Anuncios.com.

Axe and its… sexist advertising?

Is this spot sexist or does it really denigrate women?

Perchero




Full Credits
Agency: Vegaolmosponce
Advertiser: Unilever
Product: desodorante
Brand: Axe
Sector: Perfumería, cosmética e higiene
Piece: Spot Tv 20"
Title: "Perchero"

Yes? No? In 2003 this campaign titled “Show them the way” was reported 153 times becoming the most reported campaign of the year.

Since several years brand Axe, which belongs to Unilever, stands out for its controversial adverts.

The General Association of Consumers (ASGECO) made a formal complaint against this campaign as denigrating woman. In this case the association also reported the ridiculous and stereotyped role of men.

It’s not the first time when campaigns of Axe are being reported. Throughout past years almost every Axe ad campaign have been criticized and reported.

In 2004, according to Sexist Advertising Observatory, “Show them the way” campaign continued being reported (also that year it become the most reported campaign).

In 2007, Radio and Television Discrimination Observatory (read the report) chose the Axe Spot “Church” the most representative example of use of the negative women stereotypes in spots.

Church



Full Credits
Brand: AXE
Product: Jabón
Agency: Properú
Company: Unilever

According to the observatory, women’s desire to get married and lack of this will among men are two stereotypes shown in the spot that reassert the inequality between women and men and the devaluation of female features.

In India, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting banned the “Chocolate” because it was “indecent and vulgar”.

Chocolate



Full Credits
Brand: AXE
Product: Desodorante
Agency: Lowe
Company: Unilever

Different women’s associations have reported Lynx (the variant of Axe in those countries) campaigns launched in New Zeland and England. In these cases, the reason was ¨the usage of stereotypes that denigrate women¨.

However, not everything around Axe is negative. In 2006 the brand won Gran Effie in Argentine for the creative effectiveness. It also got the gold award for the spot “Shower”.


Full Credits
Agency: Vegaolmosponce
Advertiser: Unilever
Product: Desodorante
Brand: Axe
Sector: Perfumería, cosmética e higiene
Piece: Spot TV 20"

The following year, Axe won the Big Award for integration at Cannes Festival for its “Choque” campaign.


Full Credits
Agency: Vegaolmosponce
Advertiser: Unilever
Product: Desodorante
Brand: Axe
Sector: Perfumería, cosmética e higiene
Piece: Spot TV 20"
Title: "Choques"

The Graphics designers were the followings:



This campaign caused 10% of the brand consumption increase.

In 2007, Argentinean Planning Association held the Creative Approach Awards and Axe won the Gran Prix.

Other campaigns of the brand were also highly controversial: Click, Metamorphosis, Academias Axe o Bom Chicka Wah Wah.

The last news referring to the brand says that the famous Axe Effect is real.

Real or not, it is obvious that Axe managed to distinguish itself from the competition. For some people its manners are not very orthodox, others find spots funny.

In reality, what we might criticize, are the graphic ads of “Choque” only, because there indeed women are represented as a sexual object.

Apart from that, the rest of campaigns play the normal game of seduction between women and men, and this is why the product is attractive.

Both men and women, especially the youth, like to play ¨the cat and mouse¨ and Axe shows this aspect from the point of view of its target: men. From this point of view, young men wish to have a good time with beautiful women. Axe exaggerates this game to make it funny and eye-catching.

In fact, we don’t really think the Axe campaigns depreciate women image. We believe that in many cases the men are the ones who are being denigrated.

Despite this, in our opinion, we should watch these campaigns as a parody of a seduction game and not as a sexist usage of the men and women image.

Source: MarketingNews, AdAge, ABC, Infobaeprofesional, Anuncios.com

Best and Worse spots showing actual women role Awards

Last December, Peru hosted FemTv and SapoTv Awards. These awards prize the best and the worse spots aimed at women by FemTV- a group of associations in favour of women rights.

The Winner of FemTV 2008 was Visa:



Credits
Brand: Vea Visa Card
Product: Credit Car
Agency: Publicis
Company: Peruvian Supermarkets, Banco Internacional del Perú, S.A.A

The Winner of SapoTV 2008 was Saga Falabella:



Credits Brand: Saga Falabella
Product: Store
Agency: Circus
Company: Saga Falabella

Axe, Unique, Natura, Nivea or Brahma were some of the brands nominated for the awards.

Fem TV
All the spots nominated for Fem TV awards show an economically independent women who is a family lover but at the same time likes looking after herself.

Thus, what is the difference between the nominated spots and the winner?
Vea Visa Card represents a woman capable of combining work and family without giving up looking after herself. The role represented in the spot is the ideal of an actual woman although in real life it is not always easy to work and have fun with a family at same time.

Sapo TV
Although among Sapo Tv there were some Axe spots, FemTV Group chose Saga Falabella supermarket as a winner.

According to the spot directors, it captures woman as a hysterical consumer and a person that succumbs to sexuality. This makes spot embarrass not only women but men as well.

This year the awards prized by the jury have been the same as spots chosen by the audience. This fact makes us think that the winner spot has been fairly chosen… or not?

Click her to watch all the nominated spots.

Which spots should have won, in your opinion?

Source: La Primera newspaper

2009: European Year of Creativity and Innovation

“Imagine. Create. Innovate.”

This is the slogan which European Union has chosen to promote this New Year: the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. (Can read the European Parliament resolution here).

According to Jan Figel, the Education Commissioner, there has never been better time for Europe to be flexible.

Imagine, create and innovate is what AdWomen wants to promote and we begin the year with the biggest energy ever! In this blog every day you will find the most interesting advertising works created by/for women and the most relevant studies related to women in advertising.

Your participation is more than welcome in AdWomen. Opinions, news, works… All these together will help us approach the female side of advertising.

Happy New Creativity Year with AdWomen

Source: European Union