Collective Shout reveals list of ‘sexploitative’ brands to boycott this Christmas
An Australian organisation has called on the public to boycott brands this Christmas that it believes sexualise and objectify women and girls.
According to Collective Shout, the companies on its list have been the worst at objectifying and sexualising women and girls through advertising and marketing in 2011.
Collective Shout spokesperson Melinda Tankard Reist, who recently wrote an opinion piece for Mumbrella, said: “The companies we have named do not respect women, they have not responded to complaints or changed their ways, so we are calling on shoppers to boycott their stores and labels during the holiday season.”
The organisation has put jewellery and accessories retail chain Diva at the top of the list. The chain recently placed playboy merchandise next to Winnie the Pooh and Disney princess necklaces. The organisation started a petition, collected over 7,000 signatures and delivered it to Diva stores.
Also on the list is Unilever’s Lynx deodorant brand, notably for its “Rules to Rugby” ad that showed slow motion and close up footage of women playing rugby in tight, small uniforms. The commercial was banned by the Ad Standards Bureau.
Numerous clothing retailers including City Beach and Cotton On have been placed on the list for selling t-shirts with naked or semi-naked women on them.
The full list of brands has been revealed www.collectiveshout.org.
Collective Shout….I’d hate you if you weren’t irrelevant
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Wow! Some people seriously have too much time of their hands – there are some truly offensive ads out there – ie the Roger David ad – but this Lynx ad was brilliant.
It was banned because it was sexual – but just because it is sexual does not make if offensive to women.
My lesbian colleague was complaining she couldn’t get into the World Cup as she didn’t understand the rules – i sent her a link to this video – she and her wife loved it!
I hate seeing young girls wearing playboy things – but surely thats their parents issue not Divas?
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I’m fairly sure this list was promoted the other day in the original blog post on this topic. Surely there has been enough already on this? Or perhaps it is to remind us all how this group seek to use intimidation to impose their unrepresentative and ill-informed moralistic views.
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What an excellent job Collective Shout is doing to expose this horrible stuff. I found this great tea company who are an Australian alternative to Unilever Lipton tea, one of the companies on the crossed off list. And what’s more they deliver for free.
(spammy link removed by Mumbrella)
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I can almost 100% guarantee that every random male name like ‘Bern’ that comment in support of these rediculous actions of Collective Shout are actually woman who work for the cause.
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You think we might get 156 comments on this?
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Hmmm Tim wants some coments.
Adgrunt can U please step up and help poor ole Mumbrella with some pageviews please?
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Good on them. I hate seeing companies and corporations with no social responsibility. I would be very happy to spend my money on goods that have been manufactured and sold ethically.
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marketing departments might have to choose real ideas now instead of just sexism.
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Tim? Are you moderating the product placement above by @Bern?
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Thanks for flagging, Okay. Now moderated…
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Brilliant work Bern! There should be an award for what you just did: Smoothest Incorporation of a Product in a Posted Comment -with a link.
(Hope OKAY is happy.)
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I agree that companies should be more responsible when advertising their brand – personally, I don’t want to have to explain the concepts that these types of ads put out there, to my young children…
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I am going to use Collective Shout’s list as my shopping guide for Christmas Presents for my five sisters, two aunts, two grandmothers and one mother this year. I don’t like lazy advertising but I hate people preaching to me as though they know better.
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I would like to know why we value our own rights of expression as adults over the collective good of the community – a large portion of which are children?
I’m sure those against collective shout’s concern for the sexploitation of women and children do not have daughters. With the advertising thrust in their face constantly, it is a struggle to teach young girls they are worth more than their body parts!
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Ugh, I hate Diva now. I will never shop there again. First of all, they start stocking Playboy jewellery like pendants with “Miss June” or “Playmate” on them next to their kiddie ranges, and then, they simply deleted all legitimate complaints from their facebook. The whole situation was very poorly handled, and even with Playboy off their shelves, there’s no way I am staying a customer.
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ahhhh come on – I am a grown up openly gay woman and I love the lynx ad!
I’d rather watch these gals than the boof heads who actually play the game….
why is that so wrong???
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As a father of two young daughters, I appreciate this list. It makes it easier for me to stay away from retailers who do not respect women.
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Have you seen the David Jones ? ad with the lovely lady wearing a mans shirt in a post sex pose with an undone button in an extremely provocative place with the headline: “It would look better on a man.”
I find that ad VERY offensive.
There is no way it would look better on a man. I know men who wear those shirts and they are usually overweight, balding, middle age brown noses that troll blogs during their breaks after marketing meetings. It is completely untrue that it would look better on him and should be sent the ASB for false advertising.
Can you add that to your list ?
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Can somebody PLEASE think of the children?!
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Irrelevant? Lol
Yeah that’s why everyone is commenting on it and others are getting on board. Good on them.
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Helen lovejoy, love it. But the real reason it got banned is because it’s…well… shite.
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Where’s that Matthew chap when you need him?
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I love the Lynx ad. I am a male, mid 20’s. I guess I like it because I’m their target market. They didnt show it on TV, now through the publicity from the people complaining about it, I’m guessing a tenfold more people have seen the ad. Mission complete aye, Lynx.
Get over it people.
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BTW, that Diva shop putting Playboy next to Disney stuff… Come on. Seriously. Anyone can see that’s just wrong. That shop is a little girl’s cheap jewellery paradise.
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I always buy my friends and relatives Lynx for christmas. Now I’ll just have to get them cans of Rexona instead.
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From your article I understand the the Lynx advert has been banned by the Advertising Standards Bureau. How then can Mumbrella still show it?
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