Disturbing Trends In Advertising

This is a little off topic but it pertains to where the trend in advertising is going. There are two disturbing trends I see with this.

From SunSentinel.com Reality TV drives ads with average bodies



Maybe you've seen them on billboards, smiling and full-figured, proudly posing in underwear. Or perhaps you did a double take when you saw their oversized body parts in commercials and magazine spreads with tag lines like "I have thunder thighs."

A new batch of advertisements glorify female parts that are much closer to the norm than those strutted by supermodels.



What is the point of advertising, to increase brand awareness and get people to buy your product. People buy a product because something about it makes them feel good or sexy. It satisfies an urge for something.

Do you honestly think the women wearing lycra stretched to its physical limit feel good or sexy?

Do you think people that could buy this product want to look like that?


Nike is putting out slogans like "I have thunder thighs" and "my butt is big". What kind of message does that send? American society is struggling with an obesity problem and the largest sports apparel company that is trying to encourage sports activities says this?

Maybe Nike's next slogan should be "if you feel like it someday, try to make at attempt at it"

I hope Adidas doesn't start this nonsense.



The fastest growing sport right now is the triathlon. I don't know how many sports allow amateurs to compete directly against the pros. There isn't any skill involved. It's pure endurance which can be attained if there is enough desire.

If enough desire is there, anything is attainable.

Nike apparel is nowhere to be found for the triathlete. There's DeSoto, TYR, Asics, Reebok, but nothing from Nike.

Here's what I would do if I was a Nike brand manager. Hire Jessi Stensland or one of the other triathlete hotties and introduce a line of apparel for women. Instead of giving in, reach out.

Nike has the opportunity to tap into the fastest growing sport out there.

Have we given up?

Is the 15th place trophy now our goal?

Reality show Americas Biggest Loser was a dud. People like reality shows, but I think this one missed the desire of the people. Maybe we hate seeing fat people, or maybe people don't like being reminded they need to exercise. The real reality in that show is you have to exercise to lose weight. That message is too close to home..

The Celebrity Fat Club is another example of what people don't want to see.

In case Madison Ave forgot, "sex sells", and the reality to reality shows is sex sells. There is no reality in being stranded on an island competing for a can of Pringles. People tuned into Survivor to see Jenna and Amber in those bikinis, not Sue the truck driver.

Nike, in my mind, can be the brand that tackles America's obesity problem, but not with ads and the message like this.

In addition, I know I have no interest in looking at these ads, so did Nike lose male eyeballs with these ads too?

Honest answer, which picture above did you look at longer?