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Once again, I've stupidly been living my life by various feminist principles that are sure to leave me without a husband or boyfriend, unloved, unsexed, and dead in a bathtub with my face eaten off my my 98 pet rabbits* (I'm allergic to cats) before anyone even notices that I am missing. Fortunately, the ad world is here to help me out!
On Thursday, June 19 the Women's Media Center's Majority Post blogged about a Bacardi Breezer ad campaign in Israel that exhorted women to become "the most desirable piece of meat around the grill" by adopting a fat or ugly - or best of all, fat and ugly - woman to be your BFF (do you hear that, Paris Hilton?). Margaret at Jezebel explained that "Israeli ad agency McCann Digital launched the 'Get An Ugly Girlfriend!' site in Hebrew and English along with a Hebrew-only facebook group to promote the fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages."
On Sunday, June 21, our buddies at Bacardi left the following comment on the Majority Post (as well as on other feminist blogs that blasted the ad campaign):
Thank you for taking the time to post your story regarding Bacardi Breezer.
The campaign you are referring to ran in 2008 for two months in Israel. Even though Bacardi Breezer is not sold or distributed in the United States, we immediately notified the appropriate Bacardi affiliate and had this website shut down.
Bacardi proudly celebrates diversity and we do not endorse the views of this site. We sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by this site and thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Now let's pull out our Nancy Drew magnifying glasses, because the plot thickens! Michelle at Shameless Blog wrote:
McCann Digital is an Internet exclusive ad agency known for its disgustingly offensive campaigns. McCann recently listed the ad campaign on Best TV Now, dating it as being from this month and listing the client that commissioned it as Tempo. Possibly, and this is entirely my speculation, it was going to be submitted to the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
Regardless of whether the "Ugly Girlfriend" ads were from last year and ran for "only" two months without the extremely conscientious Bacardi corporation aware of how their priceless corporate logo and image were being dragged through the mud or whether it is a temporary ad campaign, the minisite is now down. But all is not lost! Fearless feminists have preserved the images, so if you would like to see for yourself how much Bacardi celebrates diversity, The F-Word Blog has pictures of the campaign. I'll wait while you check them out and shout angry swear words. (This won't open in a new window, so don't forget to come back to me! I'd hate to be abandoned in favor of an ugly ad campaign that will make you look better at the BBQ...)
(To entertain myself while you peruse the ads, I am singing the Coasters's version of the excellent song, "Get an Ugly Girl to Marry You," which, in case you are not familiar with it, goes like this:
Chorus:
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life,
Never make a pretty woman your wife.
So from my personal point of view,
Get an ugly girl to marry you.Chorus
A pretty woman makes her husband look small,
And very often causes his downfall.
As soon as he marries her, then she starts,
To do the things that will break his heart.But if you make an ugly woman your wife,
You'll be happy for the rest of your life.
An ugly woman cooks meals all the time,
She'll always give you peace of mind.Chorus
Don't let your friends say you have no taste,
Go ahead and marry anyway.
Her face is ugly, her eyes don't match.
Take it from me, she's a better catch.Chorus
Say, man?
Hey baby!
I saw your wife the other day.
Yeah?
Yeah, and she's sure is ugly. Ha!
Yeah, she's ugly, but she sure can cook, baby!
Yeah, alright.
Unfortunately, she has acne.
That's a shame, baby.
Yeah, baby.Chorus x3
Seriously, I love the spoken verse just before the third rambunctious chorus! Of course, I realize that the song, as performed also by Harry Belafonte, negates the point of the Bacardi Breezers ads because hanging around with the ugly chick will actually cost you the ring on your finger as men throw you onto the barbie to get at those thighs that rub together. But maybe that's only if she can cook? Life is so confusing!)
Welcome back to the "Ugly Girlfriend" discussion! I
