Saudi Arabia’s Brave Advertisement

It is not often that an advertisement from a Middle Eastern country creates a media buzz. But a daring advertisement in the local media changed that.

A full-page newspaper ad showed a burqa-clad woman with a clearly visible black eye. At the bottom of the ad was a slogan in Arabic that reads in English: "Some things can't be covered", followed by a list of phone numbers for local domestic abuse shelters. Needless to say, newspaper readers were shocked by this powerful image.

The print ad was the brainchild of Scott Abbott, the creative director of the Riyadh-based ad agency Memac Ogilvy (part of the famous Ogilvy & Mather ad agency). He wanted to spark a national social discussion about spousal abuse.

The advertisement is endorsed by the King Khalid Foundation, a non-profit organization focusing on social issues. The Foundation’s director, HRH A.R. Al Faisal, doesn't think that the advertisement was that controversial.

Protecting women from spousal abuse is a major issue across countries, cultures, and social classes. It is also a subject that society is often hesitant to deal with in such an open way.

According to Ms. Al Faisal, things are changing in Saudi Arabia, with a notable rise in women’s shelters. Furthermore, the King Khalid Foundation has prepared a bill that outlaws domestic violence. If convicted, an abuser will face jail time, fines and loss of custody. A similar bill outlawing child abuse has already passed.

The ad also created buzz outside Saudi Arabia. The ad was discussed by marketing and PR professionals in Europe and the US for its PR effect while the design was lauded by graphic designers.

The “less is more” approach worked beautifully here. It will be interesting to know what the social impact in Saudi Arabia was – and if it contributed in changing society’s take on domestic violence.

Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mark Jeffries’ Marketing Mistake

Recently, Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mark Jeffries said that his company was only for the “cool kids” – and not for “fat people.”  He explained that Abercrombie & Fitch is a well-defined and specific brand that the company wants to protect. Its target customers are therefore (according to Mr. Jeffries) young, thin and beautiful.

In itself, there is nothing wrong with profiling your customers and being protective of your brand. But as company (and especially as its CEO or CMO) you must be careful how to deliver your message.

Define your brand

A brand it one of the main assets of any company – big or small. There is nothing wrong with Abercrombie & Fitch building a strong brand that people talk about. However, never alienate a customer – jilted customers have long memories, especially if they feel they are being insulted. Although Jeffries’ remarks got a lot of attention, but in this age of (cyber)bullying and its horrible consequences, telling uncool, overweight kids to not buy your brand is just not the way to go.

Not all PR is good PR

The Abercrombie & Fitch brand is not as strong as it used to be. This PR stunt goes by the assumption “all publicity is good publicity”. As any marketing or PR professional can tell you, that’s not true. Moreover, if you are a publicly-traded company, it can even harm you. Creating social media buzz is a double-edged sword that must be yielded carefully. Mark Jeffries is acting like the proverbial bull in a china shop.

Social Responsibility

In an era where apparel companies emphasize their social consciousness (fair trade/labor conditions, organic materials, low carbon footprint, etc.), endorsing so-called ideal customers who are cool, thin and attractive is counterproductive. It shows insensitivity to youngsters struggling with body issues and eating disorders. The Duchess of Windsor might have stated that “one can never be too thin”, but we all know now that’s just plain silly.

Be Smart – Think of the Future

Even if Mr. Jeffries thought that his remark served a higher marketing purpose, he harmed his company. Explicitly excluding certain types of customers can backfire in the future for several reasons. For one, apparel is often bought as a gift, which means that parents and grandparents with all kinds of body sizes could buy Abercrombie & Fitch for their skinny and young (grand)children. The CEO for sure ticked those affluent potential customers off with his remark.

Furthermore, the company might decide at one point to branch out to large-size items or a different age group, such as baby boomers or Generation X. Upsetting any demographic group now can backfire in the future.

What will be the fallout of the CEO’s remark? It depends. If the brand can attract enough “young and cool” customers, it will be OK for the immediate future. If not, the brand will suffer, and a new CEO will be hired for damage control. May be it’s time for Mr. Jeffries to dust off his resume?