I'm posting this in the hope that someone at Lavazza or the agency that's responsible for this "First Class Espresso Experience" campaign will do some sort of buzz monitoring and find it via Google or something and it'll turn up in a report associated with the words dumb, crass, sexist, stupid. Which when you think about it, as more brands do active internet monitoring, is a nice way of doing consumer activism.
The more links there are to it, the more likely they are to find it - so if you hate this kind of stuff, do your bit.
Gee Russell, you're so right.
I received a copy (poster size, uh, so bad) of the calendar after an invitation to the presentation of it.
I thought I was one of the very few to dislike it, everybody was so "oh the pictures by miss von hunvert are soo beautiful".
The agency is Armando Testa, in Turin...
Posted by: Luca Vergano | January 19, 2006 at 03:47 PM
I've posted a reaction on my blog, so it will show up on a google blog search for the next day or so anyway:
http://www.planningblog.com/2006/01/yes-this-lavazza-poster-is-sexist.html
Posted by: Carol | January 19, 2006 at 04:32 PM
I changed the title and the direction changed too. Sorry!
http://www.planningblog.com/2006/01/dumb-and-dumber.html
Posted by: Carol | January 19, 2006 at 05:11 PM
If you've ever watch Italian television, I don't think you'd be too surprised by this [unfortunate] imagery. If meant as camp humor in Italy, it just goes to show the pitfalls of Pan-European and Global advertising.
Posted by: Jerry Holtaway | January 19, 2006 at 09:39 PM
Hmm... Some would argue that this sort of consumer activism is "more press" and "there is no such thing as bad PR". Fools!
PS - i wanted to let you know that you are in the battle of the ad blogs. Best of luck!
ad-rag.com/battleoftheadblogs/
Posted by: dabitch | January 20, 2006 at 02:49 AM
TO JERRY:
Italian television for the most part is absolutely stupid. But having cable TV I don't see that much difference from other tv markets like US for example.
The thing is in too many occasion italian agencies has not been counselors to the clients, just executing their guidelines. I think from an advertising education point of view we are very immature... a further proof of this are many of the italian blogs on the subject: just showing cool campaigns from other countries and complainings how we are never able to to them here.
We are lacking people like those contributing to this blog. People who really think advertising can be pushed a bit forward.
Posted by: Luca Vergano | January 20, 2006 at 08:41 AM
TO LUCA:
So are you saying Italy is the place for people who know how to consult on advertising???
On the Italian TV difference, I travel often and sometimes catch a moment of Italian TV on hotel cable - invariably in the evening I see scantily clad women prancing around a middle aged host. I have lived in America for nearly 20 years, but given what I read about the religious right there, no one could have that style of programing, could they?
Posted by: [email protected] | January 20, 2006 at 05:33 PM
Could you imagine the target market profile. Frustrated middle aged sales men with liberal expense accounts, attracted to the nostalgia of one day being a flight captain and taking on his cabin crew. Nice on. having said that, it is italian.
Posted by: kev | January 21, 2006 at 12:00 PM
Sorry - it should have read, "I have NOT lived in America in nearly 20 years..."
Posted by: [email protected] | January 21, 2006 at 03:07 PM
Never mind the crass sexist stupidity of the execution what about the 'express yourself' strategy? Completely devoid of any insight whatsoever. What is it with coffee agencies eh? How about 'it's all about you' from Nescafe!
Posted by: richard | January 23, 2006 at 08:59 PM
hello Richard,
you're back. how are you?
you're right of course, I could live with the crass if it wasn't also so dumb.
Posted by: russell | January 24, 2006 at 06:35 PM
TO JERRY:
I'm saying that sometimes it's really difficult being a counselor, because we are not just a nation of poets, musicians and explorers. We are also creatives, marketing managers, researchers and strategists.
So you end up fronting people who are sure they heave the right answer always on the spot to whatsoever problem... That makes the exchange kind of hard...
Posted by: Luca Vergano | January 26, 2006 at 12:31 PM
Hey Russell, there's been an interesting lecture yesterday in Milan related to this.
you can read a report and some thoughts here:
http://www.lucavergano.com/the_blurber/2006/03/males_are_back.html
Posted by: Luca Vergano | March 15, 2006 at 09:45 AM
Well ! At least it's not an English lady ! If it was I would been put off coffee for the rest of my life ! LooooooooooooL !
Posted by: Sam | March 15, 2006 at 09:52 PM
...to which we could add the tab "French"
Posted by: Brian Millar | May 03, 2006 at 08:53 AM
Thank you for directing me to this product. I will be purchasing it in the future.
Posted by: Eric | January 25, 2007 at 02:03 PM
brilliant!
what a wonderfully striking campaigne! excellent pictures, excellent image. top marks from me. ;-)
Posted by: jp | March 19, 2007 at 03:06 PM