H&M pulls advert after being accused of sexualising children (I disagree)

[puntingking]

External Link/Members Only

"Make those heads turn in H&M's Back to School fashion" applied to 2 school girls wearing school uniform.

I took it as the fashion would make other parents want to buy the H&M school fashion.
If it was a woman wearing a handbag with the same slogan then people would not think they are sexualising the woman.

Or if the same slogan was applied to a man driving a car with a Tesla advert. People would not think Tesla is sexualising men.

I think it is the general public who have increasingly become more dirty minded and more perverse.

I think it is an innocent slogan that H&M used to try to sell more fashion.

am I wrong? Do you disagree or agree with the advert being pulled?
This advert was only in australia anyway but it still got people talking here.
What do you think? 

[Nickp]

Unfortunately a sign of the times these days. If the flake advert from old was shown someone would complain it's a woman sucking on a brown cock, therefore covering the sexual and racial aspect.

[fudi_maar]

What do I think? It's hard to say without seeing the advert.

But we live in Woke times. Anything and everything has the capacity to offend someone somewhere.
I just hope the hippies don't start smashing up H&M store fronts.

And we live in the Cancel culture. Any brand can be cancelled online for "violating community standards" and thereby, losing millions, or billions, in revenue.

Companies will now bend over backwards to ensure this doesn't happen to them. That's why 3 years ago, in the madness that was "BLM protests"
companies were literally falling over themselves to virtue signal that they are supporting the BLM ideology, and they were donating funds to the cause.

Expect profuse apologies from H&M. And jittery media/marketing professionals who work for other big brands.

[Mr Sinister]

What do I think? It's hard to say without seeing the advert.

But we live in Woke times. Anything and everything has the capacity to offend someone somewhere.
I just hope the hippies don't start smashing up H&M store fronts.

And we live in the Cancel culture. Any brand can be cancelled online for "violating community standards" and thereby, losing millions, or billions, in revenue.

Companies will now bend over backwards to ensure this doesn't happen to them. That's why 3 years ago, in the madness that was "BLM protests"
companies were literally falling over themselves to virtue signal that they are supporting the BLM ideology, and they were donating funds to the cause.

Expect profuse apologies from H&M. And jittery media/marketing professionals who work for other big brands.

So you haven't seen it but spaffing a load of waffle  it's not the first time h&m has come under controversy for their child marketing materials. And there's been brands like Balenciaga putting kids in their ads holding toys wrapped in bondage gear. This has nothing to do woke culture or any other nonsense, children just shouldn't be sexualised in such a way.

[fudi_maar]

Oh hello Mr Sinister. FYI, I looked for it, but couldn't find it, so assumed it had been taken down. Since you have clearly seen it, examined it, critiqued it, would you be so kind enough to post a link where I can see it, and thereby realise the error of my ways?

Kind regards.

[Squire Haggard]

Could H&M be grabbing headlines deliberately, knowing there would be a reaction?  They've now got lots of free publicity. Job done.
They are not the first kids clothing company to pull this stunt.


External Link/Members Only

[southcoastpunter]

people have different views on things including the sexualisation of children. A couple of months ago i mentioned to my Seeking SB (aged early 20's) that i had been to a ski centre and there were a group of about 12 or 13 year old girls having a lesson and most had on these tight lycra legging things showing a very obvious and perefect "camel toe" and that i wouldn't let my 12 year old daughter go out like that! And she said "why not? its you that is sexualising the girls...etc"

Maybe so but its knowing that most men would look !!

[daviemac]

Could H&M be grabbing headlines deliberately, knowing there would be a reaction?  They've now got lots of free publicity. Job done.

Well it certainly worked, they've got loads of advertising here and the ad wasn't even shown in this country.   

[DastardlyDick]

I haven't seen this advert either, but, going by the description alone, I can't work out how it "sexualized" children. Maybe my mind has been "trained" to not think of children in a sexual way, but I think this says more about those complaining than it does the Company or their advertising agemcy.

[myothernameis]

I haven't seen this advert either,

Easily found on YouTube, but if this advert is sexuality school children, what about other adverts from other shops.  Comments on YouTube, many are saying there nothing wrong with the advert, its the person who make the complaint, see thing wrong with everything

[puntingking]

I haven't seen this advert either, but, going by the description alone, I can't work out how it "sexualized" children. Maybe my mind has been "trained" to not think of children in a sexual way, but I think this says more about those complaining than it does the Company or their advertising agemcy.

 +1

[puntingking]

I saw an advert on a billboard recently that reads "get that summer look" showing a picture of a family laying on a beach.

That is about as much "sexualising" than thos advert on H&M, as in its not sexualisation.

On the point of sexualisation of children though (and tell me if i am wrong) but some parents sexualised their own kids.

During the summer months its not uncommon to see british girls walking around with what lools like is half a top, high heels dressed in  full makeup.

 

It makes people cringe. It certainly makes me cringe.

[PepeMAGA]

External Link/Members Only

That's the ad, personally I do think the point is to word it as if talking about an adult woman, so don't agree with it.

[puntingking]

External Link/Members Only

That's the ad, personally I do think the point is to word it as if talking about an adult woman, so don't agree with it.

What else could they of used as a slogan.

"Make those heads turn" slogan i have seen applied to lots of different advert in the pass as it is good advertisement slogan.

It is about the intent that would trouble me.

If H&M wanted to get this reaction for publicly then they have succeeded.
If H&M had good intentions of the advert then the advert should've stayed.

I dont believe H&M wanted this publicity but even bad publicity is good publicity.

Sometimes companies cant do right from doing wrong.

I would be intriqued to know if H&M sales go up in the following days and weeks. 

[PepeMAGA]

What else could they of used as a slogan.

Maybe
School uniforms for girls, on sale now.

[JontyR]

Definitely with Mr. Sinister on this one.  The slogan, when in partnership with the staging of the fashion and the barbie type set, is at best distasteful. Definitely irresponsible. Possibly dangerous.

The weird thing about the BBC link though is the massive self promotion of not allowed, who have a CEO? Nothing like monetising the fuck out of your own existence when safeguarding the nations morals is there? 

[puntingking]

Definitely with Mr. Sinister on this one.  The slogan, when in partnership with the staging of the fashion and the barbie type set, is at best distasteful. Definitely irresponsible. Possibly dangerous.

The weird thing about the BBC link though is the massive self promotion of not allowed, who have a CEO? Nothing like monetising the fuck out of your own existence when safeguarding the nations morals is there?

Maybe they should mention this forum as we have views on other subjects unrelated to punting.