Why I got sick of pimping out fat pills and selling deodorant
In this guest post, young Australian creative Rebecca Campbell talks about why she moved from working on campaigns for fat pills, to painting round the globe
I’ve been a creative for less than five years. But after jobs as a copywriter in a couple of big agencies I found myself sick of telling women that they would feel more confident if their underarms were softer and pimping out fat pills to people who didn’t need them.
So, fuelled with one or 10 ciders from the night before I barged into my boss’s office mid-recession in London and quit.
Seven weeks later I found myself painting my way round the world for paint brand Dulux’s Let’s Colour Project – an initiative to colour the world with paint – and writing a blog for them about the experience.
Jealous!
I have no comment to make on the substance of this article but I merely wish to acknowledge that “Camille Alarcon” is a beautiful name.
love what you are talking about, it IS becoming more truthful. we just gotta get more clients and agencies to see it.
All our competitors keep telling girls that their brand’s fat pills will increase their chances of getting a guy. but we wanted to prove it.
From a school in London to a local square in India, from a council estate with more than 80 per cent unemployment on the outskirts of Paris to a row of homes in Rio de Janeiro, we found fat girls and gave them our fat pills.
The results spoke for themselves.
Nice post Campbell
Yes. Great project and a very nice blog.
I see that Chopper Reed finally made it to Rio. .
Nothing beats a creative product demonstration
Oh yeah, Paint can change the world… remember when they painted the slums of Rio De Janero in bright happy colours so the crushing poverty, gang violence and rape wouldn’t seem so depressing and mess up tourists photos? that was awesome.
You’ll have to forgive my skepticism but my postcolonial spider-sense is tingling.
Were the community participants paid for their painting labour? Were they supplied with paint to keep the projects maintained? Do the members of the communities have the purchasing power to buy the product being advertised?
Answering no to any (just one!) of these makes the project ethically problematic.
This is brilliant piece of brand communication. However to suggest it has a charitable objective or is “helping underprivileged communities” is a bit of a stretch. Full marks though for a great idea and execution.
Like the idea and the execution and agree with what you’re trying to do but love to know what are the objectives of the campaign?
So basically you’ve quit being a creative and got a job in marketing working directly for the client.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for that Nobel Peace prize nomination.
Dear hmmm:
If you actually look at the website you’ll see that it’s not a charity project. If you read the article it’s saying that the brand dulux put their product to the test by actually painting and doing not preaching and saying paint is great. I think it’s a great project and wish I worked on it.
Product demos done in a creative way are always the best. I’m sick of selling deodorant and other crap because it will make people feel fresher and more confident. I’m one of the many creatives who hate advertising but have a bit of hope that it is getting better because we can’t keep talking to our consumers condescendingly.
Hack is right. It wasn’t a charity project rather an initiative from a brand to do rather than say. The only mention of that (“underprivileged”) is in the blurb which aren’t my words.
Some of the places we painted were so called underprivileged but this was just a fraction. The people in the TVC are a mixture of professional painters from the local areas and residents of the community. The locations remain transformed with colour.
If you check the website: http://www.letscolourproject.com you’ll see that there are events happening all over the world. We are currently painting with mural artist MWM in Lyon, France. Later this month we’re heading to Paris and Istanbul.
http://www.letscolourproject.com/blog
The campaign objective was to inspire people to colour by actually getting out there and painting places. The campaign is done for AkzoNobel (Dulux is one of the brands) by the advertising agency is Euro RSCG London.
Campbell, you squeel the best gigs. Paint my pad will ya?
I am a bit of a goth and a frustrated creative. I really like this campaign and wish there was more like it so tomorrow I will wear pink underpants.
Good comment Bec and nice article.
go reba
I love this bit
“Brands… Forget telling consumers what you stand for. It’s time to actually stand for it”
You’re in advertising. You sell shit – get over yourself and leave the moral crusading to Greenpeace.
God my life is boring, selling fat pills for a living.
Hey, how about selling paint instead? You’ll get to travel the world, gawk at poor people, and tell everyone back home about how socially responsible you’ve become.
So wait, how exactly does this benefit anybody?
that’s so not what she’s saying. get over yourself. it’s just a good example of a big brand deciding to do good things and make money rather than filling tv ads with crap and making money. brands advertise to sell more. that’s what they do and how we all have jobs. jesus.
TOTALLY. AS IF ANYONE IN ADVERTISING IS IN IT TO WIN A PEACE PRIZE. AS IF ANYONE EVER WILL. I’M SICK OF ADVERTISING TOO AND MOST CREATIVES I KNOW HATE IT. I LIKE THIS CAMPAIGN THO. IT’S BETTER THAN SHOWING FAKE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE LOOKING AT THEIR FRESHLY PAINTED HOMES WITH A SMILE.
confused: in a small way colour can make people happy. ever heard of colour therapy or given someone flowers? in other cultures like parts of india where the natural world is so brown and baron they embrace colour for this reason. it’s not rocket science. they’re not trying to cure cancer, it adds a little bit of brightness. what’s wrong with advertising doing that?
@Rebecca Did Dulux pay the community members for their labour?
@Kristian: For the events that are captured in the TV spot above, Dulux paid professional painters from the area as well as local people who wanted to join in.
There are also events happening all over the world every month (this month there are three in France and one in Turkey). In France, for example, an awesome mural artist (MWM) is the one painting.
Just want to make clear again that the “underprivilaged” reference in the opening paragraph and article heading weren’t written by me and are inaccurate. I’ve just asked mUmBRELLA to change them. The campaign was never set out to be for charity. Nobody is pretending to cure cancer. It’s just a brand using their product to add a bit of colour 🙂
Colour can be very funny. search Youtube for “you’ve been tangoed”…
The standfirst has now been amended at Rebecca’s request.
For those unfamiliar with these things, headlines and standfirsts are often not written by the author, but by the publication, including in this case Mumbrella.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Thanks Rebecca and the Dulux team for bringing the world of colour to the students in a way which would have been impossible before…The students loved the inspirational way you presented colou and the impact it has on all of us whether em[ployed to do adds or to view them.
Now the students ‘get it’.
Imagine the world without colour!
Only seeing it in tones of grey!!!!
Thanks for the opportunity to get something more from advertising and a form other than the bland tripe usually dished up
Rebecca, you are a consumate professional.
Ms Campbell’s idealism is refreshing, but …
Some products are crap. Nearly all are unnecessary.
Hence, advertising.
I think what she means by stop telling people what you stand for and start standing for it is simply ‘demonstrate not claim’, something great brands have been doing for zonks.
“these days it’s the consumers who are in charge. They own the brands, and they’ll call us on anything we spin.”
Has anyone in advertising ever seen someone from middle Australia or been to a suburb 10k or more out of the city. I don’t think they feel they’re in charge, owning brands or calling out anyone who is guilty of spin.
I worry about the state of advertising in 10 years when it’s full of these sorts of cliches.
but that’s exactly the point. thanks to the current situation, consumers are increasingly more powerful. they have a voice. it’s not new but every day and increasingly, brands are being pressured to be straight with people and be exactly what they say. not say what they are.
Word. And it’s called the internet. Don’t patronize me because I’m not from Rose Bay. 7.37am you are perfect example of consumers calling us on “anything we spin”. everyone (rightly or wrongly) has a voice. and so do i, all the way from bum hole Cowra. Rock.
Great Japanese Gardens in Cowra and a POW camp too. No zoo though that lets you rise your bikes around. Visit Cowra.
i love cowra.
I think you’re missing my point … ask joe schmoe if he think s/he has a voice … or if s/he even WANTS a voice. How self important is the ad/marketing industry if we think that consumers want to ‘own’ brands … I think the focus on more important stuff like family/friends/work/sporting team etc
Consumers have always had a voice and brands have always been pressured to be straight with people (it’s called the media, it’s like “social media” but without the self important 21 year olds, instead it has self important 50 year olds who have experienced life)… get off your internet high horse and realise that right it’s an evolution not the revolution. Next you’ll all be claiming it was the Internet that got Obama elected.
To the ‘champions of the consumer’ … catch a train out of the city, walk into a Woolworths and look around. I think the real world is much different to a funky boardroom where these ideas are conceived.
Yes that is true. it is a complete evolution. of course nobody walks around thinking they own brands. they don’t give a toss because they don’t even think about it. But… it is true that (in an evolving manner) ppl are given more channels to have their opinion and, more and more, clients are forced to talk directly to consumers, which means that they have a bit more sway. social media is just one example where now ppl are given the opportunity to talk directly to the brands etc.
Great post.