The provocative new campaign by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) hit a mass media snag last week, when NBC rejected its SuperBowl spot as depicting “a level of sexuality exceeding our standards.”
The Must-See TV folks judged many of the images in the ad, created to promote vegetarianism, as unsuitable for the delicate sensibilities of the NFL audience, so notoriously priggish with regard to glamorous women in suggestive poses. The 30-second spot crosses the line, recounts an NBC standards executive, in depicting a beautiful model caressing various raw vegetables and--brace for impact here--“screwing herself with broccoli…” (NBC`s phrasing, not mine.)
On one hand, there`s that in-your-face,
contrarian, counter-cultural swagger; on the other, a sexy-glamorous, subtly
fragranced, cultural elitist pose. And while you can certainly find a more
earnest approach to PETA`s mission priorities at its website (“… Test Michael
Vick for Brain Disorder!”), PETA brand advertising tantalizes us with
high-flying exemplars from a global in-group of hip, fashion-forward glamoristas.
The would-be Super Bowl spot certainly draws on the edgy, high-glamour standard of PETA`s brand creative, even as it tries to slap you silly with its tongue-in-cheek high spirits. Give us a break, NBC. Excessive sexuality this is not (although, like most PETA brand creative, it does tend to objectify women).
Still, there’s more than a hint of parody here: the spot lampoons the unearned power of “hot babe” imagery to persuade us through cliché and stereotype. It’s a blue-chip example of one strain of disruptive advertising, where conventional audience expectations are exploded by strident overstatement.
Too pretentious an analysis? Check out the making of video below. It says a lot about PETA`s intent in the ad. Here the models themselves talk about their personal veggie “relationships” (“I love asparagus because I’m kind of into the group thing”). Compare the This is Spinal Tap tone of this piece to the droning and interminable behind-the-scenes Whopper Virgins "documentary" ("And we'd like to welcome you to Munchkin Land") that I grumbled about last month.
Could it be that PETA never expected to make the Super Bowl cut? By courting a rejection, PETA saves two or three million bucks in placement costs while high-jacking enough word-of-mouth and media exposure (including a New York Post “Page Six” item) to compensate for the disappointment.
Great post
Intentional or not this is a fine example of a potentially effective publicity tactic. Certainly riding the coat tails of a godaddy.com approach - and yes it does objectify women perhaps.
Indeed PETA has set the stage for the sequel "Veggies go viral" and this time its all about the peanut butter.
JB
Posted by: John B | January 29, 2009 at 07:59 AM