Irritating Bleach Ad
March 30, 2009 § 4 Comments
So today I saw an unnerving ad for a bleach product whose name and manufacturer currently escapes me.
This ad, which I also cannot find online to link here (I’m sucking today), features a man lecturing a group of eager-to-please, neurotic women. What have these bad, bad, ladies done wrong? They have used bleach on their clothes that specifically say NO BLEACH. *GASP*
Thank God that we have whatever-company-makes-said-bleach to shame us about our bad housekeeping habits.
But it’s not really the shaming that gets me (although that’s really lovely). What I find particularly gross about this ad is that is features a MAN telling a group of WOMEN about this heavenly new science-y detergent. Because women, with their simply lady minds (I love you, Haskins) couldn’t possibly figure out that bleach shouldn’t touch non-bleach clothes! That’s beyond us, duh.
It would be awesome if the commercial were somehow teaching people that men can also pitch in around the house (something we never see in the commercial sector), but I don’t think it is making that statement at all.
But then, of course, when I step back from it all, I wonder whether or not I’m projecting feminist issues all over the place. But I guess that someone has to spew ‘agenda’ all over the place, because that helps us get to what’s really important. I don’t know. What do YOU think?
Women's Glib 
I think the product to which you are referring is Spray ‘N Wash Bright and White. http://www.spraynwash.com/brightandwhite.html
I think when it comes to cleaning product adverts, you can’t help but get annoyed. And you’re not projecting anything, only paying attention. Women don’t need to “lighten up”; men/advertisers/government need to stop increasing our burden.
I saw that! I think it was for a Spray ‘n’ Wash bleach alternative. Urge to scream… rising… RISING…
After seeing this ad for the 20th time, each more annoying than the last, I went looking for others out there who had the same reaction.
I think it’s an incredibly offensive ad. I am not one who looks for reasons to be offended, but there is something about it that I just hate. It’s as though these overly-earnest women are too stupid or sheltered to find a decent product without the help of some Ross Gellar look-a-like in a warehouse. Perhaps what adds to the offense is the first two words of the ad: “Today’s lesson…”, implying that there has been a need for ongoing support for these inept women. Somehow it seems like the message is that this is what learning for women is or should be about.
Maybe the advertisers’ intentions were not to imply any of this, but either way, their execution is terrible.