Driving down Jasper Avenue this morning, I was confronted with this billboard:
This smacks of lazy marketing. This ad says:
- Only women shop at IKEA.
- Only women like home furnishings.
- The only sport that women enjoy is browsing through the IKEA catalog.
- It’s funny because usually the phrase is “Gentlemen, start your engines”. We’re making it equal-opportunity!
Do marketers really think that all the female demographic needs to be excited about your brand is a mention? Oooh, they’re talking about women! Take my money, please!
In January, IKEA was searching for agencies with “retail experience with a specific focus on the female demographic“. I find it difficult to believe that this is the very best that Leo Burnett could come up with.
Let’s not fall for this. Call IKEA out on their crap on Facebook and Twitter. Tell ‘em what you think of lazy marketing!
At least the ad isn’t pink.