Mark Irving, advertising company director on how national stereotypes can get in the way of good advertising.
I saw this advertisement headline recently in a magazine called Filmfair India:
"I was mesmerised as if he cast a spell on me. I was enjoying obeying his orders. I was a slave by choice."
This ad for chocolate flavoured condoms is both surprising and not surprising. It may surprise people that such a risqué ad could come out of a poverty stricken third world country with a strict caste system. It's also not surprising given that India has a huge middle class, numbering greater than Americas and that many of these people want all the trappings of the western world.
For me it's an example of how advertising is just one aspect that reflects our society and how stereotyping often shapes advertising and the media. So what is our national stereotype and how are New Zealand ad agencies and the media portraying that?
In my opinion I believe they often have a stereotypical view on what our national characteristics and traits are.
I think they often buy into the myth that we Kiwis are a bunch of laid back, fun loving, dry witted, resourceful jokers. I'm definitely not saying all ads and media portray us as this but often they do.
It's a stereotype that seems to endure, because for the media and ad agencies, these convenient stereotypes are a source of humour that's used to sell and build brands. Maybe it's all part of a grand conspiracy theory where we're being dumbed down to such an extent that the really important issues just pass us by.
Whatever the reason, these stereotypes don't reflect reality. In my opinion I believe NZ society, particularly for people in the urban workforce is in fact quite a stressful and difficult environment.
This is obviously due to the well-documented, long work hours for relatively little pay syndrome - that's say 75 per cent of the unhappiness right there. Added to this, I believe is short sightedness, lack of good communication and bad atmosphere, which is present in many workplaces. And I'm not just talking about my industry either. I've worked in a few different industries and it was present there as well.
So when many are spending 45 to 65 hours a week in this type of environment, those cultural stereotypes start to look a little jaded. It's a bit like Kiwis thinking that all Brits are a bunch of football loving, cloth capped, corgi walkers or all Aussies are foul-mouthed, drunken fly swotters. (One of these stereotypes isn't true).
Taking a leaf out of American talk show hosts, I think it's time to get real and face up to reality. There are numerous examples in business and advertising where companies simple don't know and understand the target group they're speaking to. I know of Auckland based companies who thought they could sell exactly the same products to North Islanders as South Islanders.
Unfortunately they didn't understand the market. Numerous Kiwi companies have attempted to sell their products in Australia thinking it was a similar market. The same applies to Aussie companies trying to make it over here. Different people, different markets.
Like it or not, advertising and the media does reflect what we are and who we believe we are. Starting with advertising, I'd like to throw out some of these cultural stereotypes because for me, they're looking a bit tired and irrelevant.
Mark Irving
Mark Irving is the Director of Range Advertising and Communications.
