Yesterday, the world all over marks the International Women’s Day and Nigeria was not left behind in celebrating women.
One of Nigeria financial institution, Diamond Bank was also at the forefront of the celebration by lining up several activities to mark the day but it all went sour when an advert of the bank, #MenForWomen Campaign displaying eleven top management staff of the bank.
Expectedly, questions were raised over the incessant use of men in an advert targeted to celebrate women.
Though, It’s very likely the intent was noble but the execution was very flawed because the visual creative appears to inadvertently support ‘gender inequality’.
Social media went agog when the ad was posted on Facebook and several customers of the bank, PR and Brand executives and gender equality activists took turn to dissect the high and low of the ad.
Below are some of the reactions:
“Although I assume they mean well with their “pledge”, but it is a Women’s Day! Bold pictures of 11 male top dogs at the bank kinda takes away from that. It may even come across like the future successes of the women at the Bank are in these men’s hands. That is the point.
WTF!
Oh I’m sorry International Women’s Day is now all men talking about parity. Quick question, are there NO women in top management positions in Diamond Bank?! Or are the men of Diamond Bank trying to jack women’s day.
Hell why give us a day when we are in the kitchen begging to be saved by the big strong Diamond Boys!
#PledgeForParity should it not be men and women. That would speak more volumes. I understand the need for the men to be in the Ad but women also should have been equally represented. That is how I understand #PledgeForParity
I’m sure someone was paid a lot of money to come up with a creative to drive this message of ‘gender parity’ on ‘International Women’s Day’ using ’11 strong male figures’ from the ‘same organisation’ in a ‘male dominated sector’ – and it was probably also ‘approved by a male’. Remember the creative will ultimately be interpreted by a target audience for whom it’s ‘normal’ for the male to rule.
Renowned brand expert who does not want his name in print rubbish the Diamond Bank move on using men on women day program.
“People just love to defend insanity in Nigeria. We all guffaw and shriek at the pics of Saudi men having a conference about women human rights. How different is that from this?
Again from a strategic planning and copywriting point of view, this is complete misdirection of the intention.
1. You don’t need a masculine imagery to drive home the point of womens day except it is a creative imagery displaying a poignant reality. These images are mere portraits of testosterone powered organisation.
That is an antithesis of the intention.
2. The reference to that hashtag, if it was ever going to work, has to be championed by the women group itself, not from an organisation seeking to profit from its association with it.
Coming from this bank, it’s the equivalent of Willy waving. How would you feel if a well endowed man keep showcasing a dangling Willy in a tight pant to prove his manliness? How charming would that be?
PR or self affirmation is a particularly delicate thing to do. There’s a thin line between confidence and bragging.
3. The message in the ad will never pass my table if I was the creative director. Why? It’s a fucking pledge.
It connotes that the organization isn’t into women parity yet. It’s something they are struggling with. It gives the impression they are being arsed to do this.
4. The last bit leads me to this. It is better on a day like this to shock people by DEMONSTRATING how the organization has PROFITED, LEARNED OR IMPROVED from implementing the concept of gender parity!
Then I as the audience can infer that this bank is a progressive institution which practices what it preaches.
Especially in an environment where the reputation of the banks is as good as that of the Mafia in 1920s America.
This is a lazy way to be creative”.
A customer who also had quite a different opinion on the advert reveals that “the purpose of putting it up is to sample opinions. But I personally don’t think it worked. All it did was get us talking about it. I am not shy to shock myself, but this Ad, on IWD takes away from what they intended to convey, and it makes their “pledges” look like ‘allowing’ women to be equal, instead of it being a right. These are bold and strong pictures of 11 MEN (and their pledges in small print). Not everyone is an Ad Man who will get the creativity (or the message for that matter). These are 11 strong MEN, gbam! First thought is “aren’t there any women in top positions at that Bank?”, so we now have to enter into Facebook discussion to get it? Naaaah. As it happens, the Deputy MD of Diamond Bank is a woman, but on IWD she takes a back seat to a supposedly witty and creative Ad featuring 11 strong MEN? I have created and shot Ads too and We all have different takes on how we as the creators of the Ads get it, and how the general public absorbs it, but this Ad did not so much for IWD but more for Diamond Bank as a brand because we’re all discussing it now. Maybe that was the intention in the first place so I guess it worked out for the strong men of the Bank too on International Women’s Day. #WinWin
Diamond Bank media executives are yet to come out to clarify the message behind the advert.