a word to the wise. we’re smart and recognise advertorial in women’s mags

21Jun09

So today marks my sixth day at home sick. It has been an ‘experience’ I’ll give you that. Daytime TV bollocks, mixed with an inability to physically do much has led me to do things I normally wouldn’t do. One of these was to read a selection of women’s magazines out of boredom. I was isolated so couldn’t go to the library nor the Cinema, so I was left to digest a number of these mags to fill the void. And boy do I now have some issues.

Firstly, due to COI issues, I won’t name the offending magazine of which I write this. However, for the sake of authenticity, let’s just call it Fadison.

Fadison is in a market cluttered with various women’s offerings from weekly gossip-type garb through to monthly fashion and all-things-women bibles. The notable one which I do from time to time buy is Harper’s Bazaar. But I do this, as I know my expensive magazine will show me the latest ready to wear and couture from Europe, and fill my life with fantasy’s of altruistic glamour and high-society-anxiety-free dreams. Fadison was supposed to be a more realistic, Australian relevant content. Bollocks. This is an excerpt out of their spec kit:

She is 25-39. Ambitious, sexy and socially aware. The FADISON woman actively enjoys her life. She loves fashion but will dress to suit a style she’s developed. She’s seriously interested in beauty but her health is just as important as finding the perfect lip-gloss.

We are certain that this title will not only fill the gap in the market, but will also deliver your brand directly into the consciousness of a targeted and highly lucrative market.

The first paragraph sounds like they are addressing my long-held gripes about Australian publications targeting women. I felt so warm and fuzzy when I read it – it was like they had realised that I am not into CLEO or the others, but have a void to fill as I want to read that which will enhance my life, encompassing all the things I feel passionate about including world affairs, health and wellness, fashion and culture.

So, I ordered this month’s copy from a friend who dutifully delivered to my sick bed. It took me an hour to read cover to cover and I was mad. Still fuzzy as I am enjoying the cloud of Codral, but mostly this is just another condescending offering from another money-hungry, publisher. Why am I surprised?

Here are just some of my gripes in no particular order:

61 pages out of 218 are full-page advertisements. In addition to this, there are numerous ads intertwined within the editorial including one section where a Sanitarium ‘expert’ rates different breakfast options as content. Guess what she recommends to a reader who doesn’t get hungry in the morning? Sanitarium Up & Go.

Fadison, a word to the wise. Your grown-up, independent target market recognises the increasingly blurry lines between advertising, editorial and advertorial. A recommendation that the best panty liner for me is Carefree’s Barely There liner, then less than 10 pages later Carefree give me a free sample glued to the full-page ad, kinda makes me mad. And the trust I have in your experts telling me what I need to make my life fuller is eroding.

Front page – “Wardrobe Update. The perfect pants for this season and your shape”.

The four-page spread has eight styles of pants, with the size 8 model showing how to wear each version. Handy little hints let me know what to team with the ‘jodhpur’ so that I’m wearing the pants to their fullest fashion potential. Where is the shape advice? Well if I’m planning on wearing the latest super skinny pants, I should keep my top or jacket long and lean for a more flattering shape. Oh, and wear towering heels to make my legs appear longer.

Boys and girls, I’m 5 feet, 5 inches tall and an average Australian female size. According to Fadison’s ’shape advice’ I just need to wear a longer jacket and higher heels to pull this look off? Bullshit. Fadison, you are setting women up to fail in your clear attempt of political correctness with shape and size.

Front page – “Look 7 years younger without surgery!”

WTF? Target market as outlined above is 25-39. I am approaching 30. I can’t wait to reach this milestone. One of the greatest things a woman can have is the etched lines of experience gracing her face. Well, that’s what I think anyway. I understand some women want to minimise those lines (or wrinkles) and each to their own.

But seriously, I don’t want to look 20. At 35, I can’t imagine one would want to look 28? What the fuck is the difference anyway? So the article starts with a quiz – find the true age of your skin. I did the quiz which asks questions such as “Do you see smile lines from the corners of your nostrils to the corners of your mouth?” Jebus, I hope I do otherwise I haven’t had much smiling have I?

Ok, so my quiz score is 20.5, which they tell me to add to 27 and then that’s my true skin age. Yep, basic math and my poor face is 47.5! OK, now I want to lose 20 years, quick Fadison tell me how I can lose 20 years off my poor, ragged face. Oh, sleep, no sun, moisturize and use retinoids. Oh, look a full page ad for “Australia’s best kept anti-ageing secret”. Excellent.

Filed under: advertising, women's issues   |  2 Comments
Tags: advertorial, authentic, bollocks, editorial, magazines, trust, women's issues