Paralympics ad agency mocks people on benefits
IRIS, the advertising agency the brought the world 2012 Olympic and Paralympics mascots Wenlock and Mandeville, have published their internal staff benefits booklet. This is the organ that explains what the staff are entitled to. The people in the photos all have jobs at the firm, blessed as they (it says here) with “cutting edge insight”.
The ad suggests people on benefits are all feckless scumbags. Wonder what some of the Paralympians make of that..?
Spotter: Copybot
Maybe I just have no sense of humour, but to me, that’s not funny, clever or creative. It’s bloody appalling.
Campaign describes the ethos as “boozing during the day, smoking, watching Jeremy Kyle and racing each other on mobility scooters”, which is just as judgmental. What is the matter with these people? They’re representing a respectable agency and industry magazine and yet they’re talking like Iain Duncan Smith after a bottle of Moet.
I’m sure this was supposed to come across as light and humorous, but it doesn’t. It comes across as sneering, superior and ignorant. Did I mention that the pregnant lady has a cigarette in her hand in both photos? That’s right, people, if you lose your job and have to claim unemployment benefits, you’ll inevitably get up the duff and smoke through your pregnancy. What is this? Kilroy?
I’m incredibly shocked that Iris thought this was fit not only to represent their agency to new employees, but in the trade press as well (because they’ve clearly sent it to Campaign themselves). In any other industry, this would be national press scandal-worthy. I hope we can show Iris in the comments on this post that it’s not on in advertising either.
Posted: 6th, September 2012 | In: The Consumer Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
