“As things get simpler, they get thinner. They get better.”
That’s the lead in for a new commercial from Purex, advertising a new all-in-one washer sheet thing.
The commercial is actually pretty cool in concept. It shows the evolution of the camera, then of the television, then of women’s fashion. The visual is really neat to watch.
I’m just so over the “thinner always equals better” trope. This message is reinforced by the woman wearing the clothes as the fashion changes – she is very television thin. I’m over the message that the ultimate goal for women – women of any size, really – is to reduce their mass until they, in effect, disappear.
Screw that. Disappearance is not all it’s cracked up to be. Visibility – that will keep you looking good no matter what detergent you use.
16 Comments
Oh my goodness, can we say a total pro-eating disorder advertisement? Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I for one, was baffled by the design. Who has top-loading washers nowadays? Can it be used with high-efficiency washers? What if you don’ t have a full load to wash? And how do you find the little sheet thingy in the big, damp ball of clothes you pull out of the wash? I’ll stick to my liquid tide HE, thanks verymuch. But then I’m fat, so I guess it’s just as well that I’m not tempted by the SKINNY detergent. ::eyeroll::
I had the same reaction (and yes, Gina, I have a top-loading washer). Even if I wanted the product, I would probably pass just because the commercial makes me so grouchy.
Your link to the WSJ requires an account! But the commercial can be viewed at the Purex website.
I saw this, and after my initial eyeroll was over, I wondered if thin people are angry about being called ’simple.’
Me, I’m proud to be complicated . . .
Maybe I’m old-school, but I still have a top-loader!
No need to get a new one when the 20-year-old one still works!
@Spoonfork–I thought the same thing about the ’simpler’ comment. Though it’s not very nice, we all know the ’simple’ label has always been a put-down when placing it on people. Is Purex saying that not only are thinner things (women?) simple (slow? dumb?), but that’s BETTER…. Maybe I’m over-analyzing it, but come on, these companies pay advertising firms millions of dollars to come up with this stuff.
Ugh yeah I saw this commercial last night and it annoyed me soo much. I wish it weren’t on the air.
That ad bothered me too. It reminded me of how in the movie Disfigured, they had the woman who had Anorexia, using a modern looking telephone which was thin. It was a clever way of emphasising that being thin is more than just looks, it’s also emphasized through merchandise as well.
This is amusing to me, I’ve been having an issue at work where we’re having to explain to a vendor that charging us more for a thinner product is NOT a good thing.
Especially when it’s an incontinence pad for hospital beds.
That is a good point. When I first saw it I just thought it was funny that a boring generic blouse and skirt were supposed to be an improvement over that rennaissance gown, and totally overlooked the thinness of the actress.
Eating disorder promoter – yes.
The tagline, the concept, the entire thing is so irrelevant to laundry detergent it’s ridiculous.
I write a blog dedicated to young women with eating disorders, where I ATTEMPT to call out these insane media messages, but how in the world do they not let it get to them? Look at us, we are all impacted by these messages and carry around out body image baggage.
Great post Marianne, I’ll stop over more often to check out your blog.
Here is my follow up post on this: http://www.mamavision.com/mamavision/2009/06/purex-ad-thinner-is-better.html
-mamaVISION
I saw this commercial for the first time tonight. I thought the evolution of women’s fashions was a comment on the amount of clothing women had to wear, not on the size of the woman. The thing I found disturbing was that the clothes went from colorful and elaborate to plain, neutral, and drab.
I went to the Purex website and submitted the following comment via their Contact Us link:
The commercials for the new Purex all-in-one sheets say “As things get simpler, they get thinner. They get better.” How do you suppose that makes your fat customers feel? Hating fat people is all the rage right now, but do you really think we’re going to buy a product that so very blatantly informs us that we’re inferior? Or, for those whose self-esteem has caved under the barrage, a product that hits them with a pang of self-loathing every time they see the commercial? I, for one, will take my fat wallet full of inferior money elsewhere.
Rhonwyyn, that is DEFINITELY the overt message – that women’s clothing has gotten simpler over the years and that this is better. But when they put that next to the thinner=better message, it offers up body commentary that they probably weren’t even intending. It is usually the stuff that isn’t done on purpose that reveals the most about our cultural values.
I received the following reply today:
Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding the Purex Complete promotion.
Advertisements are designed to be a way of focusing attention on product improvements and gaining attention in a very competitive market place. It is not our intent for our advertisements to make anyone feel offended in any way. Please know that our desire is to provide products that work well. We hope that the advertisement does not detract from our intent.
Your comments will be sent to the Marketing Department and the agency involved in developing our product advertising.
If we can be of further assistance, you may call us toll free at 1-800-258-3425 between 6:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time Monday through Friday.
Consumer Affairs
I do give them a star for the relevant reply indicating that my comments would be relayed to those in a position to alter their future promotions.
Holy cajones! The whole “getting thinner until you’re invisible” concept just all of a sudden made something in me snap! I’ve seen fashion ads that feature a woman with her lips sewn up, or containing copy that talks about how you won’t have to say anything at all, and this is somehow sexy. And was anyone pissed off about those Suave commercials with the invisible mom? I think the subliminal message being sold to women here is that they should be as unobtrusive as possible. She should not speak, and she should take up very little physical space. THANK YOU for helping me put a couple of things together there.