I was watching my favorite show the other night - on HGTV - or maybe on CBS - or it could have been NBC; I have favorite shows on all those stations. Anyway, as I was watching TV, and reading (multi-tasking, and all) a commercial came on that made my blood start to boil.
Special K cereal was showing a young woman reaching for something in a kitchen cupboard when her blouse pops a button, just about where her cleavage would be, if it were showing.
This is a young woman (30 years old or younger) who probably weighs under 120 pounds, and looks to be about 5'5" or 5'6". This button popping leads her to wrinkle her pretty forehead in worry, and to reach into a different cupboard... to bring out the Special K. Because popping her button means she's fat. And Special K will help her lose weight.
Here's why Special K just doesn't get it and why this commercial is so out of it. First: the young woman is adorable and gorgeous and IF she was growing enough to pop her breast button - well, it's not something most women would complain about. Since the rest of her was pretty slim.
Second: after she grabs the Special K and the announcer lets us in on how a breakfast cereal can help you lose weight (it's cereal folks, not a diet pill)... the young woman proceeds to pull the edges of her blouse OPEN... in pride. As if it's now okay to pop buttons.
Explain to me where the marketing director at Kellogg has been for the last five years - maybe under a rock? Explain to me how one minute this "poor" girl can be so concerned about this popped button, and the next, proud to show off...nothing. She never does open her blouse enough to reveal anything. That's just a ruse for the men watching
.
What message is this sending - to women, to young girls, to men? The WRONG message. The message that slim is not okay - you have to achieve skinny. The message that a breakfast cereal is a substitute for good nutrition and exercise. The message that Kellogg doesn't care about its customers - it only wants to sell cereal, despite this site that purports to defend the way Kellogg is advertising Special K (or HAS advertised it in the past...the ads noted on the site are pre-21st century, and if this new ad is part of the program, they have veered WAAAAaayyyyy off course!)
So, all I can say is: Special K, you need to call Dove and get on board with 21st Century thinking: to connect to your market using conversation and interactive dialogue.
Kellogg, if you really want to learn how to reach the women's market - let me know. I can pull together a group of solid marketing professionals who won't embarrass you by creating stupid commercials like that! Really.
I have also been trying to figure out why this woman thought eating Special K would deflate her boobs.
Obviously someone was thinking with their little head when they created that commercial.
Posted by: Tanya | August 25, 2008 at 06:52 PM
Hi Yvonne-
Thanks for the comments. I was googling "special k, button" trying to find a copy of my commercial online and I came across this site. I havent yet got a copy of it and I seem to be the only one in my family who turns on the TV at just the wrong time. Anyway, I wanted to let everyone know that I did notice that when I auditioned for the commercial, the competition was MUCH thinner than I am. Honestly, I know its surprising, but Im VERY curvy compared to the girls i go up against. I know for a fact that special K people purposely picked me and the other girls they casted to be in the commercials knowing we are healthy and not anorexic or super thin like many hollywood actresses. The other 2 girls who worked the same week as me were healthy and not model thin. So, despite your feelings on the situation, you at least have to respect that. I did.
Anyway- thanks again for the nice words.
Rachelle
Posted by: Rachelle Wood | July 11, 2008 at 08:46 PM
Hi Rachelle,
Please forgive me if I am skeptical...that you are the model in the commercial. That said, if you are, my gripe is not with you. You did a great job, given the direction from Special K.
There are times I hold the actors in a commercial or movie just as responsible for bad content (they can always say no, thanks) but in this instance - you did your job and quite nicely. The issue isn't with you...it's with Kellogg.
Much thanks for writing. Keep acting - you looked good on screen.
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | July 11, 2008 at 09:43 AM
Hi Everyone. Since Im the girl in that commercial, I figured I'd give you the real explanation directly from the marketing exec's and director of the commercial. I was told in a nutshell.... the commercial is about a young career woman who pop's her button and kind of feels like she is having one of "those days" after eating or drinking too much last night... she ponders the idea of just drinking coffee or eating crap but then realizes special K is a healthy option to get nutrition and maintain/lose weight. She reaches for the cereal and after eating it, realizes that the popped button doesnt look so bad and she might as well flaunt it. Its kind of a confidence thing.
I tried my best to portray that feeling...but if I came across as a skinny girl who thinks shes fat- Im sorry. That had nothing to do with it. And for the record- Im far over 120 pounds! :)
Thanks guys,
Rachelle
Posted by: Rachelle Wood | July 10, 2008 at 05:40 PM
I just saw this commercial this morning and was appalled. I couldn't believe the message it was sending. Her button pops and there for she may be overweight? It was her chest button? And then playing with the button in front and adding sex appeal from eating the cereal. That is disgusting. I use to be a fan of their product. After that I seriously do not want to buy it again.
Posted by: Monika | July 02, 2008 at 02:18 PM
I saw this commercial this morning and was disturbed. I was like "wow if she's fat than...what am I?"
Glad you made mention of this because that commercial is ridiculous.
Posted by: Tish | July 01, 2008 at 11:26 AM
can somebody post the kelloggs ad? i could use a laugh.
Posted by: matt | June 30, 2008 at 12:41 PM
OBloodyhell, sexist...to think a commercial about a woman's blouse busting a button will stick in a man's brain long enough for him to remember what it's for??? I agree men do a lot of the chores, these days. My man does the shopping. But, if he remembers this commercial, it won't be in a conscious, "I need to buy Special K," way. Admit it...you are wired that way. So, you remember the busting button, but not the product.
Seriously...
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | February 17, 2008 at 02:13 PM
> "That's just a ruse for the men watching"
> And what's the point of that, it's hardly likely that men are going to rush out and buy it for either themselves or their partners.
Uh, NOW who's the sexist?
Apparently men never shop for the family in your world?
The goal with that is to make the commercial stick in the minds of men watching, which (hopefully, by K's reasoning) means that they will remember the product when they go out to buy food without a specific instruction as to what to purchase.
It isn't that they are supposed to remember WHY their S.O. would want it, only that it is a breakfast cereal which is **targeted at women** (much as, say, Lucky Charms targets kids) -- and thus that it is one they should buy if not advised as to a specific.
I'm not disagreeing with you that the ad is lame, just that that part isn't the lame part -- You want something to stick in a guy's head, nice breasts are never a bad component. We're wired that way, even "leg men" like 'em.
As Seinfeld put it, "I *have* legs..."
;-)
Posted by: OBloodyHell | February 17, 2008 at 02:00 PM
Wow - I could not agree with you more.
Posted by: Kimberly Palmer | February 07, 2008 at 03:19 PM