Truth in advertising, part 2

Ow.

 

 

This SKYY campaign is running nationwide. Or worldwide, for all I know. Now, I'm no prude and I know sex sells, especially when it comes to booze. I don't fault any ad people for taking the easy way out. I know what it's like to work for difficult clients. Put in 70 hours a week. To have to be creative on demand. But still. I couldn't help myself. I sent this message to SKYY:

And I finally got a reply (emphases and commentary mine):

Dear Hollie,
Thank you for your letter. We truly appreciate you taking the time to contact us regarding your impressions of our SKYY Vodka advertising.  

Our intention with our SKYY Vodka advertising is to create images that are sophisticated cocktail moments (I'm not much of a drinker anymore, but I don't remember ever having a cocktail moment quite like that) that are both appealing and provocative for the target demographic of our products: legal drinking age adults (So then I am your target demographic. I do not find this image appealing). The campaign is comprised of (Hey, Mr. PR Guy, this should read "composed of." The whole comprises the parts; the parts compose the whole) the exaggerated images of individuals having fun experiencing SKYY Vodka. (I take issue: there is no way for the viewer to know whether this individual is having any fun whatsoever experiencing SKYY vodka.) They are intended as fantasy pieces denoting a sense of allure, glamour and style. Any copy in the ads is minimal, we make no claims, but hope consumers as part of the contemporary cultural environment understand the artistic, impressionistic nature (I know that art is in the eye of the beholder, but I don't believe anyone involved in the creation of this ad at any point intended for it to be art) in which they are presented. 

As with any piece of art, the viewer is open to their own personal interpretation and feelings. We apologize if you were offended by these ads in any way. In no way are we intending to create images that degrade women or suggest sexual proclivity. (Really? Really. A woman that does not exist from the thighs up? With an enormous bottle of vodka dare I say shoved between her legs?)  All of our advertising follows the strictest marketing guidelines (Well, that explains it), as outlined by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. 

We thank you for expressing your concern and hope that this letter clarifies our advertising intent. We will review your comments in detail and consider them carefully in relation to our ads and any future ads within the overall campaign.
Sincerely,
Dave Karraker
Director, Public Relations and Events
Skyy Spirits  

Hey, Dave. Hi there. Here's some advice: don't try to sugar-coat what you're doing. If you're selling vodka with sex, more power to you. It's a successful strategy. But you insult my intelligence when you try to convince me that black is really white.