21 September 2016
How women shape the world.
Ecco Shape is the name of the latest campaign by Ecco shoes. Of course you remember…those overly sensible shoes. Great for your feet but as sexy as wearing a pair of knitted socks in sandals on a hot day in July.
Curious to see what Ecco came up with? Click here to watch the commercial.
You can tell Ecco is definitely stepping up their game here. Concept-wise on trend? Yes! But convincing? We just don’t see Beyoncé strutting around on a pair of Eccos in her videos anytime soon but maybe Hilary Clinton can appreciate a pair of sensible shoes.
Despite who wears what, we still believe Ecco is onto something here. Our guess is that we will see other brands following their example to demonstrate how women will ‘shape the world’.
We are at the dawn of a new era of enlightenment based on a kind of feminine consciousness which has nothing to do with the bra burning feminists of the Sixties or the explosive ‘I tell you what I want what I really really want’ Spice Girl power of the Nineties.
This time we’re talking about something completely different. A general shift in attitude that – for the first time in history – is supported by a very unexpected group of people: MEN! Slowly but steadily we see this change emerging in every part of society on a global scale.
Angela Merkel, Hilary Clinton and talking about shoes…Theresa May are the new political leaders of our time. They make it hard not to think of their male predecessors and opponents as ambassadors of long lost times where the male ego still dominated the world.
In pop culture we see that Lene Dunham (creator of the HBO hit series GIRLS), Amy Schumer and Melissa McCarthy have become the role models for a new generation. In their own unique way they show us that imperfection is the new perfection and being real is better than being nice.
Unfortunately in ‘old skool’ mass media advertising most women are still portrayed as immaculate Stepford wives who bounce out of bed every morning ready to take on all kinds of domestic chores. In the meantime worrying about their personal hygiene. Big international brands like Unilever and Proctor&Gamble are really missing the mark here.
DEARDAN says: if you care about the relevance of your brand (and it doesn’t really matter if your brand is on the masculine or the feminine side of the spectrum) you have to stop thinking in stereotypes.
It is no longer a given fact that what we consider to be feminine characteristics are only intended to support feminine brands (and vice versa). Masculine brands must consider the positive effects of expanding their male-centric brand to also include female consumers while more feminine brands must stop themselves from becoming a pink cliché.
DEARDAN&Friends
Make it simple but significant.
Artwork by James Bullough.