The Male Fantasy of Marketing (Tile) to Women?
After coming across yet another expensive print ad for a product whose likely core purchaser or purchase influencer is women, I’m seeing a bit of a trend. Call it “the male fantasy” version of marketing to women. This time the fantasy involves high-end tile brand, Artistic Tile.
The copy for the photo I’ve included here is: “Check out our overflowing selection of alluring styles.”
“Overflowing”.. get it?
But wait, there’s more. The campaign includes a total of four different images with as appropriately “clever” copy. One shows an image of a buff, bare-chested man with beautiful tiles forming his suspender straps. The copy for that one is: “Personal Service That Suspends Belief. A Strapping Selection You’ll Want To Get Your Hands On.” (See the ads for yourself. )
Argh. This reminds me of the just as bizarre beefcake photos on the Schick Quattro for Women site (on which I commented a few months ago).
As is getting to be an oft-posed question here – did the marketing team/ad agency even talk with any of their customers as they developed this effort?
But, here’s the interesting thing - in this case, the company was founded and is run by a woman who otherwise seems to know her market. Among other things, Artistic Tile’s suburban NJ showroom is designed to be consumer-friendly with a children’s playroom and ample parking. I wonder how this ad campaign made it past her?
I suppose this is just a reminder to not make assumptions of my own. Bad marketing to women can happen to anyone who doesn’t check in with customers along the way.
So… was this campaign designed to appeal to the women who make up the majority of the high-end tile consumer market? Or, perhaps it was develop to appeal to professional interior designers, male or female? Or, maybe it is meant to inspire husbands and significant others so much that they’ll lean on their wives/girlfriends/boyfriends to make Artistic Tile the brand of choice?
No matter, the campaign is certainly a disconnect from the rest of Artistic Tile’s brand image, and doesn’t seem relevant for any end-consumer’s tile selection process. Wouldn’t you rather see examples/photos, or hear stories from customers who loved what the tiles did for their homes? Or, how about the customer experience from showroom to installation?
Anyway - when I finally get to the point of remodeling my kitchen, seeing a tile bustier on a voluptuous, suggestively posed and otherwise nude woman won’t make me more likely to spend the big bucks. Rather, I’ll be rolling my eyes and moving on to my next option without a pause. I’ve got to think that even those who don’t have to save for years to afford a kitchen or bath upgrade are doing the same.
August 18th, 2005 at 1:58 pm
It isn’t easy to create a sexy/luxury image AND try and incorporate subtle tongue-in-cheek humor at the same time. The French are very good at it, but then again, sensibilities in Europe are not the same as they are here.
Had Artistic Tile gone with a true fashion magazine look and stuck to it, they could have caught the attention of a certain segment of their market. Tiles, as an element of your dwelling’s design and style CAN be sexy and high-fashion. No question. Some people would gladly pay a premium for high-end tiling, and fashion models are a perfect vehicle to convey that product’s position in the market.
For whatever reason, they went off course and ended up with an unfocused campaign that doesn’t really inspire me to by tiles (theirs or anyone’s).
Poorly done on their part. (But I’ve seen much worse.)
August 19th, 2005 at 9:31 am
Prostituting Your Business
Andrea Learned’s series of posts this week points to the dirty grout surrounding these tile ads.
The problem with ads like these is that they work… temporarily. They get attention and may even get a “decent” response (greater…
August 20th, 2005 at 4:25 pm
Glad you brought this up. Again. It is time male creative directors are given a rest, or at least perosns with a whole-brain thinking are put in charge. I heard an ad concept about a cooking oil (!! - and in my country, men rarely cook) in which a adoring secretary is feeding her boss with her hands… and inching closer every moment. Believe it or not!
I was shocked at the “Male Fantasy” thing and the beating that ad would take in the market, if ever aired.
Recently, I blogged about a shopping trip where I gained a deeper insight on how men percieve female shoppers. {The link is: http://nextbyramla.blogspot.com/2005/08/madam-youre-idiot.html}
Thanks.