Remember that Canadian Club ad campaign that sold us whisky by letting us know that our dads were womanizers? Well, the ads are back, this time letting us know that dad wasn’t into hair removal and enjoyed his van antics.
You know, I have a real hate on for ads that define masculinity for me, especially if that definition involves “conquering” as many women as possible or setting up stereotypically female behaviour as “sissy” male behaviour.
Canadian Club poster campaign on Queen Street West in Toronto.
Detail of posters. “Your dad had a van for a reason” and “Your dad never tweezed anything.”
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five comments
These ads continue to irritate and confuse me. From a completely apolitical point of view, they're just bad ads - why would anyone want to imagine their dad doing lots of ladies? And how does imagining your dad sleazing on ladies get you in the mood to party and shoot whiskey?
From a less apolitical point of view, with the last set and these two I feel totally confused. a) Why should I care what my dad did with his facial hair? b) Why is the image of my dad fact that my dad doing random ladies in the back of a van supposed be appealing to me (and not in fact, vomit worthy)? I'm baffled by the messages CC is sending.
It's only when I realise that these ads are not talking to me - that they in fact, behave as if I don't exist - that I start to understand them.
These ads are not for women, they're not for queer folks, and they're not for people of colour. Heck, they're probably not for folks from lower income families either.
But the fact that CC is sinking all this money into these ads - which essentially can't be comprehended by anyone who didn't have a straight, white, rich super macho dad who proudly elucidated his sexual conquests and taught them to disrespect women - shows that for CC, the only people who exist are dudes who relate (and celebrate) to this picture of manhood and fatherhood. When you post messages in a public space that are in a language that only a very small, privileged subset of the population can understand, you are very clearly stating that this subset is the only subset that exists. Or perhaps that should exist?
Enough already. Paintbomb them!
(of course i'm joking with the paintbombing. i would never advocate the destruction of property...)
Posted by Thea
April 9, 2008, 10:37 AM
Yeah, definitely aimed at men only. The insidious thing is that they're splitting their odds and trying to get men on two counts: aspiration or shame.
Either you wanted to grow up to be a "manly man" like your dad (as defined by CC), or you feel like (know?) your own dad would be embarrassed of you and the progressive person you've become (so you should compensate for your differences by drinking 'his' whisky).
Posted by Catherine
April 9, 2008, 2:27 PM
but, didn't you know it was *cool* to be a REAL MAN! oh man! bring back the patriarch! xoxo
Posted by ohsweetie
April 10, 2008, 12:42 PM
What is wrong with people, we are in the 21th century, being 'manly' doesn't mean sleeping around, and not tweezing. I think a REAL man would break these trends and go against the status quo. These ads should be covered with something.
Posted by Leah
April 11, 2008, 6:59 PM
Guys compete with their dads. The Polaroid/Kodak toned vintage photos are actually a great found graphic. As a design I think it works, but the copy is too long-winded to be really effective. As for family matters, if you don't have your dad's (pre- and/or post-Mom) chick magnet status thrown in your face by him *or* Mom by the time you hit drinking age, either it didn't happen or he has the class to be quiet about his private life. If this is the case, he probably lays off the whiskey unless he's safely in his "office."
Posted by Amy Splitt
May 27, 2008, 1:45 PM
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