How Arnold Worldwide Portrays Men vs. How It Portrays Women
March 2nd, 2007 by Glenn Sacks, MA for Fathers & Families 
Above are two ads that Arnold Worldwide produced for its recent Fidelity campaign, "Pool Party," which features a man, and "Carol," which features a woman.
In "Pool Party," the man makes a fool of himself in front of his wife, daughter and friends. His disapproving wife corrects/scolds him, and he retreats, tail between his legs.
The ad "Carol"--which is actually a very good ad--features an interesting video montage of Carol's life. The script reads:
"This is Carol. She’s been called hippy, preppy, yuppie, protestor, Democrat, Republican, Mom, CFO, CEO, cancer patient, cancer survivor, fundraiser, spokesperson, caregiver, and soon to be…world traveler."
Carol is so wonderful that it must've been a mere oversight that Arnold left out "saint" and "savior." By contrast, the men featured in Arnold's Fidelity ads "Pool Party," "Stairs," "Ping Pong," "Parking," and "Kid's Toy" are all bumbling idiots and/or insensitive fathers. If that's not reflective of anti-male bias, what is?
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March 2nd, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Since Abigail Johnson took over as CEO from her dad Ned I've noticed that the adbertisement for Fidelity has had a gender component. There was a recent commercial where they were marketing to divorced women by making them feel empowered (it always works you know): "Now HE's not making the decisions". At least they know where to find the money.
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Carol is my wife so I reaaaalllly like that one.
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:56 pm
I agree; it's a bad campaign. I still think that Fidelity should get tagged for running the campaign, more than the agency for writing it. It's an old question: who's responsible, the bullet-maker or the shooter?
March 2nd, 2007 at 5:05 pm
You know, I just looked at that Ping Pong ad and I thought it was pretty funny. I was expecting some sort of "all dads are idiots" message but instead what I got from it was a humorous depiction of an overly competitive guy. Hyperbole stemming from truth. I mean hey, at least he's spending time with his daughter and playing games with her on the weekends instead of...I don't know...sittiing at his computer? Blogging? Something else?
And no, I don't work for Arnold. But your campaign against them seems ill-conceived and those jumping on the bandwagon might consider instead allotting their time towards issues that really do hurt people. I don't think this is one of them.
March 2nd, 2007 at 5:23 pm
...Ad agencies often need to portray someone as the buffoon and, for the most part, won't dare to pick on someone in a politically protected class. So they go after someone with no one in their corner. And that's us, guys...
March 2nd, 2007 at 9:42 pm
This is most certainly a worthy cause. But your examples are weak. Certainly better examples are available. Best to use the more pointed and obvious.
March 3rd, 2007 at 8:30 am
This anti-male campaign is nothing new, and it is, seemingly, all-pervasive. A certain national retailer periodically advertises one-day sales which run from dawn until noon. The background of the commercial is that the inept, incompetent father is struggling with his miserable child, while attempting (unsuccessfully) to prepare breakfast, wash dishes, etc. In his helplessness, as an attempt to placate his offspring, he whines, "Don't worry, mommy will be home soon," which leads into the pitch for the six-hour sale. An international greeting card manufacturer promotes a daughter-to-mother birthday greeting, in which the daughter is thanking the mother for years of sage wisdom, including letting her beloved spawn know that, "All men are pigs!" Really, now? Imagine a scenario whereby a son thanks his father for letting him know that "All women are whores!" I'm sure THAT theme would be readily accepted by certain interest groups, eh? So, here is the solution: if Volvo portrays men as idiots, then perhaps these idiots need to take their 40k auto-buying budgets to, say, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, etc, that is, companies who appreciate the unable. And, since the idiot father in the Fidelity ads (who, by the way, provided the home, the pool, the barbeque), can't manage to roll across the hardwood floor withouth pratfalling down the stairs, then maybe he needs to divest his holdings with them, and find another investments provider. Don't whine: simply don't buy. Don't invest. Don't select. Remember, fellows: you need only apologize, when you've committed an act which warrants same. You need not apologize for being the gender you are. There is a plenitude of options available; you can always find someone else willing to take your hard-earned money.
March 5th, 2007 at 9:41 am
I really think you're picking the wrong battle here. There have been so many more egregious offenders, this minor little thing about the ping-pong guy does seem rather nitpickish. It comes off like a feminist arguing for the spelling "womyn".
March 5th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Here is what I just e-mailed to EVERY Volvo Executive:
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Dear Sirs at Volvo,
I fall into one of your key target markets for the S80. I’m also in a key position to help with decision making for many large global corporations that buy your products (as an independent SAP Supply Chain Lead consultant). Coupled with this, to be very candid, I’m also an active Father’s Rights activist having offered Congressional Testimony to the U.S. House Ways and Means committee on several occasions, and having authored or done paralegal work on several Federal Court cases in support of Fathers.
As such I make absolutely NO BONES ABOUT the fact that I am disgusted with the Arnold Worldwide anti-male / anti-father ad campaigns.
Arnold’s CEO, along with other advertising executives, in dealing with this controversy have tried to “pass the buck” saying that it is their customers--, their “Volvos” that make the decisions to negatively portray men and fathers in their ad campaigns. Yet they gloss over the amount of effort they make in “pitching” anti-male / anti-father ad ideas to companies like Volvo. Is this really someone Volvo wants to partner with?
Let me leave you with this. Certainly Volvo can take a public stand that they will not be “influenced” by such campaigns. Just as you certainly have the market freedom to choose who you wish. If Arnold Worldwide is selected by Volvo, as an Independent SAP Supply Chain Lead Consultant I will simply pass this information along to the many MEN in EVERY corporate logistics and heavy equipment departments I deal with for the rest of my career. For the next 20 – 30 years. Those MEN can then decide if the official Volvo support for Arnold’s anti-male, anti-father ad anti-male / anti-father ad pitches to their customers is something they wish to support for their own logistics departments.
The question is, will Volvo be a responsible corporate “citizen” and take a stand against the anti-male / anti-father abuses of ad companies such as Arnold Worldwide who pitch such drivel?
Sincerely Yours,
Bill Wood
March 5th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
This is in response to some of the criticism about ‘making a big deal out of nothing’ (re: the Ping Pong commercial among many). Ever hear of ‘water torture’? Drop by drop the victim is slowly and inexorably driven insane. The ‘Ping Pong’ commercial (on its own) may not be a big deal slam against fathers, and we all know there are worse things happening every day. However, this commercial, like many others, is another drop along the way to insensitivity, unconsciousness, bigotry, scorn and hatred. Day by day we are bombarded with this stereotype of men in advertising, TV programs, radio, in schools, at work, and maybe even in our own homes coming from the mouths of those we love and trust. So maybe you think its no big deal, maybe you think we should all be a little less sensitive (become insensitive), maybe we should ignore the fact that our children are listening to this garbage and its becoming a part of their values, their belief system, their understanding of the world. I think most advertising is rubbish that reinforces stereotypes and plays on our basest instincts and feelings, more so with children who are more vulnerable and have not yet learned to question such attacks. This is the reason why I think we need to be extra vigilant about commercials that attack families, because our children are watching this, and learning.
March 5th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
"I agree; it’s a bad campaign. I still think that Fidelity should get tagged for running the campaign, more than the agency for writing it. It’s an old question: who’s responsible, the bullet-maker or the shooter?"
I'm not going to agrue that Fidelity shouldn't recieve some flak over the ads it lets run under it's corporate logo, however the analogy presented is entirely accurate. A bullet's purpose is to shoot something period. There is nothing inherent about the bullet itself that is bad, how it is used is what may be deemed bad. However, a company making anti-male/female/black/white/whatever ads is creating the concept of using an insensitive ad. A better correlation would be something like tabacco products. The use of the tabacco product in any way IS going to be harmful, same with anti-whatever ads. The ad companies should NOT make ads are that are hurtful, however the company eing advertised is partially to blame for allowing that specific ad to go through.
March 5th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
There is one KEY thing that most everyone fails to understand about the marketing / ad agency relationship to their corporate clients--, the ad agencies PITCH THE NEW IDEAS to the companies. True, the companies BUY those ideas, but they HIRE these ad agencies to come up with the ideas. And the ad agencies do LOTS of hard and soft sells on the campaign ideas.
Frankly, it is Arnold Worldwide that is the problem. They are the ones that have little creative ability to come up with great ad campaigns that don't slam men and fathers. It is Arnold's that is the one that has such low class that they BLAME THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR OWN DIM WITTED TRASH!
As a Supply Chain Consultant, I often work with Sales / Distribution and Marketing. As a result, I've learned a LOT about the process over the years. And what is fascinating to me is that what are considered some of the best ad campaigns of ALL TIME do not rely on slamming people.
Meow Mix is the best ad campaign of all time. Moew, meow, meow, meow... Fact is, Arnold and other anti-male / anti-father / anti-family ad agencies are intellectually bankrupt and find it easy to scape goat men.
March 5th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Responding to Laura, water torture is bad. But to highlight it, when you choose what to publicize, you get more reaction by publicizing the worst victims, not the first drops. I think better examples could be found. Another thread on this campaign mentions a Sprint PCS ad that sounds worse than these ads. And some people here mention TV shows with content that is worse, and to my view, more damaging than the commercials (I can't stand the wuss Superman has become lately, both in the latest movie and in Smallville, in which he is nearly always saved by a woman and then is only good for brute force to save the rest of humanity..., sorry). But if we can get the ad companies to do a simple gender-reversal test to see if it would pass muster, both the ad companies and their clients will treat men better. But let's hope it works anyway. Having Arnold respond to the campaign at least gets us in the editing room before pitch-time. As far as that goes, good job, Glenn!
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:22 pm
I say that it's simply an ad...
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Fidelity tv adds are really stupid. Has anyone attempted to contact Fidelity? What is their position? How can they be so stupid as to not see the stupidity of the adds. Is the lowest life form on earth and advertising exec?
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Your choice to use Arnold worldwide is yours. Arnold has made it's intentions clear to the whole world. Their leadership it seems has a social agenda. It will be your choice to use their services after learning of their wacky track record.
It will be my choice to use Volvo products from marine industrial to building equipment in my dealings with the Gulf Cooperative Council.
My organization's budget for such equipment ranges from 60 to 80 million pounds yearly. If Volvo goes through with Arnold I will do my very best to avoid using Volvo products and ensure others with in my organization are made aware of your lack of respect for the right thing.
I choose not to identify myself at this time.
My regards to all my friends at Volvo with whom I have worked with over the years.
April 8th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
It seems that Glenn should push men to pressure Fidelity to drop these ads and this firm by the simple act of moving their retirement and other assets out of Fidelity.
This is a wonderfuly tactic because:
1. it is easy to move one's individual account as these types of services are a commodity,
2. Glenn could keep a "assets moved meter" on his site as each man or woman who "gets it"
makes the decision to move their account.
Bottom line -- Fidelity could be punished by making male money walk, as well as the money of women
who care about men -- like their husbands, boyfriends, brothers, uncles -- and little boys.
May 16th, 2007 at 10:14 am
I just switched my personal $165K worth of 401K from Fidelity. I employ 4 people and was thinking of making a 401K available to them also, it will have to be with the new company I selected. I realize that in the corporate world some men are pigs and so too are some women but if advertisers generalize only the negative aspects of one gender it is very harmful to the sponsor's image in the long run. I don't believe the majority of women need watch men being humiliated in order to be coaxed in to buying somthing