If there’s any place in Pakistan known for its notorious marketing strategies, it has to be Hardee’s. Don’t get us wrong, we all love the scrumptious burgers which make love to our taste buds it offers; but their new advertising campaign has really been bugging us. Not long ago, Hardee’s pulled a dangerous string when it advertised its fresh buns by placing them horizontally with a hand feeling them, giving off an explicit image of buttocks. It got brutal criticism and pissed off a lot of their customers’ which is why the management eventually decided to get rid of the gigantic poster outside their M.M. Alam Road branch. Alas! Some people always learn their lessons the hard way.
Another advertisement uploaded on their Facebook page states that the BBQ beef should be “pulled between the buns” – and it shows two cowgirls staring at you seductively. Objectification at its finest is what that is. Some people believe that since we live in an overly conservative society, the people of Pakistan are not “ready” for such a liberal representation of advertising; although the truth of the matter is that irrespective of your geographical location and cultural norms, objectifying women is just plain wrong.
Advertisers these days think that whatever the advertisement is about, placing an appealing woman on a billboard is definitely the best way to spread the message. Well, we’ve got news for them; it’s not. The agency which Hardee’s employ’s certainly believes that sexually explicit advertising is the way to go. They refuse to acknowledge that even with puns aside, it’s food for the love of God.
I even reversed the roles to see if this concept would attract a woman such as myself but … umm … no. It remained as unappetizing, silly and pointless as before, if not even more. Forgive my Photoshop skills and decide for yourself:
No sane person is going to be drooling for your double-patty Angus burger if the advertisement says “beef should be pulled between the buns” with two attractive women (seemingly posing for a Levis advertisement) are standing next to a grill, especially keeping in mind the image of buns provided earlier.
Here is a glimpse of what people had to say about this advertisement:
Hardee’s needs to knock some actual sense into their marketing men or maybe they need to hire a different creative agency altogether. Team Kluchit also suggests learning from the marketing strategies applied by “Maro Tandoor”, as their advertisements are not only funny and attractive, but they also do not cross any social boundaries.
Contributed by: Ayesha Muzaffar.
Kluchit Staff
