“Why do naturally beautiful women promote cosmetics while average looking women promote house cleaning?” asked one of the 40-something women we met with over lunch. 

Interesting question.  If products are meant to fill unmet needs, wouldn’t it make more sense to advertise cosmetics by using average-looking or even unattractive women who were helped by the product?  And if a home cleaning product makes it desirable enough for a drop-dead gorgeous woman to want to clean, who wouldn’t want to try it?  Okay, maybe that’s a stretch.  But you get the point  In our haste to show products in their best light, perhaps we create a bar so high or so false that no one can relate to it.

As the conversation continued about things that cause them to wonder or be concerned, the subject of marketing to teens came up.  They were visibly angered by much of the marketing to young girls.  “It isn’t realistic.” “It is very harmful.”  “My daughter feels badly about herself after seeing some of the ads because she doesn’t look like the girls she sees,” added one woman.  And they weren’t too happy about the marketing boys see either.  “There is no need to advertise Viagra and drugs for depression during teen-oriented programming.”  Hmm, now there is something to puzzle over.