While Holly and I have written about how we are not amused
at sitcoms or advertising campaigns that set out to stereotype men as bumbling
dolts who couldn’t put their socks on in the morning if their life depended on
it, once in awhile an ad comes along that rings the bell without being
offensive.
Just in time for holiday shopping, J.C Penney has launched Beware of the Doghouse, a viral print and web campaign reminding men that diamonds are a good choice for the woman they love. It’s a tongue-in-cheek look at the gifts than men sometimes buy that end up landing them in the doghouse.
In other hands, this kind of messaging would be cliché and holds the potential to be insulting to both genders. But Saatchi and Saatchi has created an effective mini-movie that is entertaining, relatable, and strong from a viral standpoint. It will be interesting to see how this campaign works for J.C. Penney.
You can watch it below, but I’d recommend going to the Beware the Doghouse website to watch the hi-def version. It's definitely worth it.
