Won't you take me to Honky Town
Submitted by Pablo on Thu, 05/03/2001 - 11:27.
in
Rejoice o citizens of the world. The brilliant, caring folks at P&G have figured out how to make even the cutest Asian teenager look like Michael Jackson. Read on and rejoice.
P&G Thailand taps Saatchi to launch skin whitening line
(from http://www.adageglobal.com/)
BANGKOK - Procter & Gamble Co. has awarded the bulk of its $5.1 million advertising business for its new skin whitening line, Olay White Radiance, to Saatchi & Saatchi. Leo Burnett Co. will be organizing all promotional events, and Bangkok PR handles all matters concerning public relations.
The promotional budget is the biggest ever allocated for a new brand product launch in P&G's 40-year history in Thailand and the household giant expect high sales to justify the record spend.
"Whitening lotions are a segment of the facial skin care market with one of the best sales projections and we expect to register 20% growth in this segment this year," says Wichai Pornpratang, P&G brand manager.
The whitening lotion segment currently already accounts for 60% of Thailand's annual $100 million facial skin care market, he adds.
Some Thais assess fair skin complexion as the epitome of beauty and a feature associated with the upper classes of society and thus go to great lengths and financial expenditure to purchase products that promise to achieve lighter skin.
-- Thomas Schmid
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Would you post an article about self-tanning cream being advertised in the states?
No, I didn't think so.
As distasteful as you may find this product/campaign, your distaste is as culturally relative as is the the Thai preference for light skin.
Also, Thai's don't aspire to white skin like "honkies". It's a much more asian white, indicative of not being a laborer in a field and getting sun darkened. Just like smooth skin (not wrinkled and weathered) is often aspired to in the west...
So, it's not honkytown, dude. And most of us here in Bangkok find Michael Jackson to be a complete freak.
-Thai Ad Man
Bangkok
Point taken, Thai Ad Man.
I know.
I am Indian.
This sort of color consciousness is what created our caste system.
And also translates to a general classist/racist attitude Indians and other Asians (most notably Japanese) have towards darker people (particularly Africans).
That I know because I lived in Kenya.
I am Kashmiri, and we are fair (not honkie white, more Arab/Persian light skin). But I find our obsession with fairness repulsive.
I don't mean to rant. That's just how I feel. And the article reminded me of that. I know P&G would never do anything to inflame such cultural sores.
They're just in it for a buck.
*Bang* Nail on the head there - you are absolutley right Thai ad man - the light skin they are aiming for with these products is essentially the same as clear skin or wrinkle free skin, based in the traditional pecking order excuse "to not look like a labourer in a field" (Or phrased shorter - poor).
Back in the old days, the poor where always well fit and/or skinny - hence the kings and queens were fat and a fat woman was the ideal "cause hey it looks like I can afford to eat lots".
What can we do when aspirations to become the top ranking hen in the hen house manifests itself in bizarre creams that either pale or tan your skin, firms your chest, deletes cellulite, gets you fatter, gets you thinner, makes you taller, shorter or whatever happens to be exactly what you aren't??? The whitening cream is not twisted in itself - we are.
Copy-paste this link for story:
http://www.observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,497227,00.html