Clorox "Mad Men" Ads Miss The Target

GL says:

I think the Ad is witty and plays well with the content. This is a different time from the 'Mad Men' days and regardless of what you may believe, there are men that are doing their own laundry.

FYI - Clorox is great on lipstick stains!

Cheers,
GL

September 28, 2009 01:39 PM #

AM says:

This ad so clearly goes against any of the other ads and is a distinct lack of consistency for the brand. Also presonally I am not a big fan of promoting adultery in any way even though it is meant to be witty and fun! AM

September 29, 2009 04:44 AM #

chi says:

I'd say the end doesn't justify the means. Creativity carries a sense of responsibilty, too.

September 29, 2009 04:55 AM #

Wamai Robert says:

I could not agree more. Probabaly they thought they were thinking out of the box. Creativity must resonate with the consumer and not go against social norms and beliefs. The target audience would rather use a pair of scissors or a match stick rather than clean a shirt like that with CLOROX. Sensitivity is called for in communication. Humour must not exclude some people. That is called teasing and can be insensitive.

September 29, 2009 05:04 AM #

Jo says:

There is nothing creative about cheating on a stay at home wife / mom. It takes courage to give up a career to take care of a home. A soap opera or a cheesy reality show is a different story but an ad? The secretary affair is such a cliche too! I like Chlorox as a brand, but this ad, someone wasn't thinking straight or thinking at all! Here's a new idea: A stay at home dad cleaning up after two messy kids. Now that's 21st century!

September 29, 2009 08:28 AM #

Tommy O. says:

Wow - Loosen up people. It's just an ad - it's a simple clever brand awareness ploy. I don;t think they're trying to day "We're Clorox - the bleach that makes all your extramarital activities possible". American society has been bombarded with whiter whites messages for about 100 years - they probably felt a little wicked twist might actually get noticed. Society is cynical - will we really pay attention to another (courageous?) perfect stay-at-home mom with a faithful bread-winning husband and good kids. Those rascals - they're angels but they get so dirty when they play!

It's a little played out - don't ya think?

Simple objective: Remind the consumer to buy bleach - it get's out stains.

September 29, 2009 10:18 AM #

Susan says:

I agree with Tommy O. -- Loosen up. I love Mad Men. Thank you Clorox for paying attention to the style of the show and creating an ad that plays to that period and today.

September 29, 2009 10:56 AM #

Katy Mooney says:

I was catching up on Mad Men last night and noticed the ad right away. In fact, as a Brand Coach, it stopped me in my tracks and prompted me to replay it several times. How did this ad get approved? The ad is memorable and is based on an insight relevant during the Mad Men era, but it creates *negative* associations about the product with its target audience. It's not about loosening up or creativity, in my view. It's about being off-brand and the Clorox ad missed the mark (and an enormous opportunity) by a mile.

September 29, 2009 11:04 AM #

Gail Taras says:

Hi there Katy. I notice that Banana Republic jumped right on the opportunity to ride Mad Men's coat tails a couple months back. What is it with everyone in the biz trying to identify with Don Draper? I love the show, and all it's fantastic styling, but it portrays a truth that isn't pretty. Even today, our profession treats women badly, unless you're on the client side at a company that targets women - like fashion.
You're so right that the ad is off-brand. I love the Clorox brand, and I'm sure that many there are cringing right now. Well, everyone makes mistakes sometimes!

September 29, 2009 02:34 PM #

Tommy O. says:

I think you're overselling the power of "negative association" Coach. The American public doesn't read White Papers before they head to Target for bleach, dog food and garbage bags. Between constrictive brand graphic standards and brand pundits creativity is being killed in our industry. Revisit the classic VW ads - the American public can handle and enjoys a little irony now and again.

September 29, 2009 11:39 AM #

jill says:

Lack of consciousness abounds in advertising. No, it isn't just an ad -- it is a message specifically designed by "professionals" that is driven by upstream research to specifically INFLUENCE AND CHANGE COGNITIVE PATTERNING AND THEN BEHAVIOR. Who the hell wrote "its just an ad" -- go tell that to your client and see if they buy that. We can be in denial or really "get it" about the impact we have on people. There is a way to speak to the truth of who people are inside AND sell a product. Shallow thinking people produce shallow advertising like the Clorox stuff. The reality is we live in a world where the deepest desire for everyone is to be safe and to be loved in a committed relationship. How many of us know the pain of someone who has suffered betrayal and a broken heart. Many people never fully recover. And, if we are honest with ourselves we know that is the truth. And, yes, we have a professional and moral resolve to act in the highest. Of course, only those with a true set of integrated values and are truly conscious can produce ads of that quality. I am not talking "polarity thinking" there or right/left...just simple truths....you can't give what you don't have within. I know GREAT ad people who create amazing work -- look at the new Prius commericals...brilliant, conscious and deeply in alignment with the truth of who we are as human beings. Hey, the stature of the Clorox biz isn't at the level of Prius so most likely the junior creatives got the assignment and they are so conditioned with "ad speak" that they are like robots. This ad is everything that gives advertising the negative reputation it has and for good reason. The industry needs to clean up its act and get its head out of the strip clubs. HARSH I know. Wake Up

September 29, 2009 12:35 PM #

Tommy O. says:

Oh man, talk about sanctimonious junk. Since when is advertising the moral compass in this country? Yeah, it is just an ad and it's job is to just sell product. Period.

"How many of us know the pain of someone who has suffered betrayal and a broken heart. Many people never fully recover." Huh?

Really Jill? Is that what this ad is all about? Lipstick is a tough stain - Clorox takes it out. Don't over think it and don't blame it on a junior creative. Somebody somewhere had a set and sold it up the line to someone on the client side who was also sporting a pair. Right message, right context. The faithful audience of this show got it - maybe you're not the target audience? They have a different one for people watching The View ...and ESPN and 60 Minutes for that matter.

And who said every brand should be just like Prius? Or is that Pious? Talk about robots.

September 29, 2009 01:11 PM #

john says:

Tommy - you sound desperate and disconnected. Trying to hard to defend someone elses work...my hunch is its yours...

September 29, 2009 04:56 PM #

Tommy O. says:

No John, i just think the ad was created in the spirit of the show - it asks viewers to hold onto the convention and play along. I don't see it as defending bad behavior any more than the show does - it's as fictional as the characters are.

September 29, 2009 05:21 PM #

templar says:

in South Africa, a lot of us have maids that wash the clothes and a large number of the affairs men have are with those maids so i guess Clorox could "clean up" in this market

but for the US...I'd say it sucks at reaching its audience!

September 29, 2009 05:22 PM #

David Kellis says:

On behalf of Clorox I'd like to say that the ad is tongue-in-cheek... it is a custom ad specifically created for the Mad Men audience, not a general market. The ad was created in the spirit of the times the show portrays and in the tone of the show. We don't condone the behavior, but we do remove lipstick stains on white dress shirts.

September 29, 2009 09:09 PM #

Jo says:

If the commercial was that fabulously creative, why the cliche? Nobody's asking for the perfect family pic with picket fences and screaming kids and there is nothing modern about adultery too, it's as old as Clorox's making whites whiter stand. I am all for wicked, but couldn't the twist be a little more original?Give me Tide's talking stain any day. It's funny, it does the job! Granted it's for Mad Men audience but why is it sexist? And if the "rascals" as you call them, Tommy O, play dirty, they also face the music later, it's not picture perfect! Reality check! Ads are a big portion of pop culture, which is why care has to be taken. Ever wondered why they banned cigarette ads?

September 29, 2009 11:21 PM #

Tommy O. says:

They banned cigarette ads because we were too damn good at making them look too damn cool. Then we found out they killed the end-user. Ooops.

I think television drives pop culture to a much greater extent than ads - I think ads merely tap into it. The ad biz didn't create adultery or adulterers ( or force James Dean to smoke) but the American public never fails to be fascinated by those types of characters. Women watch the show, right? Adultery is a major story-line and everybody knows that, right? Viewers made a choice to watch that content... for whatever reason. I've never even watched it, to be honest.

Is this a little obvious, cliched... sure. A lot of really good advertising is. It's not mine, but I still get their strategy and I still like it. David, nicely done. And for the record I don't think Clorox has betrayed every woman everywhere. I hope it sells oceans of bleach.

I feel compelled to go have a heater now .

September 30, 2009 02:01 PM #

Jo says:

A lot of good advertising is original and appealing, not cliched. Clorox is not out to get women, never said that. Still like the brand, will buy their bleach any day. Never said ad biz created adultery either or that we live in a perfectly perfect world. Just thought that don't make cheating look cool to appeal to a certain target. Instead make killer creatives and keep them hooked.
I am off to replenish my Clorox stock!

October 1, 2009 12:08 PM #

Tommy O says:

So you just dislike the creative, fair enough - calling it unconscionable (lacking "moral resolve"?) or guilty of victimizing women... well that's the soap-boxing I was finding a little troublesome.

October 1, 2009 02:49 PM #

dog fence says:

All these commercials such as the clorox one, are stating that moms really are hard working and do alot, and what do they say on the website, that men are the ones putting her to work and that PAPA should do something.

October 18, 2009 05:09 AM #

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November 13, 2009 12:29 PM #

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Creativity must resonate with the consumer and not go against social norms and beliefs. Humour must not exclude some people. The reality is we live in a world where the deepest desire for everyone is to be safe and to be loved in a committed relationship.

November 19, 2009 02:48 PM #

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November 26, 2009 05:34 PM #

Dog Fences Guide says:

Yes the ad miss its target.They are promoting it as an aid to flirting guys.They tried to keep message intact but were not able to deliver it properly.It is just like a quality work for good cause gone in comic direction.

November 28, 2009 10:10 AM #

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November 30, 2009 04:00 PM #

Fap Turbo Scam says:

Hey man, I don't think that Clorox "Mad Men" Ads miss the target. It reaches it's target audience or the customers on this way... A trick to get more sales..

December 10, 2009 01:18 AM #

Nursing jobs says:

I think you are right, They just missed out the target. If they come on the other way around, they could have reach the target. Isn't?

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Haha... But in my opinion, they are targeting not only moms but also men. Men can wash their clothes with lipstick stains easily even though they're not used to washing clothes. =D

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Nobody's asking for the perfect family pic with picket fences and screaming kids and there is nothing modern about adultery too, it's as old as Clorox's making whites whiter stand.

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