I think this is just plain stupid and rude. Does Wendy's management really expect middle-aged women, or anyone else for that matter, to respond to this kind of marketing?
Granted, I'm knee-deep into menopause, so maybe my sense of humor is melting with my hot flashes, but I'm not getting it.
What do you think?
Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna
What do you think?
Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna
Posts
Is this really an ad? It looks like something someone made up. If it's real, I think it's offensive too. I wouldn't go to Jack in the Box after seeing it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find it the least bit amusing.
ReplyDeleteThe stereotypes of acting crazy because of menopause are offensive and not accurate across the board.
Hormones that are out of balance isn't something to be made fun of.
Very poor taste in that ad - and it would definitely keep me from purchasing anything there, let alone one of their smoothies.
What in the world were their advertising people thinking ??? And how corporate could go along with that is beyond me.
I think they need a new advertising crew.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, I loved it! When I went through menopause, I felt like breaking things. This commercial had a weird "Stepford Wives" vibe to it, completely macabre. Thanks so much for posting this, I love funky ads with a sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteI LMAO the first time I saw this Maybe it's because I feel a wee bit like this woman. I ran right out and bought the smoothie. Jack is a riot. But you either love him or hate him. He is always on the edge of acceptable. ALWAYS.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure what to think about it when I first saw it. I see women who are barely able to function due to menopause every day. I'm not there yet but I can be very hormonal when Aunt Flo visits me so I think it's weird and not funny.
ReplyDeleteI usually love the Jack in the Box commercials but this one gets 2 thumbs down from me.
Happy weekend and hugs!!
I saw this on another post from a blog acquaintance who lives in Arizona...my definition of hell, going through menopause WHILE living in a desert state. Kill me.
ReplyDeleteSo, all her post said that day was, "I can relate." And, I laughed my ass off...because I can as well.
So, woman, I have to say that I think this is as absurd as the whole menopause experience and don't have a problem with it. What I am worried about is that I come here because of your snarky, funny way of viewing the world and I'm surprised to hear that this bothered you...
Can I help?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOMG it is sooooo not ok - yes offended - but snickering too. Somehow it reminded me of my Mom??!! She was very proper and controlled. Being another who is wading through menopause - honestly my OH does not need any other reason to give me grief - thank you very much!! Yikes!! Sarah
ReplyDeleteGreg was standing over my shoulder as I watched this and HE laughed. Until he saw my expression. This commerical had to be made up by a man. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteThanks all for your comments. YES, this is a real ad that's running on national television. I've seen it several times and always thought WTF!!! My husband and I both have marketing backgrounds and we didn't get it. A "Stepford WIfe" in menopause, selling smoothies. Not funny in our book.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I laughed and thought it was sort of clever. You can shun me now.
ReplyDeleteyes offensive, condescending...I thought the same as Aleta...must've been done by an insensitive man
ReplyDeleteThey need to put Jack in a box. Literally. If they only knew what raging hormones acted like, they would know this kills sales :)
ReplyDeleteHave a good one.
Wendy's? DO they own Jack? And yeah. Very offensive. Total turn off to anyone who's gone through menopause.
ReplyDeleteJust rude!! Let's boycott jack in the box. And wendys too if they own them!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell I am in about ten minds here and am wondering who the target market is. I think its an ad designed for 30 something women and written and developed by 30 year old men. All it takes to become a Stepford wife, a woman perfect beyond belief, is a smoothie and a Stepford male to write the script for you.
ReplyDeleteBecause there isnt a middle-aged female going through these symptoms who would find it too funny. And I am one of those people who can laugh long and hard at myself.
Isnt our advertising just a reflection of our films and society at large? I think most males would find this funny unfortunately and are all probably rushing out and buying smoothies.
Its no more insulting to me than most advertising about females. The sad thing is they must work because they dish up the same formulae time and time again. I saw a washing powder commercial the other day from the 40s and things have not changed.
The only positive thing is menopause can now be a topic of conversation around the family dinner table. No longer a taboo subject perhaps?
Personally I cannot wait until a large percentage of the population is over 55 (20 years away). Grey power will be a huge market and perhaps 20 and 30 something aged people wont be making ads for middleaged people and the elderly.
And no I wouldnt want to rush out and buy a smoothie if it turns me into a 1950s plastic ornament. At least they didnt try and pass off a 20 something woman as a 50 year old.
Well, it does raise some issues. I don't know who or what "Wendy's" is, so that leaves a bit of a gap for me, but I assume it's a fast food chain of some sort. If it's meant to be totally "tongue in cheek" then it may be very clever (I'm with diane - very Stepford Wives - hilarious), but, to me, that ought to have been just a tad more obvious. If, on the other hand, it's meant to be serious, YUK! I don't like anything that's "PC" but that's just in bad taste. Surely it's intended to be funny, in which case it's so NEARLY a good add, but sadly not quite!
ReplyDeleteYeah, not getting it either. I think they make us look like we are stupid!
ReplyDeleteJust makes me mad!
I've got to admit; there are a LOT of commercials that I just don't get the meaning of...or it is a case of "WHAT were they thinking?" I'm in the wrong business!
ReplyDeleteIdiots...
ReplyDeleteI agree they need to hire a new advertising crew, not funny.
ReplyDeleteI think it's offensive and stupid. Lilly's thoughtful comment is spot on in my opinion. Your blog is great!
ReplyDeleteI am sure that we are not their target audience. I just think they were trying to be funny, and they failed miserably. I've seen this commercial several times, and never once have I laughed about it. You know who put this ad together, right? Either a man or a much younger woman. Idiots.
ReplyDeleteMakes you wonder who they were marketing to. Women?
ReplyDeleteI didn't laugh. Not even close. Feels like an old SNL skit that missed the mark.
This particular commercial is not playing in Minnesota -- don't think we even have a Jack in The Box in the state...
Pearl
Maybe not offensive, but STUPID yes! Are we supposed to go around drinking those drinks every time we get a hot flush then? Far out, I'd be having one every 30 minutes day and night... pffffft!
ReplyDeleteAt least it's better than 'feminine product' ads playing on the TV at dinnertime!
I seriously expected Amy Poehler or some other Saturday Night Live cast member to pop in and say something.
ReplyDeleteThis is incredibly bad. Now, the Smiling Bob commercials hocking male enhancement products are hilarious! But then again, it's marketing a product that actually helps men, you know, get on with it. THIS commercial pokes fun at menopausal women by suggesting a smoothie?
Nope, not funny. Sexist, nasty, condescending, and full of complete bullshit, but not funny.
ReplyDeleteMaybe because my inner child has yet to start playing with matches, but I thought it was a little funny.
ReplyDeleteThen again, I've always had a twisted sense of humor.
Had to be written by a man! Well I have not reached that stage of life yet and I still thought it was kind of offensive or at the least just dumb and not funny.
ReplyDeleteOMG ... yes its offensive but funny. We don't have Jack in the boxes here in Tampa Bay, Florida. This is the first commercial I had ever seen for them.
ReplyDeleteNot funny.
ReplyDeleteStupid.
I'm guessing the ad person was a guy. Or a bitchy woman going through menopause...
hmm.
:::Pondering:::
They pretty much missed the mark with that one, I'd say!
ReplyDeleteI've left an award for you on my blog. Come pick it up if you're interested :)
Okay, slightly (and I mean slighty) amusing, but yes, very stupid and offensive. Idiots.
ReplyDeleteJustine :o )
How insane is that?
ReplyDeleteIf nothing else, the grinning verged on psychotic and seemed more than a little bit scary!
As for the menopause references I do think that was inappopriate.
As frustrating as it is though, it is the ads that make us scream "What on EARTH...." that are most memorable and are talked (and blogged) about. It's great advertisting for them if they can create a stir.
They may have just lost a large bunch of their menopausal customers though!
It reminds me of Always sanitary towels wishing me a "happy period" on every advert, and on every packet, are you SERIOUS????
Ok...I stole far too much comment space LOL
x
I couldn't agree with you more, Joanna. This ad is seriously offensive. If it is real, then the ad agency that created it went way too far.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine that something like this could be aired on prime time without some serious repercussions.
-Francesca
I'm pre-menopausal...so maybe I'll change my mind when I get there...but I have to say it made me laugh. But then I've got a strange sense of humor. It reminds me of the one they did where a little kid tells "Jack" that his mom says their food has fat and too many calories and is bad for you...and Jack says "your mom is just bitter about her thighs"....That company has always used humor in weird ways to sell there stuff. I guess I'm the odd woman out here. But I think that it's kinda funny. Lets face it...we women do get a little "Hormonal" at times.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Wendy's owned Jack in the Box! We don't have JITB's around where we live, and I've never seen that commercial run for Wendy's.
ReplyDeleteIt was kind of funny, but offensive at the same time. But either way, it wouldn't make me go running to a Wendy's. I can count on my two hands the number of times I've eaten at a Wendy's in my 41 years on this planet, I've just never cared for them.
I don't know who is doing a lot of commercials today but I find them totally stupid and not one bit funny. How degrading to women of all ages this is.
ReplyDeletethat is the dumbest damn thing i have ever seen created...and i work in advertising. believe me when i say that i've seen stupid.
ReplyDeleteDumb. And probably really expensive dumb.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I have a terribly sick and inappropriate sense of humor and I can totally laugh at myself, so I don't really find this offensive. But I will say that whoever gave it the greenlight should probably be canned--not because it's politically incorrect, but because it's not particularly clever and very much cliche.
ReplyDeleteNot cool, Jack.
ReplyDeleteNot cool.
Oh my! I would have to agree with the above poster, I too thought that Amy Poehler or
ReplyDeleteDan Akroyd would be appearing at any moment!
Who is their target market???
Love your blog!!!
I wouldn't say I'm offended but it is the stupidest commercial I've seen in a long time. Not funny in the least and I can see how it would be offensive for sure.
ReplyDeleteThis is a joke right?? xv
ReplyDeleteWell.... Out of 46 comments, a whopping 35 readers thought the ad was "stupid", "offensive" or just plain not working for them. Six thought it was humorous and only a few were undecided or didn't care. Sounds like some pretty strong opinions on Jack's sense of humor and marketing approach.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for sharing and taking the time to view the commercial. I have never been to a Jack in the Box, although I see their ads all the time. If I do ever stop, I guarantee you I will NOT be ordering a smoothie :-)
Have a great day and please stop by again soon!
Maybe it's offensive, and maybe it's brilliant. Personally, it didn't bother me, but I can see the potential it has to not be appreciated. I guess it just depends where your offense-tivity threshold is.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the midst of menopause myself, I kind of related.
WOW if that is real, my pre-menopausal self just might have to hit one of those young ad execs that thought it would be in good taste! Not good!
ReplyDelete