
Reading through daily inspiration, more specifically a post on The Skinny (
@Veer.com) makes CJ and I click through and take notice--a Gap ad encouraging voters to vote. Quickly an IM conversation starts:
CJ --- "interesting social responsibility campaign! like the design and message... too bad it's the gap!"
kc! --- "good example of big business doing responsibility? or just another way to seem indie?"
And so launches another episode of Editor's Battle:
kc! --- Honestly, watching the ads, they feel really sincere and honest. In fact, they made me want to watch all of them. I imagine the design team sitting back with the marketing team and wanting to just get the message of voting out to the masses. Behind every big corporation, there are tons of independent people.
CJ --- No doubt... it's a well put together, timely, campaign. The message is invaluable in that voters, ALL VOTERS, need to make their voices heard! Fact is: That message is still being put out by The Gap Company-- a publicly traded, gigantic corporation, that makes homogenized "fashion" for pennies (actually yuan), then charges the highest possible margins for those threads. Publicly traded companies have one mission: Use any-and-all means necessary to maximize profits for shareholders. This is a feudal attempt to seem relevant given the current circumstances. All the while, even their die-hard, burb customers can't help save the sinking ship; let alone this poser, indie attempt.
kc! --- So does this mean that any attempt at social responsibility by a corporate entity will be read as pandering for our dollars? Or is there a more viable way that big business can participate in conscious thinking?
CJ --- It's all about the dollar. What has Gap really done to get out the vote? Has there been ANY grassroots efforts in making registering and voting easier? This campaign should be highly visible in swing states. This campaign should bombard critical states like Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. But why will it play more in safe state centers like NYC, LA, and Chicago? Because they will pick up on the indie-cool factor. Indie=young, mind-share=more, sold=more, profit=higher stock price. Not saying it's bad, just not indie.
kc! --- Time will tell, that is for sure... but I don't think it is right to assume that just because a company is out to make money, that advertisements such as these don't help both the consumer and the business image without necessarily having to promote money-making endeavors. I still feel that there is room for individual independent thinking bubbling up from within a large corporation. Unlikely, yes... but possible.
That’s a great battle guys. I would have to say if the Gap had tied in something being done about voting then it would be credible. If they wanted to help, putting voter registration in their stores would be easy and help their message.
I think the fact that it’s just ads on the TV makes me have to agree with Chris this is just a ploy to seem this way or that. It’s like the oil manufacturers calling themselves “energy” manufacturers and pumping out tons of eco/green ads. If they really cared they would’ve been doing this before their profits tanked.
It might be a move for the better for everyone but that doesn’t make it sincere. Remember independents think about their stake holders not just their share holders.
Kristen Bell is a hottie.