Gillette’s New Ad Involving A Plus-Sized Model In A Bikini Is Causing All Kinds Of Controversy

It can be hard these days to know what the right thing to say is. And even when you think you know what the right thing to say is, it’s still always going to be the wrong thing for others… the whole world has turned into a politically correct minefield, which of course, has both its advantages and its disadvantages – but when it comes to advertising, companies are still trying to figure out the correct (or should I say, politically correct) formula.

One of the most recent companies to experience this particular marketing faux par is non-other than popular international razor brand, Gillette.

You see, recently, Gillette Venus (the ‘female’ branch of the company) shared a photograph of the plus-sized model, Anna O’Brien, in an attempt to celebrate diversity. All seems pretty harmless, right? Yeah well, I guess that’s what they thought too. However, their attempt soon took a turn for the worst after a sizeable amount of critics began to claim that the company is doing damage by normalizing an unhealthy lifestyle.

It’s pretty much exactly what other companies do with, y’know, super skinny models every freakin’ day, just on the exact opposite side of the spectrum.

Similar to what other companies with super skinny models are doing, just on the other end of the spectrum.

Image credits: gillettevenus

Image credits: gillettevenus

Anna has her own online blog, which is called  Glitter + Lazers, (TOTALLY loving that name by the by). “I run my online personality with heart, which means my opinions cannot be bought,” she writes on her blog. “If I review something positively- it’s because I actually like it. I might be provided goods or in some case ever paid to try out and experiment with a product, but every collaboration comes with the caveat- I will write what I believe. I blame this on the bad case of ethics and morals I was born with.”

Ohhh sassy… I love it!

Image credits: GlitterAndLazers

She has over 318k Instagram followers and very nearly 100k YouTube subscribers, but her fame doesn’t stop there!

“I’m also an accomplished global speaker- having presented in over 10 countries,” she says. “I’ve graced the stage at events such as SXSW, Adweek, Social Media Week, emetrics, M2C and more. I’m known for creating a candid and captivating presentation style and my ability to transform difficult concepts into executable steps.”

Which you have to admit is quite the impressive portfolio!

Image credits: GlitterAndLazers

I’m not sure if you know this, but Gillette Venus is one of the few companies who claim that it features models with absolutely no retouching and no restrictions.

 “No one way to have beautiful skin or to show it off,” they write. “Venus stands with all women who right the rules.”

Image credits: GlitterAndLazers

Unsurprisingly, there are some people out there in the big wide world that think this ad isn’t such a good idea, in the grand scheme of things.

Below is a small example of some of the comments being received against Gillette’s latest ad campaign.

This brave marketing move by Gillette has obviously reignited a very heated discussion about various body sizes and eating disorders.

According to the National Eating Disorder Association, around 20 million women and 10 million men will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives, and that’s only in the United States. “Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses that affect all kinds of people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, size, age, or background. In fact, eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of all mental health disorders, surpassed only by opioid addiction.”

The rule is, if people are consuming fewer calories than their bodies actually need, their bodies will then break down their own tissue so it can use it for fuel… which when put down in words actually sounds terrifying. “Muscles are some of the first organs broken down, and the most important muscle in the body is the heart. Pulse and blood pressure begin to drop as the heart has less fuel to pump blood and fewer cells to pump with. The risk for heart failure rises as the heart rate and blood pressure levels sink lower and lower.”

And then, on the exact opposite side of the scales, obesity because not only does it cause very obvious physical changes, it also leads to a number of very serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, too.

These conditions include type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, various types of cancer (such as breast cancer and bowel cancer… yikes), and strokes. Not to mention, it can also greatly affect one’s own quality of life and well as leading to psychological problems, for example, depression and incredibly low self-esteem.

But on the other hand, as with all controversy, there is a fair share of people out there who absolutely love the campaign, and think that it’s a brilliant idea.

I for one can definitely see the argument from both sides… but maybe some opinions are, er, more well-written than others.

In fact, even infamous Twitter user “Internet Historian”  got involved with the debate and has even created a poll, asking people whether or not it was a good idea. Below are the final results;

Image credits: Internet Historian

Yikes… not exactly hard to see which team most people on the internet seem to be siding with, is it?

Well, we know their opinion, but what about you wonderful people? How do you feel about this ad campaign? Do you think that it’s a good idea to have plus-sized models involved in more and more marketing schemes, or do you feel that it would be too dangerous by promoting an unhealthy lifestyle? Let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget to share this with your friends and family so that they can join in on this important debate too! AAx

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