One Million Moms (actually about 55K, not a million) really, really, really hates this commercial.
From their press release:
Norelco’s new ad crosses a line of decency.
The new Norelco commercial goes beyond a close facial shave to body grooming well below the chest and back. This commercial went WAY TOO FAR! During the commercial, it shows a man trimming hair in different areas of his body. Toward the end, it shows him standing with his boxer shorts down with hair falling to the floor as he uses the hair trimmer. It is implied that he is shaving in his private area. The dialogue in the ad is equally offensive. “I’d wink at me; I’d hug me,” he says. Then he looks in the mirror, admires himself, and says, “I’d F*** me.” The F-word is bleeped out. But then they display their website, www.IdFAQme.com. This is clearly a play on the F-word.
After receiving complaints on its Facebook page, Philips Norelco replied by posting:
“To our fans: The goal of our community is to talk about guys’ shaving and grooming needs. Lately we’ve received some comments that our new TV ad doesn’t resonate with everybody. We wanted to take a moment to let you know that we’ve heard the feedback. In response we’re going to run the TV ads later in the evening beginning this weekend. In the meantime, we look forward to getting back to what we do best, talking about men’s shaving and grooming!”
The excuse Philips Norelco gave by phone was equally dismissive, saying, “We are trying to reach a certain audience and would pass along these concerns.”
Their response isn’t good enough. The ad shouldn’t run at any time. It is not only inappropriate for children; it is offensive to adults also. The company’s response to people’s concerns is in poor taste. They are basically saying that they don’t care, and they are going to run the commercial anyway. That just doesn’t cut it.
