This Fluid Salon ad appears to promote domestic violence. At least that's what came to my mind when I first saw it. Kudos to Copyranter for bringing this to the world's attention.
Everyone once in awhile an ad or video comes along that leaves me speechless. When I see something that appears to be completely stupid I want to pick up the phone and ask "What were you thinking?" With this Fluid Salon ad that seems to promote domestic violence I can't decide if I want to throw up or yell at someone first.
In the advertisement a well dressed woman with perfect hair is sitting on a couch. What appears to be a fur is draped across her shoulders. The man behind her looks like the cat that ate canary. It could be a picture of two people who are ready for a night out on the town.
One small detail is amiss in the Fluid Salon ad. It's not her hair or her outfit. It's the black eye that the woman is wearing. To many, showing any photo of a battered woman who is not seeking help is promoting domestic violence. Who would want that kind of advertising for their business?
The salon owner said she went with the ad to get people talking about her salon. She has her wish. People are talking about her salon. I just don't hear anyone saying anything good about it. To think that the owner is unapologetic seems to add insult to injury.
There are six ads in the series. One is of a woman who appears to be homeless. She is sitting outdoors on a dirty mattress and smoking a cigarette. The photo reminds me of a sex worker caught in a human trafficking ring. I think both are completely repulsive.
The only potential silver lining in this cloud is that now the owner of the salon will now donate to a domestic violence program. All that customers need to do is mention the Fluid Salon ad. Of course, some 'customers' will no doubt want to skip the salon in favor of directly donating to their local domestic violence agency.
A post from the creative consultant who created the campaign appears on the Fluid Salon blog. She writes that she is 'excited' about the controversy created by her work and says she never meant to cause any harm. Then she spends the next several paragraphs justifying herself and her work.
Her mother, a domestic violence survivor and former shelter director, chimes in at the end of the blog post. You can read the article here.
After reading the article, and seeing the advertising photos for Fluid Salon that seem to promote domestic violence, I just have to ask one question. Really, what were you thinking?????
View the photos here http://adland.tv/ooh/fluid-salon-look-good-no-matter-how-often-he-beats-you-what
