When I first caught a glimpse of an ad on TV of Mother Nature trying to wake up someone who was sleeping, I thought it type-cast women with an out of date image: Women can’t do anything when their “little gift” comes each month.
Seeing the vibrant Serena Williams, who is African-American, perfect as a dynamic, young recognizable athlete known for her drive to succeed no matter what, is an immediate visual contrast. The five second take-away is strong women empowered today, not like the “olden days” characterized by Mother Nature’s dated sytle, when all activity basically stopped for a whole week, every month.
Plus, how else do you dress a perfectly fit woman in a teeny white dress without objectifying her! It’s less about sexy and more about strong, offering wide appeal for a product exclusively sold to women.
For those of us on the more “prudent side” of what’s appropriate in public, the beautifully packaged red gift with the big pink bow is well-chosen, capturing sarcasm, subtly and euphemism all in one simple image. Do I really need to listen to two women talk graphically about bodily functions in front of my son to get a point across? Apparently not!
The generational contrast is done well without alienating ‘older’ target clients, but using an archetype, Mother Nature, rather than just, well a mother…who might be a potential customer, too.
Both are solidly in character as they challenge each other in a “game on” approach, athlete vs. nature, in the series.
I wouldn’t mind staying as active and strong as Serena Williams all the time. See you later, Mother Nature!
