In its continuing effort to rid the world of every last prejudice, stereotype, human rights issue, environmental problem and other ailment facing the human race, Kenneth Cole is out with Where Do You Stand, an effort that aims to open debate on gay rights, woman’s right to choose, gun control and war.
The effort is supported with an online site hooked up with which invite visitors to chime in on these topics. Offline advertising supports as well.
We’re going to make one comment on one of the campaign’s pieces of creative. And, in doing so, we’re going to tip our hand and let you know we are decidedly pro-choice on the issue of abortion. One of the ads reads, “Should it be a woman’s right to choose if she’s the one carrying it all?”
While we certainly think a woman should have the right to choose, that headline, in one interpretation, would have us to believe the woman is the only one involved with a pregnancy. Unless she was impregnated in a lab, it’s likely another human being was involved in the process and, we’d argue, that human being (baring the situation in which the pregnancy may have come about via rape) has a say in the decision.
We’d certainly admit the woman might be in a position to have a bit more of the decision making power but the man ought to have his voice heard as well. Initial interpretation aside, we don’t think this ad is advocating the woman – and only the woman – should be involved in the decision. More likely, the ad is probably arguing the decision is a private one and one that should be made only by those directly involved in the situation: the woman, the man, family and friends…not some impersonal, detached cause group or government organization.
Now that we’ve firmly stated our position on abortion, we can get back to the business of firmly stating our position on ad campaigns. We like a company that takes a stand. We like a company that allows for and encourages debate. And we most certainly love a company that leverages that debate to shoe horn in messaging about how the choice of clothing is right up there on the importance scale with that of , oh, say, guns, choice, gay rights and war.
