The ad above was ripped out of a Popular Mechanics magazine I found last week in an office lobby. The ad is for Dinty Moore canned stew, and part of their "You ain't dainty..." campaign. Presumably, the campaign is targeted towards men who want a hearty, big meal. There are a bunch of these ads - clever, funny pictures that show men in bigger-than-reality situations.
My guess is that the intended response would be, "He he. Funny ad. But Dinty Moore must be a He-Man stew! Next time I want a He-Man stew, I'm looking for Dinty Moore!"
But...here's the rub. The man in the ad is a bloomin' idiot. Two seconds after that plunger drops, the more "dainty" guy trimming hedges is going to be plucking body parts off the house with rubber gloves.
The headline should read, "You ain't dainty. You'gonna be DEAD."
Note the ad ran in Popular Mechanics - definitely a "guy" magazine. But PM readers aren't dumb. Knowing a little bit about the magazine's demographic, I'd bet a huge proportion of them saw the ad, remembered the inevitable story of some Darwin-award candidate and thought, "What an idiot."
Realizing this critique may come off like a killjoy, bear it in mind and watch advertising - you may be surprised at how often men, especially those who pursue traditionally masculine endeavors (like removing stumps!) are portrayed as simian-brained dolts.
Too bad Dinty Moore forgot that advertising is supposed to align customers and incite them to buy. Instead, the star of this ad will likely end UP as stew. Or at least look like it.
KaBOOF! (insert sound effects of hunks of fat and protein raining down from above) Yuummm-mmEE!
