Could this be Israel’s biggest cover-up?
Who said that Israeli consumers have no power? The ultra-Orthodox consumer recently proved how wrong that may be and may have taught a lesson to others.Some may have noticed that billboards for a cosmetics advertising campaign starring Sarah Jessica Parker, the American actress, had her clad in far more modest dress than she normally sported as Carrie Bradshaw in the American TV show “Sex and the City.”In the first days of the ad campaign for Unilever’s Lux soaps, Jessica Parker – who in her enormous TV hit set fashion standards for women worldwide – appeared in a sequined dress, bare shouldered and with knees clearly on view in keeping with her television character.But within 24 hours of the billboard’s unveiling, Unilever was contacted by one of Israel’s senior rabbis with a threat that if the offending image was not removed, then the ultra-Orthodox community would receive orders to boycott the company’s products. In addition to marketing Lux and Dove soaps and other toiletries and cleaning products, Unilever’s local offerings include Telma foods, breakfast cereals, mayonnaise, and Vered Hagalil chocolates.Unilever did the quick math and concluded that the Haredi community is a vital one, particularly for its food products.The posters were removed – market analysts estimate at a cost hundreds of thousands of shekels – and Jessica Parker found herself redressed, with a longer skirt and covered shoulders. As Unilever succinctly explained: “We dressed Sarah Jessica Parker for the winter.”
I say why not? At least they are using democratic means to achieve their goal. Unlike some people. Besides, we have enough traffic accidents here in Israel. Maybe more modest billboards could help alleviate this problem too..
