Want to learn a foreign language? No? Are you sure these big boobs can’t convince you? Dan Lyons from ReadWrite published an article today about all those tacky, outdated, sexist Facebook ads. You know, the ones that use young women in sexy poses to sell everything from Spanish language classes to solar panels (wut?). Facebook has always presented itself as an ideal forum for companies looking for targeted, one-to-one marketing opportunities. The social media site has created complex algorithms meant to tailor advertisements to each product’s ideal consumer. By taking into account factors like age, gender, and recent searches, Facebook has promised to revolutionize the way companies advertise and the way Internet users consume. So what’s the deal with these ubiquitous ads Lyons calls, “stupid and obnoxious and a throwback to a kind of moronic advertising that long ago became obsolete”?
These ads are pretty embarrassing for a company that promised high-tech, targeted marketing campaigns. However, they’re doubly embarrassing for Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, who is debuting her feminist manifesto Lean In this year. These sultry ad vixens certainly don’t reflect well on Sandberg, whose new movement is all about empowering women. Seems like eliminating the sexist material her own company is generating would be a pretty good start.
Via ReadWrite, Images Via ReadWrite
