Has The Warehouse learned its lesson?
My complaint to the Chairman of New Zealand's biggest retailer seems to have been effective. Here's the main point of my letter, just over 2 years ago:
'My concern is about the gender grooming present both this year and last, in Warehouse TV advertisements for children’s toys. It is subtle, almost to the point of being subliminal, but represents something that in my view is quite sinister. In last year’s ad and the current one, the young boy is portrayed dancing as a transvestite. What this adds to the toy marketing message I’m at a loss to understand'.
The Warehouse run a toy promotion each year about this time and for the second year since my complaint, the TV ad promoting toys has been an innocuous and kid-friendly invitation for children to find a promoted toy on the shelves. Given that the response to my complaint was aloof and dismissive, I didn't put too much faith in the first year change. But now it's happened again, I think I might have scored a success!
Pushing back against corporations and interest groups can be a thankless task. But the proof as they say, is in the pudding. Even given The Warehouse's attitude, it HAS changed its behaviour.
