"Slut-shaming" is a topic that has become very prevalent, as personalities such as Amber Rose and Kim Kardashian have spear-headed efforts to stop people from criticizing women for their presumed sexual activity. With that said, it's surprising that Sprite blatantly slut shamed in their most recent Irish advertising campaign, using the hashtag #brutallyrefreshing.
Sprite in Ireland hyper-sexualized women and used cheap street lingo such as ” You’re not popular, you’re easy. A 2 at 10 is a 10 at 2” and “ She’s seen more ceilings than Michelangelo,” in these unusual ads.
Tommy Smith described his version of how the campaign probably came about:
Sprite: "We'd like to aim our product at a misogynistic audience."
Marketer: "Say no more."#BrutallyRefreshing pic.twitter.com/y9VWhV9CVX
— Tommy Smith (@tommyxcore) August 3, 2016
OK, not going to lie, these are kind of funny, but I’m sure there are less offensive ways to sell the product. The product sells itself. I mean, its Sprite for crying out loud. It's been around since 1961 and people love it, but now they've pissed everyone off:
The only reason Irish people drink @Sprite is when there's no 7up available #BrutallyRefreshing enough for ye?— Sheena Flynn (@sheena4one) August 3, 2016
Is it #BrutallyRefreshing to call @Sprite 'a-so-far-removed-from-reality, boys-club, failing-at-balancing-niche-and-edgy, bunch-of-cretins'?
— AP Corkhill (@APCDU) August 3, 2016
I'm done buying Sprite #BrutallyRefreshing
— Caitlin (@ThisCaitlin) August 3, 2016
Sprite’s ‘Brutally Refreshing’ campaign has been brutally criticized online, and in efforts to make amends, the Coca-Cola Company has apologized for the sexist ads after social media ignited a total counterblast.
"We strive to deliver the highest standards of advertising, and we recognize that on this occasion the content did not meet our, or our consumers', expectations," a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola Ireland said.
Anywho, at the end of the day its just Soda, let's leave all the sexiness to the Carl's Jr. commercials.
