The first on the chopping block is the "Back to School" ad campaign for the Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
This campaign was not received well in the town of its release, and I do see how it could be considered demeaning to young women, but in today's uptight, politically correct society we could use a little controversy. In the case of Mic Mac Mall, I do not think its entirely fair that they take the heat for the 'distasteful' use of humour as it was devised on the other side of the country (Vancouver) where competition is much higher, but as the gatekeepers, they are the first to be burned by the angry mob.
As far as the message goes, I think its target audience would get a good laugh and I think its cartoonish aesthetic attests to the humorous strategy that the campaign was intending. The slim model-like features of the characters in the ad do give me some hesitation as I think young women are too often barraged by 'idealistic' forms, but this is a minor detail that is slowly being resolved in many advertisements showcasing plus-sized models.
Overall, I think the design of the campaign is playful and eye-catching and the clever use of puns assumes that an intelligent audience will look past the 'ditzy' facade and recognize the aim of the strategy to get shoppers into the store.
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