I’ll start by setting the scene. I was sitting in my lovely new student kitchen last week, sipping a cuppa and wondering whether to do dark washing or light, (university has bought out the domestic fairy in me). Looking up, I saw provocative image of Mel B came on my television screen. She was standing, topless, in front of her husband with only his hands covering her modesty. The photo mirrored Janet Jackson’s iconic 1993 Rolling Stone cover. It was not an image I expected to see at that time of the morning, but of course I wanted to know what it was about all the same.
Mel B isn’t a celebrity I’m particularly interested in. Neither am I an avid fan of Holly and Phil’s huge amount of energy and banter at such an early hour on This Morning. But I was instantly intrigued about what the debate was focussing on, especially when a similar picture of a couple from Hollyoaks came up. The ads were in the sexually provocative, touching-on-glamorous style that only the most luxurious of perfumes seem to get away with, but were in fact for a charity called CoppaFeel in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Week. Granted, this was going to cause some controversy. Perhaps the women who spend months organising charity runs and balls would find this a little inappropriate. But where were the images published? Cosmopolitan Magazine. Who is the target audience? Young women. And let’s face it: this is the kind of advert that will catch the eye of young women – it’s like nothing we’ve seen before as an ad for breast cancer.
The two women debating were Cosmopolitan’s editor Louise Court who was for the campaign, and breast cancer survivor Anneliese Gordon who deemed the ads inappropriate. The silver fox that is Phil Schofield bravely questioned whether Anneliese’s views were ‘prudish’. She quickly defended herself, saying that a picture of Kylie Minogue who has previously had breast cancer would have been much more appropriate and hard hitting. Cosmo’s iconic editor fought back, reminding her that these ads are directed at young women who may be in danger of having breast cancer but wouldn’t think to check, not at women who have already had it.
This situation is a prime example of the importance of targeting a particular audience. We’re living in a generation where openness about women’s body image isn’t as offensive or inappropriate as it would have been 50 years ago. It’s not so politically incorrect to show off a woman’s body in order to make a certain point. Instead of exploiting the woman herself, it catches the eyes of other women to make them aware of the worthy cause. It’s a way women can relate to each other. The ads also promote the idea of men helping their wives or girlfriends feel for lumps in their breasts, something that a couple who are comfortable with each other should be okay with doing. And if it saves some lives, what’s the harm? Instead of doing the same campaigns over and over, CoppaFeel, who are trying to raise awareness ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, are thinking outside the box in an attempt to conquer a whole new audience.
(Jorgie Porter took part in the campaign shoot as well)
The sexy nature of the ads is striking, showing Cosmopolitan’s clever way of focussing their campaign at one audience, while catching the eyes of another audience to create a talking point. Women’s magazines like Cosmopolitan have the power to do this. So, while the editor sits on This Morning and argues her point that the campaign is appropriate and worthwhile, it’s creating publicity for the campaign. The shock factor may have been used, but people are talking about it and more women are becoming aware of it.
Through the platforms of television and magazine, the campaign has now reached a huge variety of people. It has targeted young women, and even those who haven’t read the magazine may have come across – it like I did. So has it reached the intended audience? Yes. Are young girls talking about it? Yes. Mission accomplished.