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After getting major backlash, Samsung is apologizing for its recent ad for its Galaxy fitness watch that featured a woman of color going for a run at 2 a.m. She is smiling, running through street after street, continuing to smile at the occasional strangers she comes across.
She is seemingly oblivious to the fact that the streets are dark and empty and she’s all alone. The idea that she is making her own time and creating her own rules, unfortunately, goes against the harsh realities for women today.
It also shows us how far we are from true gender equality, both behind and in front of the camera. Here are three questions brands should ask themselves when considering the lessons learned from the Samsung Running Ad Gone Wrong.
Do your campaigns have only men creating messaging for women?
The Twitter storm quickly descended upon Samsung with many consumers speaking out against the ad. Many consumers questioned if women even had a seat at the table or if any women were consulted on this campaign.
The brand has yet to acknowledge the diversity of representation and if the voices of women were included and heard. When you have only men creating messaging for women, you can fall into the trap of creating something with perhaps the best intentions that lands with terrible impact, simply because different perspectives weren’t included at the table.
Globally, the buying power of women is estimated to be $31.8 trillion. Additionally, 89% of women globally influence or control spending decisions compared to only 41% of men. The voices and perspectives of women cannot be ignored.
Does the brand message work in the current cultural context?
According to a Samsung spokesperson, “The Night Owls campaign was designed with a positive message in mind: to celebrate individuality and freedom to exercise at all hours.” Unfortunately, this message of empowerment, being in control and having freedom at all times doesn’t address or acknowledge the current cultural context. Exercising in public at all hours of the night is a privilege only few have, with many women having concerns about their personal safety.
The campaign seemed to focus on the idea that women can make their own time and make their own rules. It seemed oblivious to the ongoing, global conversations about women’s safety.
This serves as an important reminder for brands: You can’t continue to copy and paste your brand message without having an understanding of the current cultural context in which you are operating.
What is the agency’s role?
The Samsung ad was created by Ogilvy New York, and the agency has not made any comments or released any statements since the backlash. Agencies line up and take center stage to accept big industry awards for their brand work. And yet, when brand mistakes happen and a crisis occurs, they mostly take a seat in the back and hide behind the brand statement.
In a world where marketers work with an ecosystem of partners, they alone are not responsible for both the big wins and the big mistakes. Agencies play a huge role and are key partners in bringing campaigns to life.
In the case of Ogilvy New York, they should be held accountable for the same questions being asked of Samsung. Did the agency have the voices of women at the table? Did they provide consumer research? Did they convince their client that this was a good idea or a bad idea?
We will likely never know the answers to those questions. But in a world where marketing is a team sport, we all need to be held accountable. Because we each play a role in helping to achieve true gender equality.
