Transport Media have today decided to pull away from the Outdoor Advertising Association (OAA). They reached their decision after their clients, staff and family members were outraged by the overwhelming controversial and negative remarks regarding how career women make bad mothers. Transport Media are now considering their own national taxi campaign to support that ‘Career women make brilliant mothers.’
It is strongly felt that the campaign by the OAA has set back women’s hard work as being equal to men in the work place and obtaining successful careers whilst raising children. Females we have spoken to are extremely angry about the stupidity and lack of thought behind the campaign, the idea of being bombarded with taxis, posters and buses carrying the campaign on the way to the work place after dropping your offspring at school or nursery is not only upsetting and insensitive it is infuriatingly sexist. Since the days of Emily Pankhurst who fought so hard for women to be given the right to vote freely and equal to her male counterpart, the stigma attached to women who choose careers as well as raising children has been and still is hard to shrug off. How this detrimental campaign could be given the green light in this day and age is utterly absurd.
The decision made by the OAA to run with this campaign has caused so much offence to the men and women of Transport Media that after the many heated staff discussions the MD has made a clear firm stand and decided to pull away from the OAA and its logo. The campaign is not only irresponsible but can only be seen to have a negative impact on the world of outdoor advertising. As a whole outdoor advertising should be used as a positive and productive tool which Transport Media try hard to promote and enforce. Transport Media are appalled that only a small percentage of OAA members where consulted on the decision to run with this hard hitting campaign. The OAA has a responsibility to ALL its members and Transport Media feel that not only has it misrepresented and unfairly judged working mothers all over the country, it is not promoting outdoor advertising to be as effective as it could and should be! We are now in the year 2010 and if women choose to have a career as well as raise children they should be able to do so, and not be judged or made to feel guilty by bully boy tactics. Transport Media do not agree or condone any of this advertising campaign and have made a final decision to pull out!
The OAA have confirmed in previous statements that the ads will now be removed – although, as shown, it seems only a small effort has been made to remove part of the advertising.
Let’s hope they can get the wheels in motion for other reputable members to move in the same direction and boycott these narrow minded people who call themselves the outdoor advertising agency.