On the surface of it, you would be forgiven for assuming that I am 100% supportive of this campaign. It is very pro-gay and is bound to ruffle a few feathers. Whilst I support the notion in principle, I do have some doubts.
The Italian Prime Minister (and newspaper owner no less - I bet that is a well-balanced newspaper with no political allegiance :-P) Silvio Berlusconi, has accused Ikea of trying to be provocative. I am going to play devil’s advocate here and say I can almost see his point. In order for this campaign to work, it must run alongside other families to stress the point that Ikea is open to ALL families. This, in my opinion, would be a brilliant and bold statement for the company to make. If the campaign only features a gay couple then I have to, at least partially, agree that Ikea is being provocative to simply garner more attention and column inches. Not running it alongside other families would highlight us as being different even further. All of which is ‘off the back’ of gay people like we are a marketing product.
It is not the first time that the marketing of Ikea has come under scrutiny. In 2008, Polish Catholics got extremely uptight about a campaign showing a gay couple shopping for dining tables. They claimed the advert was ‘promoting’ homosexuality. Note the use of the word promoting, again, like we are a marketing tool. It can certainly be said that Ikea is generating more negative attitudes from the crowds that need no extra ammo. Do we really need that sort of extra attention?
Despite those doubts, I find I’m in two minds. Part of me really appreciates Ikea’s acceptance of gay people and its classification of us as families. One way or another, it is another step forward in equality, providing it is equal of course. The whole point about equality is that we are treated like any other person would be and this should be applicable everywhere. That means rather than pushing a campaign that has a gay couple as the sole icon, a diverse cultural mix is needed. It certainly doesn’t help that the end-user of these campaigns, those to whom it is marketed, are also claiming that it is being provocative. If they were to have a diverse range of ‘families’ they would be covering themselves, strengthen their campaign and shooting those criticisms down in flames.
Ultimately, whether a marketing tool or not, it is about time that all couples were accepted as families and should be portrayed in the media (including marketing) accordingly. If this so happens to cause a little controversy along the way then who am I to criticise? Those who are offended by this sort of imagery ought to take a step back and take a long hard look at where that feeling of offence and negativity comes from. Perhaps they should also consider the possibility that being offended, and treating others with such hatred, means that they lack the ability to move with the times. Everyone, with no exceptions, should have the ability to question their own opinions from time to time.
Sometimes they may just find the opinion they have been clinging to for so long will need to change. If they can’t alter their opinion about anything then we have no chance of making this world a better place. If the people over at Ikea are going to be amongst those at the front of the campaign to challenge out-dated opinion I raise a glass to them. I may even consider shopping there.
Thinking further on it, I actually hope Ikea go full steam ahead and put this marketing campaign in the UK too. My suggestion would be to put a billboard size version of the poster in the East End of London… right near Tower Hamlets perhaps…
Thanks for reading x
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