(no subject)
I was so uncomfortable with the ad that I tried to have it pulled from the Starbucks I visit. I was successful in doing this, but in order to increase my chance of success, I interviewed several people about their opinions on the ad so that I could make a strong case to the managment. Many of the women I interviewed told me that the ad made them more uncomfortable with their bodies and made them question yet again if they were thin enough. One woman said the ad made her feel quilty for ordering a regular latte. Another woman I talked to said that the ad inspired her to start "the skinny latte diet." Everyday for breakfast and lunch she had a skinny latte. Obviously this extreme dieting practice is unhealthy. This type of diet can seriously impact the physical and emotional health of women. People come in all shapes and sizes and like other negative media images this ad just encourages women to become thinner. Our society already puts enormous pressure on women to be thin. Many of the women I interviewed also went to Starbucks to escape the world for awhile. Starbucks is seen as a peaceful place by many and this ad made many people uncomfortable. I think that Starbucks need to be more careful about the wording of their ads in the future because they are so popular and and because of that popularity their ads can strongly affect people. I interviewed the manager of the Starbucks I visit and he said that the skinny latte drink sales went way down as soon as the promotion started. He apolagized to me and pulled the ad from the store. The manager said that several people complained everyday. Although I don't think Starbucks intended to make women feel bad about their bodies and cause such controversy, but it did. I think in the future Starbucks will use better judgment when making their ads. I hope that this was a lesson for them.