Sex

[Erik]

Another freediving website has decided to use one of the last century's worst ideas: using sex to sell product in advertising.
I have nothing against sex, or nudity, but I have a big problem with the demeaning of anyone to sell anything. Why does someone think that in order to convince me that I should own their product, that there must be a pouting , over-made up woman pretending to be masturbating, for me to buy it?
I am not conservative in the least: I am very liberal, but this topic, to me, is about the bigger picture, in which we have been exposed to millions of images since birth telling us that 1: we need to buy things so as to be attractive and complete as humans, 2: people (especially women) are objects that should be gorgeous, perfect, and horny at all times, 3: that we will not get sex unless we buy the products, 4: that sex is more important than anything (except maybe violence: don't get me started).
Well, I will tell you that in the past, I have bought product from that company, but wil not now....so the advertising did the opposite for me. If that's how they want it, and don't care, then that's fine. I have a wife, a mother, and 2 sisters, and I wont support the macho BS that insults women, and men, too, for that matter. Ironically, that company has kid's sizes too.
There is loads of evidence that this sort of advertising, including violent images, influences us to a great degree. Why do you think billions of dollars are spent every year on advertising.....because it works, that's why. Go ahead and sell me something, but stop appealing to the lizard brain, and distorting it in the process.
The past-time I love just took a small step into the quagmire in my opinion. I hope Deeper Blue does not follow.
Sincerely,
Erik Young

 

[laminar]

Not only is it demeaning, but it's a joke.

I doubt the woman modelling the Freediver t-shirts (and bikini bottom?) is a freediver. Okay, maybe, but for sure she doesn't own a good freediving suit. Can you imagine what her belly ring and long fingernails would do to Yamamoto 45?:waterwork

The same thing happened in Windsurfing Magazine. A couple of issues had women on the cover with no harness, wetsuit, or apparent familiarity with the gear they were holding (or lying on).
Windsurfing readers complained, and as far as I know, they haven't done anything like it since.

This kind of advertising WON'T work on me. Besides, I'd rather have a deeperblue t-shirt.

maybe it's time to make a trip to the Freediver guestbook....


Pete

 

[Amphibious]

As much as I think we need more hottie's in the sport....

They've been doing the same thing with Whitewater kayaking for years. as long as it's done with some humor and in, dare I say it, good taste, I don't have a problem with it, hell most Kayakers/Raft guides are death-defying Nymphomaniacal alcoholics.... I should know ;-)

but freediving is a sport of professionals. advertising should be geared as such.


so what website is this??

Willer

 

[andrsn]

all in taste

i definitely don't mind a kind figure modeling clothing, but that's a little off colour if you ask me.

 

[Cliff Etzel]

Well, Sex Sells....

Howard is none to pleased with our foray into ecommerce - he even requested that neither I nor Stephan post anymore in their guestbook...

Oh well, I guess you gotta pull out the big guns to try and make it when the heat is on...

 

[laminar]

There are plenty of photogenic freedivers in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, (male and female). I do believe the women on the UK team were modelling freediver t-shirts for a while.

At any rate, I think it's in poor taste for the "Official Magazine of AIDA International."


Pete

 

[Erik]

Whew! I thought I might be alone on this one.
I don't mind seeing a nicely shaped person, especially a recognised sports figure modelling the product, but I'm just upset to see this kind of moronic foray into pre-neanderthal "thinking" that is so evident in every other sport. You can't buy a weight training magazine that doesn't have women sticking their fake breasts in your face, even the "natural" mags. I'd like to be able to buy a mag that isn't semi-pornographic. If we want porn, it's just a mouse-click away, yes? I'd also like to think that those that are drawn to freediving can see above this level of marketing.
Cliff and Stephan, good luck and more power to you; I will buy ALL my gear through the DB Shop, even if it costs more. Kind of like the organic food I buy: costs more, but has more heart, grown with pride. It seems to me that Stephan has been pretty honourable in dealings with the other site, providing links and avenues for their writers and photographers. Continue taking the high road, Cliff and Stephan.
Funny that there's such a stand against sambas in competition reportedly because "kids will see it on TV, and imitate", but the masturbating model will help sell "kids sizes".
I really am far from being a prude, as some of you who know me are aware: if there was a naked mermaid mpeg done tastefully, I would not object, but I really believe the line has been crossed here.
Peter, I stopped posting on that site a while back, for other reasons. I did make one post when Doug died.
I think AIDA should speak to this, and where they stand on this sort of thing promoting the gentle sport we love so much.
Hopefully,
Erik Y.

 

[Amphibious]

HAHA - I just found the site!

Maybe she's just itchy....sea lice and all...... :duh

You're right - might be a tad over the top with the undie's


(still wouldn't kick her outa bed for eating crackers....)


Willer

 

[A Brownsword]

You are definitely not alone, Erik. I dislike advertising, marketing, branding, etc in most forms -- especially when bombarded by it. When it is offense to me or the people around me, however, it goes to an all new level.

I don't know the site in question, but it sounds like they let non-freediving advertising types in to handle theirs ads... and that is usually a mistake! I'm all for boycotting them, especially since I've already acquired all the equipment I'm likely going to need -- that makes it easy to not be hypocritical.
:hmm

 

[crazyfrenchmen]

The whole picture...

http://www.freediver.co.uk/ in case you where looking.

Is the problem the chick, or the product itself? Why do i need a freeking t-shirt to freedive? The fact that they choose a horny blond to advertise the t-shirt make perfect sense, you don't need a t-shirt to freedive, so anyone selling you one is selling dream, and that's what the sl*t is all about. It's there for moron that still think they will get some. If, like Erik you are shock, or rather disapointed by this image, it simply mean you are not a moron.

And by the way, remember, no matter how good she looks right now, somebody, somewhere is tired of putting up with her shit (surfersonacid.com).

 

[Jay Styron]

Good job Erik:
I totally agree w/ your comments. It does seem that w/ adds like that were just being lumped in w/ all the other sports that use that tactic. Like you I greatly appreciate a nice female figure but there's a time and place for everything. Along those lines I've noticed in a couple of spearfishing mags/websites theres been articles printed (which were great in themselves). But the accompaning photos were of a totally nude woman spearfishing and then holding up her catch still nude(her not the catch). To me that doesn't have a place in magazines or websites where kids will be reading it. I complain to one mag. and threatened to stop my subscription. The thing that really got me was it was the guys wife in the pictures. Maybe I am a prude but I don't want someone just starting out or thinking about entering this and run across one of these articles. I don't know where the rest of you freedive but apparently where they're diving there isn't any fire coral! Later.
Jay

 

[andrsn]

Originally posted by Amphibious
HAHA - I just found the site!

Maybe she's just itchy....sea lice and all...... :duh
Willer

i love it! she's advertising for sea lice remedies!!! rofl

you know what?! someone needs to get diverchick's opinion on this! now THAT would be interesting!

cheers,
andrsn

 

[scott]

I agree with Erik

Several months ago, I subscribed to Freediver magazine. When I got the first issue, there was a topless woman shown swimming at the Dolphin. I e-mailed Howard and cancelled my subscription (he was kind enough to send me a no-nudity video as compensation).

I have two young sons that I did not want exposed to female nudity (I'm sure their time will come, but I don't need to hasten it)and I did not want to have to hide my freedivng magazine.

Scott

 

[Cliff Etzel]

From the Director/Freediving Editor

To respond to everyone voicing their concerns about whether or not Deeperblue will stoop to the level that a competitor has, let me answer to those concerns.

I think I can speak for Stephan as well as myself when I say that we will strive to maintain the utmost in professionalism and respect for all who are involved in the sport of diving as a whole.

Having worked as a photographer for many years, and in publication, as has been stated, advertising drives sales. I have even been a part of this form of advertising production in my younger years.

But as we step into the 21st century, the question has to be asked - "Why do we need sex to sell a product or service?" (unless sex has a direct bearing on that service)

I have been married for 21 years this August and I have a grown daughter who despises this sort of media. I don't blame her.

There is one thing to show a fit individual wearing a garment in a setting conducive to the ad (an actual freediver wearing a garment, or piece of equipment). It is another when you bring in an anorexic looking model just because she will appeal to the testosterone coursing through a male freedivers body.

Gimme a break.

I could play Devils advocate and ask why they didn't use a muscular Male model for the picture, or use both sexes in the image?

The real issue is I think is that when the chips are down, and you feel the breath of your competitor on the back of your neck, you make a desperate attempt at trying to stay ahead - no matter what the cost.

What a decision like this typically does is destroy any amount of integrity and credibility you may have established in the past.

As for me, being Director of Deeperblue, LLC, I will push to NOT have this kind of advertising be associated with us in any way, shape or form, if at all possible.

We are striving to become the standard by which others will want to emulate.


If you have any concerns, please email them to Stephan or myself and we will try to answer your concerns as best we can.

Thanks for all of your continued support and let's make Deeperblue the best it can be!

 

[crazyfrenchmen]

Different culture

Hi there,
i see a lot of post talking about nudity. Well i think it's ok for parents to decide how they raise their own children in regard of nudity. But one thing for shure, here in France, we see women topless all the time on beach. Would any guy be happy to wear a bra to swim, i dont think so. When the gravity is not there to pull, like in water, bra are useless. Now, for my point, i think it's important not to put topless, nudity, erotica and porno all in the same basket. I guess it's one of the big difference between european and american culture, i know, i'm canadian and i live in France, is that. I'd rather have a topless woman on an add who does not have a sexual double meaning than a peach and a banana add...

 

[cjndiver]

order

Where do I order? Does she come in other colors?

 

[Pekka]

I looked at the photo at the site and thought...heck freediving has lost what it is actually about to me----> peace of mind and selfcontrol.....among other things...that picture was not selling "freediving gear" but something rather different...
I can't help of thinking divechicks article about fredivers who were not interested in the woman but diving while at the site and how she was dissapointed that she couldn't get any action with them divers.....the freediver.uk should have read that article before putting the image on their site...
Thank you Stephan and Cliff, for very educative and professional site...I really should buy you guys a pint....if we ever meet remember this..I'll try thanks

 

[Lynn]

pffff...said the inflatable doll

I'd like to know how many men find that sexy (this type of ad, I mean).
Apparently there have to be a lot for the commercial business abuses the female body and male strength image time on time again; it sells !

Unfortunately there's many people living up to such images: girls and women doing inconceivable things to be slim and sexy, men feeling the need to always play tough-guy for they're afraid of being called a pansy or a sissy...
If only you knew how much the latter gets on my nerves... I'm female but I don't want to be protected by some tough bozo with big muscles and dito reproduction apparel. :vangry I'm not weak. Most women aren't (some just need to be convinced a little).

I find it (the ad) worthless. This is nothing more than just a silly manner to draw attention. I can imagine it shocks some people, but being 1 European and 2 female I'm not particularly impressed with it.

I very much appreciate the decision of the Deeperblue people to stick with the quality ads and not drown their visitors in such junk.

So far for my humble opinion ...


Lynn

 

[Longfins]

the ad works

Given all the posts on this subject, the answer as to why such an advertisement tactic is employed is fairly simple: the ad works. We are talking/discussing/debating about it, aren't we? The ad is in our consciousness and bothering a lot of us, isn't it? That's enough for the post-1980's advertisement objective, which is to obtain 'mind-share' - that is, in a world where we're bombarded with millions of images a year, to get people to think about one ad for one minute means the ad is successful. (The fact that I'm commenting on this means the ad worked on me too.)

The ethics of the image used in that advertisement is almost irrelevant because the 'ideal' of what is beautiful and healthy is determined by very few (warped) people (see 'Fat' on Frontline program on PBS) even though the population in general has matured beyond that. You've got to wonder why we're still eating Mickey D's cardboard burgers when we know its CEO won't go near it.

My suggestion, like anyone confronted with bad TV, is to turn it off / ignore it and do something else.

Just my 2 cents.

Peter S.

 

[thin_air]

"We have art to save ourselves from the truth."
- Friedrich Nietzsche (no, i dont know who he is, but he has a point)

being at a website dedicated to a sport for the mature (or the unlucky/lucky enough to fall into its grasp) the opinions posted here, i would say, reflect those of a lot more modern/intelligent society then the one we actually live in, alot of people, especially guys, go for those kinds of ads,

the ads themselves are very effective, they got all of these people to talk about them in such a short time, they work, thats why companies keep using them, (i cant blame them), if the population was in favor of very fat men (ie sumo wrestlers) we would see those on all of the posters (think about how much lead you would need to sink one of those guys :duh ) the companies use what works for the majority of the population and it seems to them that sex appeal works, although i dont think that all people like them, the average person does.

not being very familiar with art i can still say that there are some naked women in paintings and sculpture that make for a very beautiful peice of work, these women were not exploited they were simply shown in the view of the artist and the artist was skillful enough to show nudity to enhance the beauty of the peice not to make a sex toy/image for the (not so intelligent) male.

the "artist" (if they can be called that) need to review what beauty is, that girl isnt beautiful (well maybe but...) in that picture she is portrade as a sl*t (what an evil word)

if they had taken Tanya Streeter or Mandy-Rae Cruickshank or Audre Mestre they would not have had the same sex appeal (no offence to those women, im just guessing that they have a better taste then that) they would have had to focus on the fact that they are very skilled at freediving and wear those shirts,

jee i got carried away, just my 2+ cents