The Responsible Marketing Blog

Would you like someone that makes “tasteless jokes about sex, AIDS, religion and bodily functions, purposely offending just about every group of people you could name” to represent your product?

How about a character that have “been criticized for everything from anti-Semitism and sexism to homophobia and overall disgustingness?”

Sounds like Archie Bunker, the bombastic bigot and lead character of the hit 70’s television show All in the Family to me.

Of course, no respectable company would have hired Carroll O’Connor to pitch their product in character. Who’d want to align themselves with someone like that?

Well, the language above, although fitting, wasn’t used to describe Bunker. It’s from an article in the NY Times today entitled Crude? So What? These Characters Still Find Work in Ads and it’s about the characters of the Fox television series “Family Guy.”

The “Family Guy” characters haven’t been licensed by second tier advertisers or to pitch fringe products. No. The “Family Guy” characters are now being used by White Castle, Subway and Coke.

Although the video above is tame (and the good guy wins), the fact is, Stewie is a diabolical infant bent on world domination—with a foul mouth.

Stewie (to one of the prostitutes at Cleveland’s house):

So, is there any tread left on the tires? Or at this point would it be like throwing a hot dog down a hallway?

Okay, funny, but that would have made Archie Bunker blush.

Ira Mayer, president and publisher at The Licensing Letter, says it “goes with the times,” and “edginess is acceptable,” since girls are wearing suggestive shirts “that 10 years ago girls never would have worn.”

Those were the days.

It’s a Responsible Marketing conundrum: You have to push it to break through, but how far is too far?

What do you think?

Comment below to weigh in.

. . .

Here’s a video of Archie waxing philosophic. Take a gander. You’ll be shocked how relevant his rant is to some of the challenges we are facing as a country—in the world—today.

Tags: Archie Bunker, Coca-Cola, Coke, Family Guy, NY Times, Stewie, Stuart Elliott, Subway, White Castle

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 at 7:00 am and is filed under branding, message responsible, responsible or not?, socially responsible, videos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.