Pardon the crankypants but…
October 7th, 2005
… if I have to watch that Glade air freshener commercial one more time, I am going to scream. Do you know the one I am talking about?
There is a deliberately decrepit old lady on a fake show, ‘Crochet Today’ and she makes a crocheted bunny cover for an air freshener.
I am not even a crocheter and I find it to be extremely insulting and not funny at all. It seems like a bad marketing strategy since who is their ad targeting? Who buys the majority of air fresheners? Women!
Do they not realize how popular knitting and crocheting is right now?
October 8th, 2005 at 9:39 am
I agree! We should bombard them with emails. Yesterday when someone realized I was a knitter, they said “But old ladies and grandmothers knit!” That’s when I realized that not only do I have to try and change the stereotype of being a librarian, I have to change the stereotype of being and knitter! Gah!
October 8th, 2005 at 10:47 am
Oh my goodness – I completely agree. That is the worst. I watch that ad and I think of all the ad agency people I know. That ad was most likely concieved by men and pitched to men and put together by men. (Not that men are bad – that’s just how it is in advertising a lot of the time.) There probably weren’t any trend concious women involved saying “hey – this is like, the OPPOSITE of what is funny to a lot of women these days.” ah well…
October 8th, 2005 at 11:40 am
I actually tried to be fair to the commercial for awhile. I really hated it, but would play devil’s advocate with myself. “Maybe it’s supposed to take place in the 70s when lots of crocheted things were ugly and they didn’t know that crochet is pretty awesome (I do both, and I’m pretty awesome, so heh)”? But yeah, I couldn’t talk myself into liking it. It’s ignorant and stupid, and makes my pants cranky.
October 8th, 2005 at 12:08 pm
I agree 110%! This commercial drives me nuts, although I must say, not as much as the Burger King ads for the meatwich and the creepy king in the forest with the lumberjack. Anyway.
October 8th, 2005 at 4:00 pm
It reminds me of when my mom would make the crocheted tp holders and even crocheted tabasco holders…complete with with sombrero and poncho. I haven’t seen it enough to be annoyed. Watching network television is evil.
October 9th, 2005 at 10:17 am
We are so past the era of crocheted/knitted toilet paper holders and kleenex box holders. Not that they don’t deserve their place in the annals of craft history (see Stitchy McYarnpants’ compendium: http://yarnpants.blogspot.com/2004/12/museum-of-kitschy-stitches-vol-iv-very.html)
But, yeah, I agree, the stereotype of old ladies crocheting and knitting does not match with what I’m seeing all around the place and in the yarn shops I visit or in my SnB group. So, you go, Frecklegirl! You can let the company know they are alienating customers big time!
October 9th, 2005 at 11:59 am
I agree, I learned how to knit and crochet by my aunt, who was an old woman, and she was much cooler than the image they are trying to portray. I say, leave the ad alone, so they loose money for their bad marketing by all likeminded women not bying their product. Old people rock!
October 9th, 2005 at 7:18 pm
oh, that commercial really burns me up, too. crochet, even kitschy or gaudy crochet, takes talent and skill. frankly, the “crochet today” sign behind her head is really ornate and probably took ages to make. i just think it’s a lousy marketing idea.
loved your mini sweater post!
October 10th, 2005 at 2:07 am
I feel the same way! This just serves to perpetuate the myth about crochet (and knitting) being a really hokey hobby that old ladies do with cheap ugly yarn. I am a knitter/crocheter and I am offended!
October 11th, 2005 at 9:13 am
Knitters rule! And crocheters! Glade Sucks.
October 11th, 2005 at 4:01 pm
I can’t reemmber how I felt about that commercial when I saw it. I’ve only seen it once or twice. HOWEVER, I am TOTALLY with Wenders. That Buger King Guy CREEPS ME OUT!
October 17th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
Oh come on!!!
I LOVE THAT COMMERCIAL!!!
I’m searching RIGHT NOW for that littl bunny air freshener cover!! Think it would be a good joke for my knitting and crocheting group!! Yes I agree that everyone thinks it’s an old people craft, but I can HAPPILY laugh at that commercial!!
Brandy
February 1st, 2006 at 3:21 pm
I was just reading through all the interesting comments about Glade’s crochet commericial. I actually work for Dial and if someone has an interesting crochet idea for the Renuzit Adjustables, I can ask to have the directions posted on renuzit.com to share with other crafters. I think they have quite a few craft ideas on their website but no crochet stuff. Happy to do it!