Earlier in the year, we highlighted a controversial ad for Deckadance DJ software, and asked for your thoughts on it.
The ad, shown above, is dominated by a large image of a woman’s rear, with second woman swooning in minimal bathing attire under the first woman’s crotch.
The post, and the ad, inspired a lot of comments:
- Unless the females in the industry unite and complain against this, you can expect more from them since they’ll most likely see a sales increase from all the horny males. – Bluebrat
- I clipped the image from your site and used it as my desktop wallpaper. Maybe I’ll photo-shop out the Deckadance logo. – umourman
- I’m a girl and I was not offended at all by this. Girls who are offended by it are, in my opinion, a bit ridiculous. Advertisements are for selling things. – Kalilamae
- It is true that sex sells, but to throw two half naked women onto an ad rather than show off their product makes me skeptical about the quality of what they’re selling. – Trinisa
- What century do we live in? you would have to be blind to say this ad is not offensive. it portrays these women as sex objects and not people. it also reinforces many stereotypes that our society has about women. wow…all I can say is grow up, stop living in the dark ages, and learn to value women for more than their looks. – will
- Using this picture to sell anything other than bathing suits or some high price / low class resort is just puerile and lame. – Jake
- When your first foray into the world of DJ software fails miserably, ou need some ass to sell the product. Seriously this is the most unfinished piece of crap software I have ever tried to use. Not for pro-djs stay away from decadance! – Yo
- If i was a dad i wouldnt want my young kids looking at this, it’s porn. – spikypunker
- As a female and a DJ I find such advertising alienating. And it might not have anything to do with my sex/gender: I too think that since the actual product is nowhere to be seen, it must be rubbish. – Zt
Image Line has recognized the controversy, and has now apologized for the advertisement.
“With all respect but the girls are an eye catcher (that obviously worked) for the screenshot and features that are below, ” says Image Line’s Jean-Marie Cannie. “If anyone feels offended, I’ll hereby apologize but we have limited budgets and as these ads cost a fortune … we want them to be seen.”
Cannie also took us to task for cropping the image in our original post, so we’ve posted the full advertisement above.
I’m not sure if that really qualifies as an apology. When you end you apology with “but,” it doesn’t come of as very sincere. Basically, he’s saying “that’s too bad you were offended, but we spent lots of money and it’s too late now.”
So rather than address the issue, they’re going to 1. continue to offend more people as the ad continues to run, and 2. further offend the people who were initially offended, thus ensuring that these people will never be customers.
first off, you guys cropped the original image.
total misrep there.
second, they gave an apology describing WHY they did what they did. good enough.
if you go to a club where dj’ed music is being played, you will see much worse than these ads.
Lighten up.
If the models in the ad didn’t want to be seen as sex objects, they would have turned down the session for something less sexy. Since they took the job and were paid well for it (because models aren’t cheap), who exactly is being exploited here?
Why does it offend people? What’s wrong with skin? We can show people’s guts falling from their stomachs due to a misguided bomb on primetime news, but a little skin on a DJ advert is unacceptable. It clearly serves its function. Is Hooters evil? How about a Chippendale’s billboard? I know…lets only show people dressed for a Russian winter.
Jason – how the ad was cropped doesn’t have anything to do with whether or not it’s offensive. Nobody’s going to get offended by an application screen shot – but a full-page of a girl butt in a thong is a different story.
At the very least, they could have used a photograph of one of the many hot female DJs doing her thing. Then the image would at least have something to do with the ad.
But that would have required some effort on Deckadance’s part.
They mention the cost of the ad, so most likely the models are stock-photography, which looks to be the case.
And people need to stop bitching. Sex sells, it’s a sexist world and men prevail. Like it or not, the sales & purchases will always continue to support this kind of thing in advertising. Remember all the X10 Banners from a few years ago? That was a highly successful campaign for that company.
Using sex to sell a product is merely an attempt to get the attention of the lowest common denominator. Furthermore, if you are going to use ass to sell something, photograph someone who is more likely to hook up with the guy who’s going to buy the product. If you are going to present an illusion, make it more realistic. They look like pornstars. Use a girl who actually works for Image Line next time. Yeah.
Actually this was the original ad :
http://forum.image-line.com/files/deckadance_194.jpg
… so technically we had a guy in there as well.
>most likely the models are stock-photography
A friend of mine (www.frankdemulder.com, don’t go there) is a
Photographer for Che & Playboy was going to do the pictures.
The original idea was to have two girls kissing in a couple of
different poses over a laptop, driving by a ‘Traktor’ in a
convertible, … but this would have set us back €5000 for
each of the pictures, which is why he suggested using one of
the pictures he already had.
Anyway. If you keep this ad in the media like this we might
get the budgets to realize the original ideas.
Jean – looks like you’ve got your money’s worth out of this ad.
MikeD on Sep 13th, 2008 said:
“Using sex to sell a product is merely an attempt to get the attention of the lowest common denominator. Furthermore, if you are going to use ass to sell something, photograph someone who is more likely to hook up with the guy who’s going to buy the product. If you are going to present an illusion, make it more realistic. They look like pornstars. Use a girl who actually works for Image Line next time. Yeah.”
Obviously MikeD has no idea who I am or what my girlfriend looks like. Check it MikeD, it may be an illusion in YOUR world… but not mine son! Not mine! lol
Women are trash.
Thus, the cranky pants.
Jonathan is right, all you prudes have obviously never set foor in a club once. Go Jean-Marie, I think it’s a classy ad. Too bad you couldn’t do the original concept though!
yes, definitely prudes. Please don't step foot in a dirty club because there are scantily clad women (om my god!!!!) and Drugs(Oh no, would mommy approve??). The ad worked, It got your attention and we are discussing it. You just proved that this type of marketing works amazingly.
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Almost made it to 50 weeks and this sucker won't die. DIE! DIE! WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!
BTW Happy Halloween.