Virgin Money

**Percy** · 10th-January-2012

Virgin Money is a company that sells Insurance products in Australia.

Recently they have been running advertisments for Life and Funeral insurances which portray men as incompetent and having to be 'instructed' by the wife.

I sent this email today.

Perhaps some others might like to send something.

( I cannot find the ads on my computor as yet).

Dear Sirs/Madams,

I have seen several of your adverts on the TV in Tasmania recently. I am dismayed and offended by their portrayal of men as useless.

Just what commercial benefit do you think you can derive from insulting 50% of your potential consumers?

Portraying men as incompetent and fearful of difficulty, and advised, cajoled and instructed by their wives, is lazy and uncreative.

It is sexist and misandric.

The ‘brains’ behind this sort of ‘humour’ need to be fired from your advertising teams and the advertising Manager needs to lead them out of the door.

I am heartily sick and tired of this sort of portrayal. You may think you are attracting the ‘savvy’, Executive, feminist woman with this sort of thing but any of them with an iota of intelligence will see your ads as just as insulting to them. Do you really think that smart women chose incompetent men as husbands?

Ask your wife.

Please respond to this email with something sensible and be assured that at least six websites will be carrying threads with this email and your response. My one post will lose you at least one thousand potential customers unless you have something considerate to say, and you may just yet be able to save yourselves from shooting yourselves in the foot.

Yours Sincerely,

**Bigger Brother** · 10th-January-2012

Yes, I've seen them on Melbourne TV and just groaned at the stereotypical sexism in the two or three versions that portray the women as the only ones who know anything about insurance. Makes you wonder how 12 men ever managed to get to the moon and back without women being on board.

On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by a Selleys TV commercial that shows a guy waiting for his wife to get ready for a night out. She steps out of the bedroom and decides that she doesn't like the dress she's wearing so goes to change it. He says, "I'll fix the wall then" and takes to the task with a Selleys product. Wife eventually reappears, "Oh, I've forgotten my earrings!" to which he responds, "I'll paint the wall then." The ad shows the wife as indecisive and forgetful, and him as patient and resourceful. Such a pleasant change from the norm! How long before it's banned for 'denigrating women'??

There is also another delightful Selleys ad showing Dad (yes, DAD!) glueing together a toddler's broken toy, much to the youngster's amusement.

Positive portrayals of men! Hey, it might even catch on!

**Percy** · 10th-January-2012

Good to hear of the positivity BB.

I have a reply from Virgin from an in-house virgin.

Hi (me) (nearly got my name right, but no cigar),

Thank you for your recent contact.

Here at Virgin, we take all feedback seriously so I have passed
your email onto the relevant department

If you would like any more information, please do not
hesitate to contact ourc ustomer care team on 13 61 62
between the hours of 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
Eastern Standard Time.

Kind regards,

Melissa Hindson
Administration
Virgin Life Insurance
Reply Paid 72
Carlton South, VIC, 3053

t 13 61 62
f 1800 731 122
e expert@virginlifeinsurance.com.au
w virginmoney.com.au/life-insurance

**PokemonMasterTrainer** · 12th-January-2012

Is this one of the ads?

Richard Branson must be drowning in cash from all the Virgin companies.

**Percy** · 12th-January-2012

Yes that was one I saw a while ago.

Now there is another showing the man to be even more incompetent.

**Marx** · 12th-January-2012

Quote from PokemonMasterTrainer

The woman sounds like she's promote 'laugh insurance'.

**Percy** · 26th-April-2012

They still haven't taken notice.

Tonight, after several of their ads interrupted Star Trek (TNG) I phoned their number and made a complaint.

The chap on the 'after hours' line agreed with me and expressed very similar views to us here.

He will pass the message up the chain (no doubt the chain that flushes the bog) and in the meantime, afer we had a chat, check out Antimisandry.Com