Pity me because my partner thinks so

So it goes like this. In my last entry I referred to the concept that more and more photographers are sending back models (18 years and younger) that have no life experience and that more and more retouches are being called upon to create the “imperfections” required to create the life experience the camera and our audiences can and do detect. My partner in Frida Communication thought I had lost the plot and questioned the principle of imperfection in brand advertising today.

Amazingly, she then went on a mission to discover all things that are contemporary women today, notwithstanding the cover of Love magazine which depicts a wonderfully voluptuous and very real woman. Lots of debate rages around nudity and its impact on our audiences but this particular cover really resonates for me. How wonderful to see a real woman exhibiting her real self in a real world media space.

Back to the partner. Placed in front of me is an article from the Shape magazine in which, under the psychology editorial, Toni Younghusband eludes to the fact that women are driven by the need to be everything to everyone but are endangering their health and damaging their closest relationships.

The whole idea of reassessing priorities is quite an interesting one. “Women often have an over-developed sense of responsibility – the belief that they have to care for it all: work, children, husband, ageing parents.” says Penny Herscher, CEO of a leading Web 2.0 company.

Janice Appelbaun calls it the “picket fence syndrome”. “Women are brought up to believe in the picket fence. But life is constructed in a certain way. You know, two bright and beautiful kids, the prefect husband, the top job, a dog and a cat, a house with a picket fence... so we spend our lives trying to create that perfect world. Only life isn’t perfect and when we can’t quite get that picket fence to stand up as straight as our neighbours we beat ourselves up about it” she says.

So the question is: how are brands dealing within this space? Where women are under pressure, where women require support and brand commitment - after all, these are predominately in most FMCG brand lives, their primary consumer. Not sure as an industry that we are taking enough cognisance of the fact that one of our primary audiences are exceptionally stressed, under huge duress and who would really appreciate a brand that understands and is cognisant of their lives today.

So imperfection is all about an understanding of our target audience, their lives, their frustrations and their complexities. Or, as important, if we are to communicate to the level which most brands wish to with these women.

A number of brands are already addressing this space and are surely benefitting from these insights, but back to my partner, who now clearly understands and more importantly clearly believes that imperfection in fashion and in branding is now highly contemporary. More specifically, the more we understand the lives of our consumers the more we are going to understand how our brands fit into their lives. Stressed, imperfect and what? How does the brand you are working on touch the audience you are aiming at?

Creativity is important and over achingly makes the difference between being noticed and or being under the radar. However, creativity with insight can really transform a brand into relevance which provides the originality and ultimately the impact that as an industry we are employed to provide.

Imperfection could be, and I pose a question, the cutting-edge creative idea that as an industry we really need and want.

A note from the author, Mike Frampton.

Wow. What a response. It seems a blog of this nature is really important to our industry and to all those brands and clients who respond to alternative and different thinking.

In my personal opinion, I believe that the time has come for the new, the changed and everything we haven’t seen before but will ultimately influence and change our industry. I would like to know all of the things that individuals and companies within our industry are innovating, what they believe in and how they are contributing to fundamental brand growth.

This is an invitation to all of you out there that have something distinctive and different to share with the world. This is a platform for you to communicate and advertise to a new marketer what you have to offer that is distinctive and fundamentally different. Bring it on.

This is a platform equally for you to agree and or disagree and or contribute to what should be fundamental to the industry in developing all that is new and all that is change.