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Media messages must be sensitive to the realities of life

22 Aug 2005 15:0538 commentsBizLike
The new Joko Tea ad is ill-conceived, condescending and trivialises the lifestyle of the working class.
Several things disturb me about the new Joko Tea ad. It shows a hefty black woman bopping her behind while sweeping an entire airplane hangar. The pay-off line tells us that she has just enjoyed a cup of Joko tea.

While trying to extol the refreshment virtues of Joko Tea, this ad trivialises the daily slog and toil that the majority of South Africa's citizens have to endure just to put bread on the table. I accept that the creatives have used hyperbole as a tool, but to think that a measly cup of tea will brighten their day is both condescending and ridiculous.

Adding insult to injury, the music over the pay-off line is 'Ain't no mountain high enough..' as we get a view of the mammoth task that still lies ahead.

The stereotypical view of the overweight jolly black 'Mama' with a big behind is one that bears mention only in passing, but which - in the spirit of transformation and diversity - is one that also should not be ignored.
 
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Jim
Ho-hum-
It's called reality. Fact is, many people who sweep floors these days just happen to be black women. Now before you go and call me a racist/sexist, think about it for a moment. This is the reality on the ground. Are you suggesting advertisers show something else?

Also, you just pointed out that the creative team is using hyperbole to sell the idea, and then you go on to say that this is wrong. Since when was hyperbole in advertising wrong?

Please, stop wasting peoples' time with your baseless and hyperbolic reaction to an otherwise harmless ad.

Laugh a little. Crack a smile. You never know, you might like it. Posted on 23 Aug 2005 16:06
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misTy
what the...?-

are people really that ignorant to think that its okay to have a black lady as old as the one in the ad moving her bottom like that?

i dont quite understand what the objective of the ad is, but it sure as hell aint cute.

to the team that worked on the joko ad ---) leave the booty hoppin' to beyonce. Posted on 24 Aug 2005 16:13
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Ak
Stupid-
Have any of you had house keepers before? Did you say it was wrong when they sang passionately while washing the dishes or even cleaning the house. Not only housekeepers, my mother, my grandmother, and even me. I dance while i do most house chores. Is it wrong. As a proudly black person I relate to the ad completely, and I think it was very put together and because mama in the ad had her cuppa, there is definitely no mountain high enough.
About the bum shaking - for heaven's sake, black women have big bottoms. Accept it, love it and be glad that SA is finally producing ads that relate to black people and real situations.

I'm out Posted on 14 Sep 2005 08:46
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joey
can we take a chill pill-
i agree with ak i think it is, in black culture it is a vulgur graphic to show a lady of that age booty shaking. other than that i think we need to have the ability to laugh at ourselfs and stop being so sensetive and politically correct - being creative in this country is like walking on egg shells - remember happy sindane and dulux.can we just not enjoy our cultures and differences. Posted on 20 Sep 2005 17:54
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M
Fancy a cuppa?-
Never underestimate the rejuvenating powers of a cuppa.

The British managed to build an entire empire fuelled by it.

Although I agree, a big fat white woman would have been much funnier . . . Posted on 23 Aug 2005 17:25
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AJ
hmmph-
I have not seen the advert but from what I’ve heard, I really hope that it is part of a national, and multi-racial campaign. When identifying a target market, racial groups have to be one of the top considerations in our current generation. A quality product which is available in every racial group, and inexpensive, appeals to a national market (everyone). Joko tea can be found in townships across our land, as well as in the largest houses in the most pretentious suburbs.

Getting back to my point, if Joko wanted a further-reaching campaign, there would be a separate ad with a white woman trying to get her kids through a school day (waking them, dressing them, fetching them, trying to bath them) and a man trying to complete a day of work in the corporate environment (fighting traffic, fighting paperwork, fighting traffic). All of these adverts would work together to show that Joko is a truly national brand.

I am sick of adverts that try so hard to cross socio-racial boundaries by airing a single advert that involves an equal amount of black and white actors in a contrived environment. It just seems so transparent that the company is trying to save money by airing one advert instead of a proper advertising campaign. A good campaign, once completely viewed, is infinitely more effective than a sloppy attempt to reach everyone at one time. Well done Joko for not trying to squash all of the cultures in South Africa into a single, tea-drinking room at one time, but bad bad if that ad is all on its own. Posted on 23 Aug 2005 23:20
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Take it for what it is-
It's a funny ad. That's it. No need to look for reasons why it's "offensive". Posted on 25 Aug 2005 15:49
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CR
Agree - it's hilarious-
This ad is pretty funny. While I understand that we need to be sensitive to certain issues, the fact remains that many black women work at domestics. The sad thing about this whole discussion is that it just highlights how we've forgotten to laugh about things. We've become angry, depressed, always-wanting-to-pick-a-fight bunch of people. C'mon - laugh a little. I dare ya! Posted on 8 Sep 2005 16:45
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Young Blood
you're right, it's hillarious!-
Just like making ads where we see white folk being hijacked, their kids being raped, their jewellery stolen at gunponi, shot point blank or their kids being kidnapped muerdered 'cause they go to rich schools. Are you still laughing? Didn't think so. Posted on 13 Sep 2005 19:23
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kaf...r
reality? don't you just love it, hilary?-
You must really love the fact that this reality has nothing to do with you and all the others...
Young Blood said it so well :
How about making ads where we see white folk being hijacked, their kids being raped, their jewellery stolen at gunpoint, shot point blank or their kids being kidnapped and murdered 'cause they go to rich schools. Are you still laughing? You should, it's the reality you love so dearly. Are you still laughing? Didn't think so. Posted on 17 Jun 2006 18:13
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cage
!!!!!!!-
What if that's the way it is???? Vele, if Joko will make you move the "mountains", so be it.....she's a domestic and as far as I'm concerned knowing the background of her profession, they do that for sure, It's reality. And if it doesn't sit well with you, you're not the target market! Don't expect every Media to be aimed at you, we're all different. Clearly you don't understand the concept of "Target Market", and that too doesn't mean the AD was aimed only at Domestics...what field are you in anyway??? You leave less than nothing to the imagination!!! Posted on 26 Aug 2005 12:03
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Cage...-
Which comment was !!!!! referring to? Posted on 26 Aug 2005 12:52
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cage which comment are you refering to?-
cage which comment are you refering to? Posted on 26 Aug 2005 12:58
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cage
aint no mind that's dumb enuff!!-
aint no mind that's dumb enuff!! Go figure!! Posted on 26 Aug 2005 13:36
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cage...again!
mmh...Laugh a little. Crack a smile. You never know, you might like it. -
Clearly no one read the other comments, y pick on mine!! Laugh a little. Crack a smile. You never know, you might like it. IT'S LIKE THAT, AND THAT'S THE WAY IT IS!!! Or maybe it's plain black humour!! Not everyone understands that! Posted on 26 Aug 2005 13:43
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Cage I think I like You-
I think I like you Posted on 26 Aug 2005 15:04
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Jim
Right on-
"Laugh a little. Crack a smile. You never know, you might like it."

hehe, feel free to quote me any time. Posted on 28 Aug 2005 12:55
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Young Cat
crap crap crap crap ad-
ignorant people will and do find it funny. discerning people find it disrecptful, condescending and lacking any creative thought. funny how it came from an agency that boasts about winning awards. The thing white folk don't understand is that black people don't enjoy doing these menial jobs, what's next, a "garden boy (yes, they still call him that)" cultivating a whole farm and doing the "Pantsula" just 'cause he had some crappy ass tea! The reason it's funny is because white folk love seeing black people in this way, poor and working their knuckles off for peanuts - after all, we are monkeys in their eyes and monkeys love being rewarded peanuts for their hard work! Cuff this ishh! Ignorant folk make me sck!!! Posted on 13 Sep 2005 19:09
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cage
rea-a-a-a-a-aalllllllly????-
Posted on 29 Aug 2005 20:45
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cera
to be or not to be-
... a ad targeted for the people that are in a job where they will get thirsty... i like this ad because there is humour and is oviously got some attention. i work and i tell you what that cup of tea in the mornings work... and thats pretty much what they want you to think.Product is only as good as it's own advertising, but this ad is unfortunately not my cup of tea... Posted on 13 Sep 2005 09:27
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Van Zyl Basson
Joko advert-
I think it sucks very bad taste Posted on 1 Sep 2005 21:12
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Care To Elaborate?-
How can you say that when you can't give reasons for your opinion? Posted on 2 Sep 2005 15:48
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Fantastic!!!!!-
I think this is one of the most brilliant adverts in ages! Thank you for a great advert and making me smile every time I see it. Posted on 13 Sep 2006 08:46
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sd
Brilliant!!!-
I think the ad is absolutely brilliant!!!! Posted on 13 Sep 2006 09:39
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the ad is sensitive-
i have seen this ad a couple of times and i see the humour but can't bring myself to laugh at the ad. There is something about it that says the advertisers were trying too hard to depict the 'struggling black woman' in a light hearted way but it just doesn't go down. Yes, i'm black and maybe its just that, that brings me to not like the ad but for me it lacks relevant research( be it marketing or sitting down and actually talking to people), advertisers claim to have analyzed the black market but i think some or most of the time they fail dismally to crack into this market! Posted on 9 Sep 2005 14:34
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Gatvol
Get a life-
I dont care if that woman is black or white, but the way she hakes her ass is pretty funny. Stop making everything about colour and u might start loosening up a little. R u angry about the black people being associated with an honest living's work. Being a domestic is not such a sin is it. Sensitive my ass. We already do enough tiptoeing, black/white people, so as not to offend one another so I say laugh a little. Posted on 13 Sep 2005 14:04
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young cat
loosten up-
how about we do an ad about these white trash folk that keep begging me for money on every william nicol intersection corner in my ride. And in tirn i spit at them and thge title comes up on the screen: Where were you white trash when apartheid was the order of the day. And the white trash woman replies by dancing her toosh off. Soor, white folk ain't got any to shake. Funny how 'yall are quick to point poor "happy" black folk and you ignore your own. Typical of you guys. YES, YOU IGNORANT GUYS. Posted on 13 Sep 2005 19:16
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TYPICAL!!-
That is just so typical. "You people" = white people. So we aren't all one people? It's so obvious, if you black people see us whites as being different, that's not our problem it's yours and South Africa will never move forward. This could've been such a fun, sweet ad, and now you people have ruined it for all of us. PLEASE GET OVER YOURSELVES - you are not owed anything, make your own destiny! When will you get it??? Posted on 14 Sep 2005 09:40
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Young One
Typical hey...-
...just wait 'till Mandela dies buddy. Then you'll see how typical darkies can be. Zimbabwe's land evictions will look like a fairytale story compared to what we'll do. Posted on 14 Sep 2005 10:35
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Yeah-
Now that's a scary thought Posted on 14 Sep 2005 11:14
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OOOH I'M SCARED!-
OOH I'm scared, please threaten us more. No wonder we love you so much. Posted on 14 Sep 2005 11:15
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Young One/Cat/Whatever...-
You're an obvious racist. Please leave our country. Posted on 14 Sep 2005 12:09
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Ak
Getting out of hand-
Stupid
Have any of you had house keepers before? Did you say it was wrong when they sang passionately while washing the dishes or even cleaning the house. Not only housekeepers, my mother, my grandmother, and even me. I dance while i do most house chores. Is it wrong. As a proudly black person I relate to the ad completely, and I think it was very put together and because mama in the ad had her cuppa, there is definitely no mountain high enough.
About the bum shaking - for heaven's sake, black women have big bottoms. Accept it, love it and be glad that SA is finally producing ads that relate to black people and real situations.

I'm out Posted on 14 Sep 2005 12:39
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Thank You Ak-
I really appreciate your comment, it gives me hope for our country. You seem to be able to look further than the whole racism issue and enjoy a good ad. And lets face it, white women can't shake their booties like that (I know, cos I'm white)!

Thanks for the optimism! Posted on 14 Sep 2005 13:06
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Older Sista
Young Cat - GET A LIFE and grow up into a big cat-
Because of studiot idiots like yourself this country will never come right. Firstly there are some ads with white beggars, and some movies and some are funny. But thats beside the point of my email.

GET THE APARTHEID CHIP OF YOUR FRIGGIN SHOULDER IDIOT! Right now the young black elite are soaking up all the rewards that the parents should be recieving. Black elders were the one that suffered not you. You can get anything you want today thanks to apartheid. I know apartheid was some bad shit. REALLY BAD, Believe me! But it effected the elders NOT YOU! Your parents or grandparents should be reaping some form of reward. Because of apartheid your future roads are paved with gold. You should thank your lucky stars for apartheid. AND especially someone like you who is going throw apartheid in everyones face. YOU are the reason this country will never come right.

Get over it and fix the apartheid problem - stop harping on about them. Madiba is a great man - he was directly (and in the worst way) affected by apartheid. But look how he handled it. If you want to see the absolute opposite of Madiba LOOK IN THE MIRROR brother! Posted on 6 Jan 2006 13:27
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Gollum
Fuss over nothing-
I think that people are making issues out of nothing. Everyone is living in the passed and if we as the people of SA cannot use situations to illustrate / advertise items, then I think that we have fallen into a very sad state of affairs. Posted on 15 Sep 2005 08:16
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brad's dad
just like the lottery-
I don't really agree with the joko thing, but you have a good point.

The worst most socially irrisponsible advert run is the national lottery. It is blunt, simple and basiclly portrays people (poor people, black people) losing thierselves in fantasy and dreaming all thier poverty away.

They might as well advertise cocaine! I've never seen such a public disgrace, and a prelude to gambling addiction.
It's just another example of the big gorrila's in the zoo taking the small monkeys peanuts away. Posted on 12 Oct 2005 16:31
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Hilary
It's a brilliant ad!-
Can the agency get send me a copy for my sister in New Zealand, it'll make her so homesick. This ad has everything authenticity, affection and absolute resonance with the reality of life in SA Posted on 10 Feb 2006 09:53
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