http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQOpjnEG4GY
Recently, a new (to me) commercial for Special K caught my eye. The commercial shows a number of different women entering a department store called “Rethink Your Jeans.” As they browse the racks looking for jeans to try on, they notice that there aren’t any sizes marked on the labels. A woman who works at the store emerges asking if she can measure a female shopper. As she wraps the measuring tape around the shopper’s waist she remarks “you are radiant.” There’s a shot of women’s feet under the doors in the dressing room exclaiming things like “I’m size strong” and “I like that size!”. Another woman adds, “Not seeing the number is so freeing!”
Simple text is shown on a white background reading “Let’s rethink what defines us” while a woman’s voice says, “To feel amazing, I think that’s what makes a woman beautiful.”
I’ll be honest here. I’m not really a fan of Special K’s products and haven’t purchased any in recent memory. However, I really dig this commercial and its message. It might come off as a little cliche and cheesy but it resonates with me. Apparently the sizes written on clothing labels in certain stores are proportionately smaller than they really are in order to “flatter” the buyers. As someone who will avoid buying jeans one size larger because I don’t want to have to buy that next size up (even if they would be much more comfortable!) I know just how much power that number can hold over our minds. I know that clothes shopping would definitely be a more positive experience if the sizes on the labels were replaced with words like “inspiring” and “strong.”
Intrigued by this commercial, I headed over to Special K’s website to check out exactly what they are doing with it. The campaign is titled “You are so much more than a number.” The campaign message is linked with several different diet plans that you can choose (maintenance, 6 week challenge, get ready for a special event, etc.) to reach whatever your desired goal is. You can input your information and get a plan based on your desired goals, age, weight and activity level.
I selected the “achieve a goal weight” option and read over the meal plan that I was given. Not surprisingly, the plans include eating a lot of Special K products for breakfast and snacks. Lunches and dinners are well-balanced meals with a good ratio of macronutrients. Overall I think the suggestions are decent, although I’d replace the cereal for breakfast and Special K bars with something fresher, less processed.
The meal plan isn’t anything new or groundbreaking, but the campaign itself is pretty awesome and it’s got a lot of people talking. Now if only I could find my favorite jeans in size Radiant…
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