A Different Type of Ad Campaign
- by November 7, 2000
Charming Shoppes, Inc. Chairman and CEO Dorrit Bern explains why they shunned feel-good statements and eliminated product shots, opting instead for an aggressive social message. "We want readers to stop and take notice," Bern says.
"Readers will be bombarded with election ads in the next few months," Bern continues. "We wanted to stand apart. There is no mention of any candidate, just the reality of our society right now. Over 13 million children living in poverty, 12 million children uninsured, 14 million children going to bed hungry and the list goes on. We can change those statistics by showing our strength at the polls."
"Voting doesn't cost anything and takes very little time. These children are fellow citizens, our neighbors or even family. We have the power to change their future and we wanted the readers to know it can all start with a vote," emphasizes Bern.
Bern began reaching out to the community after receiving hundreds of letters from customers voicing their concerns about everyday issues that affect their families, such as education, healthcare and gun violence. Bern wanted the Company to raise the bar in regards to social consciousness. She began by placing Community Center kiosks in all stores, where information can be obtained about the very issues customers were writing her about.
The Company's emphasis on the power of the vote was a natural next step. "We're telling everyone that they have the power to change the world around them," states Bern. "We don't have to sit idly by and watch how other people's decisions affect our families. Readers need to know just how important their voices are. Let their vote speak for them."
The ads can be seen in the November issues of "Ladies' Home Journal," "Better Homes & Gardens" and "Good Housekeeping," and in the October 23rd issue of "People Magazine" and the November 14th issue of "Family Circle."
