That Maxxis "babes calendar" article…

I don’t get it…

Clearly. And lots of men still don’t it seems.

It’s pathetic that these kind of calenders are still being produced. Got two daughters aged 6 & 10 and the oldest one has noticed how women are portrayed in the media and in advertising. When the wife and I have discussed with her why this is the case, I’m kind of embarrassed that in this days and age women are still objectified in the way that men aren’t. I want them to grow up in a world where men and women are truly equal but this is so far from the case. The role of women in movies being a case in point and a particular bugbear of mine, where too often women are there just to be eye candy or as someone’s wife/girlfriend. Far too many movies fail the Bechtel test, thankfully many us tv dramas give women at least equal status.

what does this have to do with selling bike tyres?

About as much as ringing bells has to do with dog food.

‘s a conditioned response designed to make you look.
Once they get you to look they’re halfway there.

It’s all about the underlying message. With adverts like this, Maxxis are basically ignoring women except as sexy accessories. It’s the same as the podium girls thing.

Even if you reckon it’s purely aimed at the motoring market, last time I went to the tyre fitters there were as many women there as men. It’s pretty stupid to sideline 50% of your potential market like that.

Is this some sort of sop by the tyre company, ie they know they can’t feature nipples so consider this will be deemed acceptable as the next best thing?

Strikes me that they’re so hard of thinking by not realising this is the 21st century nor realising that there’s some seriously talented females riding bikes who’re winning medals. Nothing like alienating potential customers is there?

I thought it was a case that there was a small percentage of people who actually bothered to buy calendars like the Maxxis one, then at the other end of the spectrum a small percentage of people who were vocal about their dislike of them; most people were in the middle who just roll their eyes at them and then carry on with their day as they were 😕

cumberlanddan – Member
Its not a commercial product. Its a charity calendar, as I understand it.

Obviously Maxxis imagine that the exposure the brand gets is worth the cost of production.

May as well have taken out a full page add in Readers Wives the way some are reacting…

It’s not hard to see why it has angered a woman/some womyn though.

Their passion/hobby; freedom and adrenaline on two wheels out in the woods, where everyone is equal. Something I’m sure plenty of women would enjoy, they should be encouraged to take up the sport. Be nice to think.

But, here’s a calendar full of pictures of naked women, from your favorite tyre manufacturer. “This is what we think of women” – their only place in our sport is to sell tyres to lads/cumberlanddan etc. etc.

OK, but what does this have to do with selling bike tyres? Pushing a bit further, what does this have to do with promoting products and services?

You like looking at the image of nice lady, while she’s wearing ORANGE underwear with ORANGE maxxis logos all over the place and probably near some maxxis products…

Who says the main subject matter in a promotion needs to be just your product nothing else?

Also, it’s maybe not a masterminded example of marketing, and just, you know, a colander with ‘interesting’ images.

@glasgowdan, is that one pointed at me? If so, you’re wrong. I am fully aware of what an emotional sales proposition is and the role of creativity in advertising. Use of boobs to flog tyres it ain’t! If you have an interest in advertising, check this study[/url].

It’s the same mentality that has podium girls at the stage end of bike races, pretty girls draped over cars at motorshows and attractive women holding umbrellas over drivers in pit lanes of motor races. Utterly vile practices, nauseating in their outdatedness. Who is responsible for perpetuating these archaic displays of sexism when they should have died long ago..?

But the counterpoint is, what if Maxxis had printed a companion “Maxxis Hunks” calendar

You’ve posed a factual point against a hypothetical counterpoint. Is it a likely or useful counterpoint? I suggest the answer is “no”.

If anyone can be bothered to look, and I certainly can’t i’m pretty sure you’ll find ‘girls’ branded up in skin tight clothing for any purveyor of goods to the motor industry, not just Maxxis. Pit lanes, podiums, serving drinks etc. I’m pretty sure Maxis don’t deserve to be singled out for it.

EDIT – **** links….
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=continental-girls

There is no mention of bicycle tyres anywhere

I hope this is because their market research has shown that cyclists don’t go for this stuff. Hopefully it is not because the cycling tyres are a tiny part of their business.

The airbrush game is strong and the bios are great:

As well as being a proud Maxxis Babe I do quite a bit of modelling and other promotional stuff, as well working in Top Shop part-time.

ffs

You like looking at the image of nice lady, while she’s wearing ORANGE underwear with ORANGE maxxis logos all over the place and probably near some maxxis products…

Right, so when at the tyre shop, is this going to inspire you to choose Maxxis over Schwalbe?

My argument is not that advertising has to be literal. Far from! UK advertising has a fine history of depicting product benefits in interesting and attractive ways. My point is that Maxxis could do so much more because people have good feelings towards the brand (established through use of their products).

But, here’s a calendar full of pictures of naked women, from your favorite tyre manufacturer. “This is what we think of women” – their only place in our sport is to sell tyres to lads/cumberlanddan etc. etc.

Just because they’ve produced the calendar, doesn’t mean they think – “This is what we think of women” or that they would like anyone else to think that. The only people who seem think that are the people with the issue. Again, we’re not (all) stupid enough to let a naked picture affect how we treat or see women in the real world.

Just because they’ve produced the calendar, doesn’t mean they think – “This is what we think of women”

It does, you know. That’s exactly what it says.

most seem to be missing the point that actually its an example of positive discrimination. If you are a pretty but dim lady you can earn a good wage getting ya mams ooot for marketing. If you were a pretty but thick bloke, you’d be collecting your benefits with the jeremy kyle generation.

see job creation for the otherwise unemployable, its like a modern TOWIE version of a Victorian workhouse.

Here is such calendars in there natural habitat.
I personally prefer dog calendars at home. But have admired the nudey lady variety when visiting factories.
it is what it is.

Junkyard – comes under the Sexual Discrimination Act.
Equal Opportunities Commission’s LINK Page 24 – Its now been updated to include images of men so I take back my comment on the workplace being unfair.

“? Demeaning or sexual images of men and women, for example on calendars,
photos or posters, in public parts of the workplace, or downloading pornographic
material onto computers.

? Using sexually explicit or degrading language, whether or not it is directed at an individual
– even in workplaces where strong language and sexual references are the norm.

? Passing around lewd jokes by email, whether or not they are personally directed at particular individuals.

? Ridiculing or demeaning someone over their personal appearance.

? Demeaning someone by acting on or verbalising stereotypical perceptions about their
race – such as physique, personal appearance, sexual prowess (this could be both sexual
and racial harassment).

? Invading a person’s private life with intrusive personal comments and questions. ”

Again, we’re not (all) stupid enough to let a naked picture affect how we treat or see women in the real world.

Even more reason for it not to exist then.

Right, so when at the tyre shop, is this going to inspire you to choose Maxxis over Schwalbe?

My argument is not that advertising has to be literal. Far from! UK advertising has a fine history of depicting product benefits in interesting and attractive ways. My point is that Maxxis could do so much more because people have good feelings towards the brand (established through use of their products).

probably wouldn’t sway me one way or the other. Come on, this is a novelty item, not a major marketing campaign led advertisement for maxxis tyres.

Again, we’re not (all) stupid enough to let a naked picture affect how we treat or see women in the real world.

🙄

Again, we’re not (all) stupid enough to let a naked picture affect how we treat or see women in the real world.

the point is over this way —> “I want women to feel that mountain biking is an appealing option and not some sort of boys’ club where we have to sneak in through the back door and hope no one notices us. It’s a better sport than that, with better people in it (because many men find this type of marketing off putting as well). And I want brands to make us feel welcome because our money is as good as anyone else’s.”

Come on, this is a novelty item, not a major marketing campaign led advertisement for maxxis tyres.

True, but as others are pointing out (oddly in defence of Maxxis), it is indicative of a wider issue in sports marketing.

I might be off the mark here, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Dirt magazine always seemed to me to reflect the interests of men and women who like biking.

(Awaits someone to prove me wrong!)

doris’s “backdoor” anyone? 😆

Why single out criticism for Maxxis and not Continental, Michelin and more than likely all the rest. At least this calendar is for charity.

This attitude that having a calendar like this somehow says the company doesn’t value women is a strange idea. I think it says more about the holder of the opinion then the company in question.

Ultimately I don’t want to advertise your tyres on my bike while you carry on like this. You make me look stupid. You make me feel stupid.

There are some things in the world which will offend us. The quicker we learn this, the happier we’ll be.

you are welcome to have a sniff of my backdoor any time. but i was just quoting the original article, as linked to in the first post. The one that actually has a women’s point of view, rather than a bunch of blokes telling them what they should or shouldn’t be offended by

The fact of the matter is if Maxxis had got the likes of the Athertons (not rachael), Peaty, et Al topless in the calendar this thread wouldn’t even have started!
Well it might…
But more in the thread of (poncey twunts making us middle aged fat accountants look bad) vein.

And we’re back to the double standards again.

Don’t forget that Pirelli did their famous calendar with the girls having tire treads painted on their bodies.
That was hailed as ground breaking and originals fetch a lot of money.
Still plenty of nipples and mounds to be seen though as they were fully naked back then.

Glad I’ve just brought some Butchers.

I’ll not be buying Maxxis again unless I’m desperate.

Well after that nudie pic of Gee, I’m never buying commencal, shimano, fox or continental again. Disgusting pigs.

The fact of the matter is if Maxxis had got the likes of the Athertons (not rachael), Peaty, et Al topless in the calendar this thread wouldn’t even have started!
Well it might…
But more in the thread of (poncey twunts making us middle aged fat accountants look bad) vein.

And that’s kind of the point: there would have been some relevance to sporting prowess, endeavour and aspiration. A better example would have been Peaty and co. in their kegs. Admittedly that would be kind of funny as a one-off 🙂 , but only because it is not the norm in how men are depicted in sports marketing.

binners – Member

Just because they’ve produced the calendar, doesn’t mean they think – “This is what we think of women”

It does, you know. That’s exactly what it says.[/quote]

Maybe you should email their marketing manager to let them know you think they dont value women enough

Here is her linkedin profile…

cheers hammy for the linkTBH I dont GAS what you think
They are being singled out as they are the only one being discussed I am happy to generalise and say all sexist calendars are sexist. I am not sure why i need to do this but you must think more of me now that i have stated the obvious a d that means the world to me

do you miss the 70’s?

No probs Junkyard.
Anyway – I’ve got dunkers. Digestive anyone?

Junkyard – lazarus

TBH the world would be a better place if we just ignored the egomaniac

or

Junkyard – lazarus

TBH the world would be a better place if we just ignored the egomaniac

I don’t know if i got the quote things right…

Soon we’ll be a cultural wasteland where everybody just talks about the weather as one is afraid to express their views in case of offending someone.

There are some belters on that calendar to be quite honest….i mean, who really cares….men subconsciously check women out all the time and according to my female friends women do it just as much.

Its going to charity, everyone involved in consenting. What really is the problem??

Men look at women.
Women look at men.
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of titillation for both genders!

Lighten up FFS!!

I’d click a ‘like’ button to that Ferris. World gone mad

Soon we’ll be a cultural wasteland where everybody just talks about the weather as one is afraid to express their views in case of offending someone.

https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/slippery-slope