That bl**dy ad again.

I posted about this ad before.
I was catching up on some blog reading at lunchtime, and came across the same reaction on Purlpower's blog.
So I decided to do something about it, as it brought back the feelings of disgust that I got when I first realised what the ad campaign was getting at.

So I wrote them an email:
(*I have *'d out my age- pure vanity!)

My name is Sara Cullen, I am 3* years of age, I have been knitting since I was about 7, am part of a Stitch and Bitch knitting group who meet up regularly to knit together and chat.

You obviously decided not to research your subject when you put this ad campaign together. Are you not aware of the huge knitting phenomenon that’s going on across the world at the moment? As you are obviously oblivious to this, please have a look at this website: http://www.stitchnbitch.org/snb_groups.htm

I noticed this ad in a Sunday paper a few weeks ago, and was disgusted when I realised what the ad meant. I have since posted about this ad on my blog a couple of weeks ago, and have posted on the UK StitchnBitch forum also about it, and have since seen it on other people's blogs.

As the majority of people who meet in our Irish SnB group are in fact, in their 30's, I think that you are actually hitting out against the very people who may be looking at buying your products in the future. Yes, we are the age group that are having babies, and buying the products you sell. We are also the age-group that are taking up our knitting needles in order to knit for ourselves, and our friends, and let me tell you--> these items are very gratefully received as unique items, in this day and age when its hard to buy something unique for babies.

Your “Paediatric research” doesn’t appear to work well with this ad campaign, as you have obviously overlooked this consumer group.

You have also overlooked the fact that knitting is a great tool for both hand-eye coordination for kids when taught in schools, and has also been used as an aid to learning mathematics: Many teachers are beginning to incorporate knitting into their curricula because it encourages analytical thinking. While strengthening hand-eye coordination, knitting teaches patience and reading skills and helps students stay focused on a task. (http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/na_knitting/article/0,2025,DIY_14141_3148167,00.html)

In fact, let me help you with your research, so that you can have a little think about the next ad campaign you want to run. Maybe you can turn around and say, oh we were wrong, knitting is the new yoga, and base your next ad campaign on that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/26/nyregion/26KNIT.html?ex=1147838400&en=d313c29efe719a10&ei=5070

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010310/fob1.asp

http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/publications/directions/Jan2002/knitting.html

http://anacleta.homestead.com/knittingwithchildren.html

http://www.waldorfatlanta.org/curriculum_specialty_handwork.htm

Yours, in disgust

Sara

http://tangelled_angel.blogspot.com

posted by tangelled angel @ Monday, May 15, 2006