TruthHack - Fitness Centers Capitalize on FlashForwards

Posted by Admin Monday, August 24, 2009

LOS ANGELES – Cosmetic surgeries and fitness centers have attracted widespread criticism after launching marketing campaigns targeting people who saw themselves as overweight in their FlashForwards.

Marketing and advertising watchdog groups have filed complaints against 113 businesses in the past month alone, claiming such advertisements were sexist, predatory, offensive and demeaning.

One cosmetic surgery clinic in LA has been particularly inundated with complaints over billboards featuring a photograph of a naked, overweight woman, accompanied by the slogan: “Can’t face tomorrow? Be beautiful today.”

A spokesperson representing the cosmetic surgery industry in California says the industry has reported a 900% increase in consultations since the Global Blackout. “It’s one of the biggest spikes in business we’ve seen in the history of the field,” he said. “FlashForwards are making us re-evaluate what we want our futures to be. We’re simply giving people information: ‘If you don’t want to look like this six months from now, we can help.’

Another prominent LA gym franchise has also been targeted with complaints after publishing print advertisements targeting teenage girls. However, the gym’s spokesperson insisted the campaign was legitimate and simply catering to a demand.

“America’s in the middle of an obesity crisis,” he said. “Those FlashForwards just confirmed that by sticking a big mirror in front of our faces. Young people are starting to realize weight-loss won’t just happen to them. We’re just kicking them in the butt and asking, ‘You really want to be the same person six months from now?’”

However, many psychologists have also argued that such advertisements were dangerous. One specialist, who specializes in eating disorders in young people, said that such direct and forceful marketing was “abusive.”

“It’s coarse,” she said. “America might be going through a national obesity problem at the moment, but we’re also experiencing a national crisis of self-loathing and depression. Exploiting our fears and FlashForwards to make some money? That’s about as low as you can get.”


Source: TruthHack

blog comments powered by Disqus
Blog Widget by LinkWithin