SWATCH SWITCHES MODELS IN CONTROVERSIAL AD
By Adnews Staff
Swatch Canada has decided that a pair of classical breasts in its advertising will draw less heat in Toronto than than the chest of a living model. In response to public pressure, Swatch has taken down its "Shock Resistance" billboard displaying a woman partially baring her breasts. In its place, the company put up a board yesterday featuring one of the world's most famous nudes, Venus De Milo. The "Shock Resistance" ad from Swiss-based watch company Swatch SA has been running as part of the international "Swatch Test" campaign that focuses on the qualities of precision, beauty, water-resistance and shock resistance. In order to assimilate the De Milo ad with the original campaign strategy, the new Swatch quality is "Art". The ad was designed by Swatch's Canadian agency, MacPhee Jesson in Toronto which was given the job of mending relations with those who were offended by the previous ad, while remaining faithful to the "irreverent" nature of the campaign. The "Shock Resistance" ad was dropped at the request of the Toronto-based Canadian Advertising Foundation which received an 89-signature petition from Media Watch, a feminist organization that monitors the portrayal of women in the media. The ad which offended in Toronto has run without protest in other cities of the world, including Montreal and Vancouver. Toronto's more conservative attitude is reflected in Swatch sales, according to Mike Abson, managing director of Swatch Canada. The company's more conservative timepieces are its best sellers in Toronto.