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Say No to Cankles says Gold's Gym in a new Ad Campaign
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by amyjudd | July 1, 2009 at 02:50 pm
690 views | 2 Recommendations | 3 comments
'Say no to cankles' is a new advertising campaign from Gold's Gym that aims to make women even more self-conscious about their bodies, by worrying if their ankles are defined enough from their calves.
Gold's Gym has created 'Cankle Awareness Month' to bring attention to the fact that wearing strappy sandles and capri pants will only increase the size of your cankle, so apparently now is the time to fight back.
“Cankles are the fastest growing ‘aesthetic affliction’ in the United States … even ahead of other bathing suit killers like Muffin Tops, Saddle Bags and Moobs,” says Gold’s new cankle Web site www.saynotocankles.com. “Millions of people across the country are currently affected by Cankles and millions more are ‘at risk.’ In fact, it is estimated that if current trends continue, by the year 2012 Cankles will surpass Love Handles as the number one aesthetic affliction in the world.”
What is a cankle?
It's basically when the calf meets with the foot with no definition in between.
medical cause: adipose tissue surrounding the soleus tendon, probably congenital, worsened by weight gain and improved in appearance only by boots
Gold's Gym says this is just a humourous look at the way women see their bodies and they just hope the humour will encourage people to visit the site and take part.
The joke may have missed its mark for some consumers, as there has been some negative attention surrounding the idea. With language such as saddlebags, moops and the ability to send friends muffin tops or tough love gifts such as a towel snap, it’s hard to believe that Gold’s Gym didn’t see this all coming.
“There are a lot of different awareness-type [campaigns] for everything. We thought this was a fun, lighthearted way to drive attention to a very serious issue in our country, and that’s obesity”, said CMO Lisa Zoellner.
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at 22:29 on July 1st, 2009
I agree that this is a mistaken approach.
Use health, longevity, good mood, and power to achieve to sell exercise, fitness and nutrition, and don't use aesthetics, not in such a rude way.
I have to tell you, though, that this affects young men as well. As someone who was once a reed, a reed who ate a ton of food I add, my body image was not a plus in the old psyche.
Boys today, though, face enhanced standards from their GI Joe toys to super-heroes and the prominence of body-building, along with the increase in size of young men in general, especially in sports such as football, where today's high school lineman are as big as pro-footballers used to be.
at 07:36 on July 3rd, 2009
I hate, absolutely HATE everything that puts pressure on people (men, women, and children alike) to look a certain way.
Who decides what's beautiful? Who decides what's healthy? I'm a skinny 27 year old woman. I've been told I'm beautiful. But I agonize over my looks as much as the next person.
AND THAT'S JUST PLAIN WRONG.
Working out is good for the body. So is eating right. But this campaign... especially since it doesn't even say it's Gold's Gym on the ad...
Bad idea. Cruel, even. This is the type of thing that leads to anorexia and even suicide in some cases.
Believe me, I've been there and back.
at 22:27 on July 7th, 2009
I am a very devoted member at Tech Ridge Austin...ask John or my trainer Suzanne...Rotel,the HOT TOMATO....see her band website online...and I have two daughters I cannot get in as u do not have a S.Dakota location and they do not have the will left as they have such image problems, due to the effect movies such as that one that taught them the "cankles" word had on them growing up when their horrible but rich chiro alkie dad took custody of them and they blew up in misery over it. I cannot say how disappointed I am and it will not cost you my membership I imagine since I am paying a dollar a day and I love your staff and I belong to 24 and curves also for a dollar a day...but if u keep stuff like this up and it comes to a dollar a day less or if one of your staff leaves l'm outta here...I am not happy that a gal signed off on this campaign either...one white haired warrioress on that path