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Timbuk2 Bags Launches Humorous Teen Rape Ad Campaign

by mpeachey | May 18, 2007 at 02:29 pm

3321 views | 5 Recommendations | 5 comments

On May 17th, Timbuk2 Bags (www.timbuk2.com) launched an email campaign to promote a set of limited edition messenger bags made with exotic fabrics. The ad campaign features an apparently underage and crying teenage girl in a prom dress and a picture of a long-haired man in a stained wife-beater style t-shirt, with the tagline "Just like that jerk who stole your virginity,..."

When asked for comment, a representative at Timbuk2 said that the team considered "softening the copy to something like… 'just like that guy who never called…'" However, the representative continued, "The powers that be didn’t think it packed the same punch... or was as funny."

Timbuk2 donates hundreds of their bags each year to various charity auctions including San Francisco's At The Crossroads program for homeless youth.

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sprout512

at 04:02 on May 19th, 2007

When I recieved this add via email - it did not indicate rape to me in any way at all. I actaully chuckled out loud when I read it.

mpeachey

at 08:13 on May 19th, 2007

Umm. Does the word "stole" imply consent to you?

As far as funny, nothing funnier that an underage girl crying after sex.

Kaitlin

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 14:00 on May 31st, 2007

mpeachey, thank you for posting this. I think the wording is interesting as well--I'm inclined to agree with sprout that rape is not explicitly implied. I remember girls using the phrasing "stealing virginity" to refer to consensual sex with long-term boyfriends, even. There is an implication that the first person you sleep with "steals" your virginity even if you consent...at least that's how we spoke about it growing up.

Also, the girl is in a prom dress crying...my instinct is that she got dumped by the dude at prom, not that she necessarily was crying after being raped. At the risk of sounding crude, she looks too "put together" to have the implied scenario be rape.

I can definitely see your overall point, but my instincts don't scream rape.

insaniac (not verified)

at 13:07 on May 31st, 2007

I think more in terms of "skeezey git" than "rapist" when I see that ad- It's definitely courting controversy, but I don't think it's a particularly sound way to sell a product!