MAM
Mary Kay yanks ad campaign with ‘Desperate Housewives’
MUMBAI: Mary Kay cosmetics sold on Wisteria Lane may soon be passé. The beauty care major has decided to suspend its advertising plans for ABC’s superhit series Desperate Housewives.
The moves comes after Mary Kay Corp. was severely criticised by a conservative Christian group for associating with a show that espoused “loose morals”.
Interestingly, the ‘American Family Association’ (AFA) chairman Don Wildmon questioned the very premise of Mary Kay cosmetics advertising on Desperate Housewives, as he stated that the company’s official philosophy stood for God coming first, family second and career third. As Desperate Housewives is a show that showcases infidelity, seduction and promiscuity, Wildmon questioned the very alignment of the brand fit with the show.
“Many women who are loyal to Mary Kay are drawn to the company for its official philosophy `God first, family second and career third,” said Wildmon on the group’s Web site. “This advertising decision represents a break from those values.”
The American Family Association and its website which touts itself as ‘America’s Largest Pro-Family Action Site’ seems to have had many a grouse against the the hit ABC dramedy in the past as well.
Apparently, the Dallas-based cosmetics giant has decided to gop in for damage repair by rejigging its advertising plan for this summer and fall, partially as a result of calls from concerned employees and Mary Kay customers as well as due to the AFA’s strong comments.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
