F*** The Diet?

Many people thought this was too weird to be true, but apparently it's real. Multinational mega-corporation Unilever is running an ad campaign in Germany for its "Du Darfst" line of food products that features the English slogan "Fuck the Diet!"

It's kinda like if McDonalds were to unveil "Fuck Eating Healthy" as its new ad slogan.

A Unilever spokesperson offered this explanation:

"Although the current Du Darfst campaign has become a bit of a talking point in Germany -- as effective marketing should -- it is targeted specifically at German consumers and uses language that we do not believe most German consumers find offensive. This is because the term in the campaign is frequently heard on German TV and radio, and is used in newspapers and magazines, and in the context of 'let it be' it is not censored or seen as inappropriate by most German consumers."


Advertising Food

Posted on Tue Apr 17, 2012


Comments

I have to wonder if they were trying to be 'edgy' without realizing just how potentially offensive this might be to the english-speaking crowd...
Posted by Robin Bobcat  on  Tue Apr 17, 2012  at  11:24 PM
I live in Germany and I haven't encountered this campaign. But then, I don't watch a lot of TV and I tend to walk past the Du darfst products in the store without paying attention.

This is undoubtedly an attempt to be edgy and I'm more surprised that the pendulum is swinging back to using English for a coolness factor than at the vulgarism. Most Germans get their colloquial English from Hollywood and the Internet, and F-bombs are very prevalent in both places. Most Germans likely have the impression that it's a lot more common than it is.

I do have to quibble with your McDonald's analogy. Du darfst (which means "you may") is a line of low fat or otherwise slightly healthier products. Not quite Weight Watchers, more a "healthy alternatives" brand. It's more like Whole Foods running a "Fuck Eating Healthy" slogan.
Posted by DemetriosX  on  Wed Apr 18, 2012  at  04:06 AM
I can confirm that it is true!
Posted by frank  on  Thu Apr 19, 2012  at  04:53 AM
I live in neighbouring Holland and like in Germany, the F-word is widely used here. I do know that most Dutch do not realize that for Americans and British, using the f-word is really rude, and I think it is the same for the Germans. From English-language TV-series and films, most non-Anglosaxons get the impression that using the f-word is quite common language and not such an issue. "F*** this or that" is a quite common thing to say here, especially among younger people, and it doesn't carry the extend of shock-value this expletive has for Americans. Most non-Anglosaxons don't realize this (I only realized when I got an American girlfriend and she pointed it out). It doesn't surprise me therefore that the add company behind this Unilever campaign didn't realize it either, apparently.
Posted by LaMa  on  Sat Apr 21, 2012  at  06:26 AM
I want to know where you can get the button!
Posted by Meringue  on  Mon May 07, 2012  at  12:47 AM
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