Thursday, May 31, 2012

Horrible DM piece of the day (no, make that YEAR)



This is a mailer from The U.S. Senate Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial services organization regulated by the National Credit Union Administration (a U.S. Government agency).



The message is simple: "Planning a boob job for yourself or your chick? Borrow money! (But do it responsibly.)"

How this thing ever got presented, approved, printed and mailed is a true mystery of (what I assume to be) the internal marketing departments of big bureaucracies.

Complaints were swift and vicious.
"I got home from a nice holiday weekend late last night and found this in the mail," Washington, D.C., resident Amber Wobschall told The Huffington Post. "I've really been a lifelong credit union member. I'm also a feminist," she said." So I was very disappointed to find this in my mailbox."
Ms. Wobschall went so far as to put up a Change.org petition, demanding (okay, 'asking'):
...the US Senate Federal Credit Union to acknowledge the inappropriateness of this mailing and make a public apology. 
And here it is, on the front page of their site:

May 30, 2012
To the Membership of the United States Senate FCU: 
It has come to our attention that the imagery and message in a recent marketing direct mail campaign has offended some of our membership. It was not the intention of this marketing campaign to insult, demean or in any way offend anyone in our field of membership. 
The Board of Directors and Senior management personally apologize to the membership of the United States Senate Federal Credit Union for this action. 
The comments and opinions of our members recently received are very important to the Board. We will always value your opinion, membership, and support of the Senate Federal Credit Union. 
We will also work diligently and constantly to keep your confidence in our leadership. 
Yours truly, 
Christopher C. Dey, Board Chairman 
Susan R. Enis, President and Chief Executive Officer 

I would have liked them to explain who, exactly, got fired over this.

But otherwise: Yay activism! Boo sexist jerk design team!

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