Anyone else want to write some letters?

[Starfish]

Boy In A Kilt - I like your letter. I kinda like yours better than mine, but mine are done! Thanks!

Mine is as follows...and I think the more letters (and the more varying the letters...not form letters), the better! Mine below shows what I sent to Bicycling, as well as what I sent to the other advertisers. The one I sent to Liberator is, of course, slightly different.

Dear Bicycling Magazine Advertisor,

I have sent the following letter to Bicycling Magazine. Please contact Bicycling to let them know that you do not want to be associated in their pages with ads that actually repulse your own prospective customers. I am one of the huge numbers of professional women who will spend thousands on their cycling hobby in the next year. I hope you care about my perceptions of marketing.

My letter to Bicycling:

Please either pull Liberator’s advertising, or require them to go back to ads that picture their product only, rather than the soft-core-porn pictures of women they’ve had for the past few months. I don’t have a problem with the product. I do have a problem with women pictured doggy style in “FM” platform shoes in the pages of a magazine that pretends to be women-friendly.

The highly sexualized, degrading pictures of women in these ads is directly at odds with your attempts to attract female readership or promote cycling and healthy self image issues to kids, families, parents and women.

I find these pictures insulting, and I cannot hand out or promote your magazine to all the young women I am mentoring. I will subscribe again after you address this issue.

I realize your demographic is young men, but save it for Men’s Health. I am a professional, I will spend thousands on my new bike, and I care about the way your advertisers promote their products.

Please make this change. I will be also be sending copies of this letter to most of your major advertisers to let them know I will not be subscribing to or buying your magazine until you do.

Sincerely,

[sundial]

It's not printed material, but have you seen the Assos women's bib shorts ad?

http://www.assos.com/en/womens/detai...icle=63&color=

[Starfish]

It's not printed material, but have you seen the Assos women's bib shorts ad?

Yeah, this comes up on threads from time to time. As I recall, there was a letter campaign afoot awhile back.

[Starfish]

Also forward the add to Ms. Magazine. They might post it on their last page - the "No Comment" page

OK. I have sent my email to MS. Magazine & Bicycling Magazine. I have sealed the envelopes on the letters to all the rest I listed.

Hope some of you will go for it, too. Thanks, everyone!

[Grog]

Yeah, this comes up on threads from time to time. As I recall, there was a letter campaign afoot awhile back.

Yeah I did write to them.

They wrote back saying that their ads were great (not joking) and that they were supporting women pro cycling (which is true), attaching a big bunch of their racers' photo-postcards...

They didn't see a problem at all.

This being said, I still think it was useful. If other people wrote too, maybe they'll think about this next time.

[Starfish]

This being said, I still think it was useful. If other people wrote too, maybe they'll think about this next time.

You know, I get discouraged and jaded, but I figure, FOR SURE nothing will change if we don't let them know that (1) we spend money on cycling and (2) we care about the marketing.

I always feel like, well, at least this time I'm speaking up for what I believe. Hope others will, too.

[bacarver]

Good thread. I've seen the ad for the "recreational" aid in the last few issues of the Bicycling mag. I couldn't believe what I was looking at. Had to check the magazine cover to make sure I wasn't reading adult material. How did this product ad get in this magazine? It's totally out of place. My brain was thinking about bikes and then I see the pictures of the furniture-size mold. If Bicycling mag thinks this is ok, then what's next?
Barb

[Zen]

If Bicycling mag thinks this is ok, then what's next?
Barb

I have no problem with that product but as (I think) Starfish said, it's more suited to Men's Health than Bicycling. This just emphasizes how biased that magazine is.
And when I think back to the women of TE issue my blood boils even more.

I would never buy that magazine.