But intent just doesn’t count for that much, when most people will simply see the ad with no caveats. The fact remains that the ad plays into stereotypical concepts of men and women. Does it ever ask men to consider women’s breasts in a different light? No, it simply flashes the images on the screen without even asking men to take any action.

I think Lisa’s on the right track–something that celebrated the diversity of breast size would have been more fun. I don’t want to say that the topic can never be approached with humor–it should be! I just don’t think this particular ad was a success in that regard.

A couple things are bothering me, though. 1. If this woman were heavier or had fat jiggling on other parts of her body, would her big boobs be portrayed in the same light in the frat-boy mentality of the ad? Or would her breast and her be portrayed in a montrous light? 2. While the other women in the ad could be looking at her boobs with attraction and approval, those women also have perfectly fine breasts that are seen as less ogle-worthy, hence not worth worrying about saving? 3. The camera focuses on her breasts so much, that regardless of her being happy and confident with her body, she becomes disembodied, a faceless walking pair of boobs.

My fear about a campaign like this is that it makes an organization like this seem a little like an exclusive frat party (with hints of ‘Girls Gone Wild’?), where only the young, beautiful, perky, and well-endowed are allowed in and someone will ogle you (a la Howard Stern) to determine whether you breasts are worth saving. Meanwhile, women who have smaller, saggier or less-perfect breasts (or heavier women with large breasts) who could as easily get breast cancer would be regarded as less of a concern.

I think this group COULD avoid the whole “soft, pink” sentimentality and go for the “boobs are sexy” angle and also come up with a way of celebrating the diversity of breasts and the beauty of all sizes large and small.

If this ad, instead, replaced “boobs” with a name-brand beer, and then was reshot, frame by frame, with her holding a beer in front of her jiggling breasts, it would just be another corporate ad selling product through objectification.

This is all about demographics. Clearly the ad is targeted towards men who could normally care less about breast cancer. Not respectable fathers and husbands and sons! This is probably the best way we can reach out to them and it will benefit us all in the long run. I get the whole “saving the breasts instead of the life is bad” thing, but this is a great attention-getter for those guys who, I say again, are aware of breast cancer but don’t care because it supposedly doesn’t affect them. Sure it’s shallow, but it’s also a genius marketing strategy for an issue like this. After all, there are plenty of other serious breast cancer ads that deal with the real issues women are facing.

So, seriously… problem? Where?