WARNING: Exploitation of womanly parts to sell yoga pants! ED: Perhaps the title of this post should be: Lululemon Makes Us Feel Overly Conscious About Our Crotches.
Has lululemon lost their sweat-wicking grip? The below ad “Say No To Camel Toe” is supposed to be “edgy” with a wink and a nod to a familiar, um, creeping sensation. But since when was it necessary to pull out crotch imagery and exploit the “cleft of Venus” in order to raise market value? We imagine since they make a bazillion dollars doing just that.
Are you perhaps offended by this coarse use of camel to sell stretchy $80-90 pants? Fact is, there are so many lululemmings it doesn’t matter what you think! Yes, lulu lollies are so voracious they’ve lifted sales 55% for the mondo company in fourth quarter profit, according to MarketWatch. So, really all you naysayers can just suck it. And apparently Yoga Journal, where the ad appears (ed note: June 2010) has no qualms with Lulu corp being blunt and possibly crossing the line of crudeness to offend its very own reader base. Is everyone trying to be American Apparel er what?
But yes, there is a little anti-lulu revolt already on the rise. A grass roots rebellion has been simmering for a while now and this may have been just enough “edge” to push the boundary to a rally of public boycott. Dun dun dun. Really. Will it matter? Probably not. It’s not like they haven’t been offensive before.
Or maybe this is just the way yoga pop is these days…balls out!
What’s your opinion?
Cultural context: So some of you may be familiar with Fannpack’s wretched and comical “Cameltoe” song from 2003, which for your cultural reference, is provided for you below. Tasteless and tactless: those darn kids these days!
Earlier…Lululemon Goes for Gold, Poaches Olympic Spirit With “Cheer”
Lululemon Seeks Tweeny Boppers, Abandons Yoga Niche for Expanded Fitness Fashion
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Well, it must have a name for easy reference. I vote we begin using “Ustra-Toe” or “Ustra-Angusta”.
The sanskrit sounds pretty, not vulgar and it is quite apropos!
Great post!
If the purpose of advertising is to sell stuff by persuading us then I wonder how effective this ad is. Are we supposed to see a “lack of camel toe” from the angle of this shot?
I also always wonder about the gender of the marketer when I see advertising in general and ads like this in particular. Can you imagine a group of women sitting around a table saying, “you know what I want from my yoga pants, a pair that hides my coochie”?
Looking at Lululemon’s manifesto a couple of their own ideals come to mind:
Communication is COMPLICATED. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.
They know it’s complicated to communicate, yet are willing to throw caution to the wind and put something out that’s completely open to interpretation. (Is camel toe bad? Are we to be ashamed of our bodies?)
lululemon athletica creates components for people to live longer, healthier and more fun lives. If we can produce products to keep people active and stress-free, we believe the world will become a much better place.
Perhaps they imagine not having to worry about “camel toe” will reduce our stress and make the world a better place.
Of course, maybe they went with:
Do one thing a day that scares you.
And decided to tempt the fates by alienating their customers.
Not that this ad offends me, it doesn’t, but it seems like a more effective headline would be “Makes Your Ass Look Smaller”.
Why didn’t they shoot the picture from the front under glaring light if they really wanted to prove a point, I wonder…
I think a little “camel toe” can be cute. Are we really supposed to have machine-smooth Barbie or mannequin crotches?? I like the groove.
This is hysterical. This is going to become my new tag line with my laughter loving yoga friends.
It would have been funnier had the shot it from the front, exposing the dreaded toe de-camel…either way. Funny stuff! Lulumon rocks.
“You cannot hold back a good laugh any more than you can the tide. Both are forces of nature.” — Bertrand Russell
I am far more offended by $90 yoga pants than by an ad referencing camel toe. Seriously, why have we yogis and yoginis allowed ourselves to become so materialistic and ridiculous??
uhhh…. i LOVE Lululemon pants. they are all i wear to do and to teach in. they are great! they feel good, they soak up my sweat, they look great and i feel great in them.
oh, and i can afford them, that does not make me materialistic nor a “bad yogini” who is offensive or has “become” something other than what you might consider yogic.
having nice things does not make me a nice person, but sure as hell doesn’t make me a bad one either!
I have no idea what the “official” term for camel toe is, but I have a feeling it would sound a lot more offensive than “camel toe.” It’s a problem. I have had to get rid of yoga pants that were impromperly seamed up the front and drew too much attention to my lady parts for my liking.
I think it captures the spirit of what that company is all about. Going where other companies won’t. let’s be real. Since that SNL skit a few years back–it’s something I always check in the mirror for before hitting a yoga class. Kudos to Lulu for getting creative and addressing the issue. Like the bumper sticker says “well behaved women rarely make history”…or good yoga pants.
ha! i am fashionably late to the debate, but just saw the ad for the first time today and have started similar anti-lulu campaign on my Facebook. Now if someone says “cute yoga pants, what brand?” I will say “anything but LuLu.”
http://www.facebook.com/bari.ann?v=wall&ref=profile#!/notes/bari-ann/lululemon-hits-a-tacky-new-low/394011547141
Would never have thought twice about it if I had seen it before someone on the Yoga Journal Facebook page slammed them for it. I went looking for a picture of the ad since the complainer didn’t explain what they were referring to. Don’t see what the big deal is. “Camel toe” is classy compared to what we used to call it in high school, which is not fit for print. LOL.
get a sense of humor. don’t be so offended. go stretch.
lululemon clothing for sheep.
it’s ridiculous to be offended by this. it’s effective advertising since you all can’t stop talking about it.
On the subject of camel toe itself, and it does happen and can be uncomfortable, a friend posted this on her FB yesterday – http://www.camelflage.com. I wonder if people find this offensive too?
This is a very one sided analysis. A great company is one which is ready to address problems and STILL be able to provide customer service when a problem arises. When I went in with a problem a few months after I made a purchase, I was told that it was my problem. When I asked to speak to a district manager, I was told that there wasnt one and the manager in the store had the final say. When I spoke to the rep in the customer case centre, I was told that there was nothing that could be done but i was welcome to take pictures of the problem, send them in to the company, and if i wanted the item back that i should also include return postage! I was disgusted beyond belief! They are very nice before they sell you something, but god forbid something goes wrong with their product. You are made to feel that you have to prove your case in a court of law to have a chance to receive some customer service! Horrible Horrible company!
The Onion beat them to it:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-distressed-jeans-feature-brokenin-cameltoe,9639/
I agree that the ad is cheeky. I find it funny and not at all offensive. I finally found the perfect Yoga pants, in a stretch Harem pants style. They are ideal because they give you full freedom of movement, they look pretty cute and there is no danger of any “camel toe”.
lululemon gives good camel toe…
thats why I don’t buy them
hee hee hee
Another attention grabbing stunt (which worked apparently) but I don’t buy their stuff. Way too expensive and I hate the fabric. (and not saying that you are a bad yogini if you want to spend $98 on this trash)
This is interesting. LuLulemon has copied Camelflage. I don’t think the term “cameltoe” is offenseive at all. It’s what happens when you wear tight yoga pants. I’m personally more “private” and would rather not show my “cameltoe” to everyone at the gym. I will never buy LuLulemon now, not because of the ad but because they steal ideas from other companies..
It’s not the reference to camel toe (an actual problem with some yoga pants) that I find offensive, but the copywriting. They make the visual joke with camel pose, so the joke is there. But over all, I think the headline could have been a little stronger.
Seriously?
I’m with Lu (way up there somewhere…) I don’t find the ad that offensive, but the idea that I should pay nearly $100 for one pair of yoga pants seems totally counter-yoga ideals to me.
I would like to state however, that no, camel toe is not cute. Yes, we should all be smooth in front when we are wearing pants, and please, for the love of God(dess) at least don’t show off your camel toe around me! And I love my body; it’s fantastic. I’ll keep the genitalia between me and my lover though, thanks.
why a re women so concerned…? bikinis hide a lot less, and besides, every part ot a womans body is beautiful… if you dont want men to be able to see it, why wear pants that hug your butts so nicely? obviously you have enough confidence… remember, uor ancestors walked around nude…
I know that this is a social construct, since, obviously we evolved running around nude; nevertheless, it is a part of how I think and function as a SOCIAL being, so I don’t feel that I’m somehow oppressing myself by observing it: showing some parts of our bodies is sexy, showing other parts is inappropriate. Showing some parts to some degrees is classy, showing other parts or the same parts to other degrees is tacky. A backless evening gown: classy. Camel toe at the gym: tacky. I find camel toe much tackier than an ad that references it. It seems a little odd to want to pretend the problem doesn’t exist. Lululemon is a bad company because they sell all these yoga ideals with an unsustainably high price tag. They are a hypocritical company, and I would never give them my money.
Would you rather pay $90 for a pair of pants that lasts 10 years (as I can personally attest that they do), or $20 pants every year because they fall apart, pill or shrink. That is the problem with this country, nobody thinks long term. You’d rather buy a bunch of junk that adds up to much more than buying one quality item? Whatever, have fun wasting your money, I’ll be at lululemon.
Emily,
Lululemon’s pants last forever, and they have a 5-year warranty. I’m not, by any means, a huge fan of Lululemon, but they do make a good product. Quality products cost more.
Lululemon also does a lot in the community. I don’t know about where you live, but my local store sponsors all kinds of free events including running clubs and weekly yoga classes. Some of the price of the merchandise goes to paying for those kinds of events.
I don’t really see how a company charging a price that is commensurate with the quality of an item makes them hypocritical.
Are they a better product than my $15 yoga pants? Yes, I’m certain they are. On the other hand, my $15 pants have lasted six years so far with no stretching or shrinking (a little pilling yes, but not enough to make them look obviously worn). Charge $30 for them if they’re better quality, then. Charge $40 to cover the cost of the events they offer. $90 pants are an insult to my intelligence. That price is exuberant; the company could turn a tidy profit selling them for less than half that. What makes me feel they are hypocritical is that they (seem to) profess the rhetoric that yoga is for everyone, but their clothes aren’t affordable for many many people, I would venture to say most. I’m not saying it makes you a hypocrite if you buy them. Supposedly they make your ass look better and stuff? Maybe that’s worth the extra $50 bucks left over after the quality and events mark-ups? Buy them if you like them. I feel the company is hypocritical and I don’t want to support them even if I could afford their clothes. No need to get defensive, man.
I’d feel better about those $90 pants if they were made in the USA. Oh, and by adults.
I agree, Sally. I buy Beyond Yoga clothes for that reason. Ironically, their pants do give me bad camel toe.
its makes me laugh all the idiots that buy synthetic yoga wear.
there not even 90-100% cotton lulue.
there materials are full of synthetic fibres,so your skin cant breathe properly.but they can charge alot more-for there hi-tech crap
But you look trendy,oh thats what counts yeh?
i find it more sensible to wear a long cotton singlet over cotton
not to -tight leggings.
p.s nxt time girls.,when u wear extra tight shorts etc,spare a thought for the person behind you who has to view your crotch & undies when your legs are splayed open.gross.
pleese some respect.kate
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