Is it that we are less gullible, more cynical or a little bit of both.  The ‘Ladyball’ story took on extra heft yesterday with full-colour advertising appearing in print media and mainstream news sites picking up the story of the new product designed so that women playing sport can keep their man(icure) longer by playing with the pink high gloss class with a special texture to better suit a lady’s grip. Seriously.

The Daily Telegraph in England carried the story as a straight news piece though comments on the online story suggested readers may have considered it more likely as a spoof.  The cynicism runs deeper here with 80% of an Irish Examiner poll saying it cannot possibly be for real.

It has got people talking and the smart money seems to be on a campaign that will shortly reveal a hidden purpose in line with another product entirely.

Women’s sport has come a long way in a short period of time over recent years, both here and across the world.  There are still major issues to address in terms of leadership equality at the head of sport but there as well there are commitments being made to make improvements.

This is more of a throwback to the 1950s and while there may be a market for ironic hen party gifts that would hardly support the spend that has been made thus far on the social and media marketing campaign.

Having former Dublin GAA Captain Ger Brennan involved suggests it is Irish in origin, perhaps the reality will be to reveal a new approach by media to the genuine and serious reporting of women’s sport.  Perhaps it will be to promote the power of viral advertising in some way. More likely it will be the herald of a new campaign that will reveal itself as something more than just a clever ad.

It has certainly been one of the more stop in your tracks campaigns around sport so far in the new year.

 

 

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