The spot: a woman stands in her living room while her husband relaxes on the couch. In voiceover, she explains how something doesn't feel right. A home improvement montage follows: purchasing nicknacks, a new carpet, painting the walls, all paid for with her Citi card. Her husband can be glimpsed on the couch throughout, relaxing or working on his computer while she redecorates. Finally, she realizes: "It wasn't the room, so I used the cash I got back to redecorate my husband." We watch as she purchases new clothes and he models his new khaki pants, shirt and sweater combo. Finally satisfied, she sits on the couch with her husband after he pauses to relocate one of the new nicknacks on the coffeetable.
I imagine this ad being written by the cast of Mad Men, sitting around their luxuriously appointed offices, smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey at 11 o'clock in the morning.
"So, gentlemen, we've got this new credit card account. They say they want to target this one at the dames. Let's brainstorm: what is it women like to do?"
"Shopping!" "Redecorating!" "Spending their husbands' money!"
[laughter fills the room]
"Being controlling!" "Dressing up and then just sitting around the house!"
I'm not sure how else to explain how one advertisement was able to fit so many horrible female stereotypes into a single spot. They probably held off filming until the actress was menstruating just to make sure they got the attitude right.
According to a
press release by Citi, this spot, called "Redecorate", is part of a new ad campaign to promote people using their Citi Cards "
to enjoy new experiences and create stories of their lives". If you are a woman, the story of your life is that you are a shallow, henpecking shrew who can't stand the sight of her husband relaxing at home in a sweatshirt and jeans.
Jesus Christ, lady, the guy obviously has to work hard to sustain your chronic redecorating habit, would you please let him relax on the weekends? Why does he need to be dressed like he's going to a J. Crew catalog shoot? The ad tries to subvert the controlling aspect of her behavior by showing him relocating a box on the table, as if to say, "See? He wants to take part in the redecorating, too." I choose to think he was going to use that box to bash her face in, but reconsidered at the last moment. It's open to interpretation.
