Okay, so we’re about a month behind, but check this out — The ad campaign for Gap 1969 Jeans features a Pit Bull as their “Denim Mascot.” Another positive publicity publication (wooo alliteration!) for our pit bulls.
While dogs in mainstream advertising campaigns always tend to get that “aww” factor, companies that are unbiased in their choices for these canine counterparts get a double ‘thumbs up.’
Please note that the content below is reposted from a blog. Any views or opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Love-A-Bull, Inc.
from Passion for Pits
Winner and Loser of the WeekWinner: Gap, Inc.
Pit Bulls in Main Stream Advertising
In an effort to “democratize fashion” and boost authenticity of its 1969 brand (launched in 2009) the Gap has gone behind the scenes — showing their offices in recent advertisements and even including their office-dog, Louie, a caramel-colored pit mix! Their new market? “Downtown, semi-hipster, artsy folk” (might I also add, Pit bull owners?)
Louie, now named the “Denim Mascot” has received mostly positive press. While 238 people “like” his commercial on facebook (below), one user wrote “I don’t think a Pit Bull in a Gap commercial is a great idea for an international company as it’s illegal to have them unmuzzled in public or breed from them in the UK.” (Funny thing because this article from the dailymail.co.uk doesn’t seem to have a problem featuring an adorable shot of Louie in its article.) Luckily, her comments was met with rebuke and the rest of the comments were all positive.
Read more about the campaign here.
Loser: Pitbull, the Rapper
Mis-using the Mis-understood
This man sadly has chosen the name Pitbull for himself. Singer/Rapper Pitbull (aka Armando Christian Perez) is said to have chosen the name pitbull because, “…they bite to lock. The dog is too stupid to lose. And they’re outlawed in Dade County. They’re basically everything that I am. It’s been a constant fight.” (Washington Post, 2004.)All completely false. First of all, they do not bite to lock — no animal’s jaws can actually lock. Also, they are not “too stupid to lose” — they are dedicated to their owners and will do what they are told when manipulated with drugs, starvation, and lack of companionship. TheRealPitBull.com writes, “The truth of the matter is that the Pit Bull is one of the most versatile of canines, capable of excelling at just about any task his owner asks him to complete. This breed is routinely used for: obedience training, conformation showing, Schutzhund (a German sport which requires dogs to perform in obedience, tracking and protection phases of a competition), agility, and have even been known to participate in herding trials, search and rescue work, and a variety of other tasks including police and armed services work. But fanciers will argue that the task this breed performs best of all is that of beloved companion.”
The long and the short of it? Buy Gap and not Pitbull’s music!
