NHL's new ad called offensive
Women's group says it's sexist
Complaint could affect revenue
RICK WESTHEAD
SPORTS BUSINESS COLUMNIST
The organization that led efforts two years ago to allow women to be members of the prestigious Augusta National golf club now has the NHL in its crosshairs.
Martha Burk, the chairwoman of the National Council of Women's Organizations, said she intends to write letters of protest to the league and to U.S. TV network NBC over the NHL's new advertising campaign, which is set to debut next week.
Burk called offensive a 30-second ad the NHL produced to trumpet its return to the ice
The ad, which was unveiled in New York Wednesday night during an event for the league's corporate partners, opens with a quote from Chinese military philosopher Sun Tzu's book, The Art of War. It shows a hockey player being dressed in his equipment by his female partner and ends with him walking to the ice. A young boy is shown cheering before the ads ends with the tagline: "My NHL."
Burk said the ad "is offensive on several levels."
"The woman is dressed provocatively and when she asks the player if he's ready, it's a double-entendre in my view," Burk said in an interview. "She's in the ad as a groomer, a sex object.
"The commercial is clearly selling sex and violence and the last image in that commercial is a young boy watching this, so he's clearly the customer they're after, or it's a misguided attempt to draw in families," Burk said. "The ad is just gratuitous."
NHL spokeswoman Bernadette Mansur said she was surprised at Burk's objections to the ad.
"This ad shows no disrespect for women," Mansur said. "On the contrary, the woman is the spiritual and physical trainer for the `Warrior' and is his mentor, preparing him for the competition."
The NHL commercial, which is the first in a series of five to promote the league's return to the ice, was produced by ad agency Conductor in Santa Monica, Calif. The ads feature dramatic music, close-ups and low camera angles of ice action. The ads, which will debut Sept. 26, were filmed in Chilliwack, B.C.
Burk's criticism could be damaging to the league's image.
While Augusta National resisted pressure from her lobby group and has refused to admit women members, the scrutiny the club came under cost it millions of dollars in advertising revenue when Burk pressured marketers not to advertise on the Masters Tournament, one of golf's most important tournaments.
The Masters aired without television sponsors in 2003 and 2004, although the tournament re-introduced on-air sponsorship this year.
Underscoring Burk's influence, two members of U.S. Congress earlier this year reintroduced a bill aimed at cutting off tax breaks for businesses that use clubs that discriminated and named Augusta National as one such club.
Doesn't this dyke have anything better to do?
