Togo’s: Reconsider your ad trivializing street harassment

Two weeks ago, Dr. Wendy Stock wrote a guest blog post about an offensive ad for Togo’s sandwich shop. The ad trivializes street harassment and and the way some men flash women just to scare or upset them. Dr. Stock did more than just write a blog post, she wrote to Togo’s to let them know that she isn’t okay with the ad.

Here is Dr. Stock’s letter, you can contact them, too (I just did!):

Sent to Togos, 11/5/11

This regards your new TV ad featuring a cartoon sandwich that flashes two cartoon women.  Please forward this info to Renae Scott, your VP of marketing. This so-called “edgy” approach is not innocuous – it trivializes the fear women feel from street harassment, including flashers (exhibitionists). Thirty percent of exhibitionists also commit acts of direct sexual violence against women. Making this a humorous subject wears down women’s ability to object, resist, and to stand up to this form of sexual harassment.

Here is the link to the study reporting the 30 percent figure: http://www.jaapl.org/content/34/3/349.full.  I have posted a blog online about your ad, having received no response to my initial email to Togo ‘s or my phone call earlier this week.  I encourage you to reconsider airing this ad.

Sincerely,

Wendy Stock, Ph.D.

This time Togo’s did respond:

Dear Wendy,

Thank you for contacting Togo’s.

We wanted to make sure you knew that we received your comment regarding our recent TV commercial. It is never our intention to offend anyone.  Our spot was meant to be fun and quirky and to make fun of sandwiches that are all bread and no meat.  I will make sure our Marketing team hears your concerns. I truly appreciate your feedback and will pass it along to our Brand Marketing team.

Sincerely,

Leslie Lopez

Dissatisifed with that response, Dr. Stock plans to send her letter to the local San Francisco (CA) Bay Area station, KTVU, that carries the Togo’s ad.

Here is information if you would like to do so as well:

KTVU is owned by Cox Media Group: KTVU, virtual channel 2 (digital channel 44), is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Licensed to Oakland, California, the station has been owned by Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises since 1964, making it the largest Fox affiliate by market size that is not owned and operated by the network.

The media is powerful and the images we see on tv, the images that children see, influence behavior and influence what we come to think of as okay behavior.  It’s important that we hold them accountable when offensive behavior is made to see funny or normal.