Great Moms Sweepstakes

December 26, 2016

Armour has gone under

There’s no question that moms deserve heaping praise for all they do as parents. However, running a six-month contest that ignores dads as equal parents? Well, that leaves a bad gender bias taste in our mouth.

Thisarmour3.jpg kind of exclusionary practice has no place in the parenting world. Simply put it’s sexist, and it sends many poor messages to fathers:

  • You aren’t the lead parent; you’re only an assistant to mom, at best.
  • You don’t matter to Armour as customers.
  • You don’t shop, cook, or raise your kids.
  • You aren’t worthy of our praise.

Had this promotion been conducted as part of a Mother’s Day contest and then followed up with a comparable Father’s Day sweepstakes, we’d say – fantastic.

But instead Armour chooses the stereotypical, old-fashioned path that suggests moms handle the kids and everything in the kitchen. Dads – as they tell us all the time – are actively involved with their families and remain on an equal plane every bit as their spouses. And awkwardly enough, even a dad can win this Great Moms Sweepstakes.

It’s time that Armour reconsiders its approach and makes things right. Now.

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September 28, 2016

Surprise – a dad could win this mom contest

Stereotypes, media and long-held assumptions might make you believe that more men buy power tools than women – and maybe that’s true.  Maybe it’s not.

But either way, you’re certainly not going to find major home improvement retailers running campaigns which target only men.

It’s bad business.  It alienates customers.  It’s sexist.  It’s wrong.armour

Unfortunately, that’s not the way business works at Armour, which makes various food products, most notably meats.  There, it unveiled the exclusionary Great Moms Sweepstakes, running now through November.

No, it has nothing to do with Mother’s Day, and yes, anyone can enter – which means that a dad could be named a “great mom” and receive $5,000 in free groceries.

It’s hard to fathom just how Armour – founded in 1867 by two men – could create a campaign that ignores fathers contributions in today’s equality-seeking world.  Digital salt is rubbed in the wound when Armour uses its website to try and justify its oddly named contest:

Join us as we honor Great Moms – the everyday unsung heroes who give their all for their family and ask for nothing in return. We are celebrating and surprising deserving moms nationwide all year. Follow along on our website and Facebook Page for news and updates from our events.

To be sure, moms deserve those kind words in entirety – but so do dads.

Imagine you’re a dad who’s just read that text, and you’re thinking about all the work you’ve done to help raise your kids:  diapers changed, stories read, baths given, shopping trips made, youth sports attended, gifts bought, meals cooked, snacks made – and it has all been overlooked.  Your contribution means nothing.  So why should you continue buying its products?  You probably won’t, which is unfortunate.armour2.png

Ignoring dad’s contribution as an equally unsung hero disregards his status as a true, equal parent.

Armour even awkwardly uses photos of men (dads?) on its Facebook page to promote the contest.  And how strange will it look if a dad ends up being its winner?

The entire Armour campaign is a missed opportunity to celebrate parenting – not just moms – because we all know that roles are different in families now, and that they all come in different shapes and sizes.