Libresse Experienced Backlash For Their Campaign, ‘Know Your V’

Female genitals as a flower design?

Feminine hygiene product company Libresse Malaysia has pulled its advertising 📣 campaign following backlash from a government-based religious foundation. The Muslim Women’s Council (MAYA) under Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia objected 👎 to the brand’s focus on the vulva. In a statement on September 16, MAYA claimed that Libresse’s advertisements feature suggestive imagery 👁 of female genitals, the use of which is a “dishonour to women”.

The campaign in question was its recent V-Kebaya Limited Edition range which brought to life V-Zone confidence and femininity through a modern interpretation of the Nyonya kebaya floral 🌺 designs. Done in collaboration with creative agency Muma Malaysia, the brand reimagined the Nyonya kebaya chrysanthemum and peony designs with the vulva as the heart ❤️ of the floral embroidery. Aiming to normalise V-Zone taboos, the brand wanted to spread a message ✉️ to women that they should be proud and confident in their own skin regardless of the shape, size, or cultural diversity.

What is “controversial marketing”?

Controversial marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies because one courageous campaign can also generate high 📈 levels of awareness and drive conversions - especially if your topic or content breaks through the white noise of the internet and goes viral 🦠.

This may come with some risk, but marketing is not about being risk-averse; it is about mitigating risk and taking smart 🧠 risks. You can mitigate risk and fallout by selecting the right team, whether it is your in-house group, outsourced to an agency, a collaboration 🤝 between your brand and a consultancy, or a combination of the above.

Now, how are you going to get people on board with your brand if the controversy is all about the opposition? The answer is simple: You have to be ready to be loved and hated 😠. Brands that take no risks will always be in between - never revered and never reviled. To be loved, you risk the opposite. That said, there are good and bad ways to capture 📸 this heightened emotion and work controversy into your marketing arsenal.

Here are 5 🖐 rules you need to know for using controversy in your marketing and advertising:

1️⃣ Do something nobody else is doing

In the digital-media-driven market, ideas 💡 that push the envelope often see high engagement with shares, comments, and broader syndication. Safe 🔒 ideas and copycat campaigns do not.

First, decide if you are going to:

🤪 Surprise your audience 👥 with an unconventional response to a conventional topic.

🤪 Blatantly challenge or question an established paradigm with a defiant position 📍.

🤪 Solicit personal opinions, experiences, and stories 📖 to unveil the truth of the matter.

🤪 Disrupt traditional modes of thought 💭, stereotypes, and unconscious bias with data and documentation.

🤪 Reframe 🖼 a charged topic with persuasive creative content and documentation.

2️⃣ Show real value

Search 🔍 and social media have pulled back the curtain of marketing transparency, so authenticity is a basic requirement of modern branding and messaging. Meanwhile, entertainment, along with the evolution of demographic marketing, has taught people we are being sold to at all times. People who buy 💰 stuff are demanding brands to show real value and to prove to us that they deserve the acknowledgment, attention, or action, in exchange for a transaction - whether it is a piece of personal information, email permission, or hard currency.

3️⃣ Get people talking

The controversy should be seen as a statement of position on a topic that is part of the current public discourse. It should not be seen as a gimmick because it should not be used as a gimmick. Shockvertising and fearmongering are to be avoided ❌ completely. You do not want your brand to look like a tabloid.

Before writing ✍️ or posting about controversial matters, you need to understand what is acceptable for your audience. Avoid topics that are very controversial, such as religion, war, politics, or sexuality because they give way to emotions like anger, hate, or frustration 😰. These topics restrict rather than boost the conversation. You want a mild controversy that gets people talking 🗣, not shutting down. When done well, controversy brings more readers and viewers, and hopefully many more customers.

4️⃣ Always connect back to the brand

When it comes to implementing controversy into your team’s marketing efforts 💪, it is critical to emphasise the values that align with your brand and find your "controversy comfort zone." What is true to your company, important to your team, and relevant to your audience will all dictate how resonant a controversial marketing campaign is.

As you work to pepper 🫑 more controversy into your marketing efforts, remember that authenticity is rarely forced. For this reason, it can be very effective to identify potential controversial subjects through organic company conversations. No idea is entirely immune to naysayers, and any marketing campaign should have a plan for dealing with negative feedback. You will want to emphasise to your client that you have a plan in place to mitigate any negative response in an era of internet trolls and digital word of mouth 👄.

5️⃣ Own the conversation

You have the attention 👀 of thousands through a bold statement that got a reaction. Now what? Now, it is time to get down to business. Whatever your campaign plan calls 📞 for, make sure it includes the following elements at all touch points:

🤪 Convey your positioning.

🤪 Explain how your product or solution is relevant to the conversation you started.

🤪 Have proof ready in the form of data points, case studies, testimonials and research 🧐.

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Now that you understand the efficacy and strategy behind controversial marketing and how to pull that controversy into more actionable conversations, consider the ways in which your company can turn these new tactics and strategies into relevant leads and real ROI. Want to be as controversial as Libresse Malaysia? Talk to us 🤩😎.

References:

Ping, O. L. 2021, September 20. Libresse MY pulls vulva-inspired ad campaign after backlash from religious organisation. Marketing Interactive.

The Vibes. 2021, September 20. Libresse retracts ‘Know Your V’ ads over backlash from religious body.

Thompson, S. 2020, April 27. Five Rules For Using Controversy In Your Marketing And Advertising. Forbes.