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Fashion brand ‘World’ display behind the times

Wednesday, 26 Feb 2017, 9am
Press release: Change the WORLD Brand Campaign

World’s Victoria St window display, Wellington. 24 Jan 2017

A growing group of New Zealanders are stunned at the response of fashion brand World owner Denise L’Estrange-Corbet to complaints made against their latest window displays.

The displays, found in five shop across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch read: ‘THINGS WOMEN LOVE TO HEAR: 1) I LOVE YOU 2) THAT’S ON SALE.’

When Newtown resident Zoe Higgins saw this, she decided to send a letter to World to voice her concerns.

‘As a woman, I find the statement that these are things that all women “love to hear” reductive and insulting. Women are wildly different individuals with different loves, interests, ambitions and desires. To see public statements like your advertising display, which imply that all women are the same, is upsetting and disappointing.’

She went on to request that these displays be removed, asked for an apology and an assurance that similar advertising campaigns would not be pursued in the future.

World brand owner Denise L’Estrange-Corbet is a business woman and fashion designer. The Celebrity Speakers website describes her World business as New Zealand's “most progressive fashion brand.” This is her response:

“We will not be removing the wording from our window as you have suggested. May I suggest you try getting a sense of humour, as this was not done in any way to demean or belittle women, and thank goodness we live in a country of free speech. You have had yours, and I have had mine.”

Phoebe Balle, another Wellington woman involved in the growing campaign to have the display removed was disappointed by L’Estrange-Corbet’s response.

“It’s disheartening to see a succesful women like Denise dismiss our legitimate concerns with the same ‘Can't you take a joke?’ attitude that is often the response to sexist and racist slurs. World is way behind the times.”

And it’s not only women who have been offended by the World displays.

“This advertising isn’t directed at me, but I still find it insulting, ignorant, and humourless. It’s a shame that Denise’s response to feedback has been as ill-considered as the original signage,” said Auckland resident Kasra Shirdel, 37, who also wrote a letter of complaint to World.

The next step planned by the Change the WORLD Brand campaign is to make a formal complaint. According to the Advertising Complaints Authority, advertising cannot "use stereotypes in the portrayal of the role, character and behaviour of groups of people in society which, taking into account generally prevailing community standards, is reasonably likely to cause serious or widespread offence, hostility, contempt, abuse or ridicule."

Ms Balle believes they have a strong case.

“The use of stereotyping in the World window displays is clear. It describes women’s main ambitions in life as romantic love and shopping. It is an outdated cliche, one that New Zealand society has moved beyond. Widespread offense has been taken.”

If you are interested in joining the campaign to have the display removed, you can contact the organisers through the Facebook page ‘Change the World Branding.’

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