Does your marriage matter?

I wouldn't be at all surprised if this "campaign" was really launched by someone at Ashley Madison operating under a pseudonym. "Well played." is what I'd say.

While I was getting my politics fix the other day I saw an ad that promoted marriage in response to an infidelity campaign. At first I noted the irony that this spot was placed on a political network (during Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC) at a peak time. They say infidelity is more prevalent amongst powerful persons. Just look at the ongoing scandals in Washington.

So who’s responsible for the infidelity campaign? Ashley Madison. We actually discussed this company on the first day of Visual Communications (advertising course). This is one of those “point vs counterpoint” rivalries. Any position is open for attack against a counter position (no matter how small). I could imagine there’s some ideology behind “My Marriage Matters” because rather than address the issue, Mr. Ryan Hill feels his self-righteous position is justified  simply because he’s a “good husband, loving father, and traditional American.” (None of which are a cause or effect.) I can respect the capitalist ambition of Ashley Madison. People are going to cheat… period. So why not maximize the experience? Of course there are drawbacks, but like they say “the higher the risk, the greater the reward.” This sort of service distinguishes between those who do what they can and those who do as they please. Perhaps we advertisers are despised because we act as enablers. In this case, we’d be enabling the less powerful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0nPJsX7Dgk

“My Marriage Matters” seems to be nothing more than a petition for support. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this “campaign” was really launched by someone at Ashley Madison operating under a pseudonym. “Well played.” is what I’d say. Mr. Hill is actually promoting his rival more than he’s promoting himself or his cause.

2 Comments

  1. I did a paper on Ashley Madison actually, and I would NOT be surprised at all if this was a tactic on their part. They are pretty brilliant marketers in any case, since their idea isn’t new or revolutionary. They just did it loudly and made it known by jumping on the “Banned” Wagon. https://tinyurl.com/cgnzgf

  2. They really have nothing to lose. If they’re considered a shady enterprise then why not use that to their advantage? I think much of it is mental. Many (married) people who cheat have affairs for the excitement. It’s not new, but excitement can be a necessity depending on the stage of the marriage. Even if the ads are controversial, there’s still a feeling to be had (satisfaction?) in doing something “you’re not supposed to do.” It can even provide a greater sense of being among fellow cheaters.

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