It looks like Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs might have sought the advice of sniggering schoolboys to create their latest ad campaign.

How else can you explain the screaming headline “Join for Fox Sake” ? Featured not just on their website , but on massive outdoor posters!

It’s a wince -making pun, it’s not funny (unless you’re male aged 12 – 15), it’s un-original and, worst of all, it’s likely to alienate their potential clients, which I’d imagine are likely to be adult females, probably aged 25 plus.

Or, more likely, 35 plus.

Even if you ignore the sad pun, the sentiment that you should, in effect, join Fernwood for F**k’s sake, is offensive all by itself. We could follow this up with “Join Fernwood or fox off”, or “Join Fernwood or get foxed”. The possibilities for schoolyard creativity are endless.

While not a keen observer of Fernwood’s marketing communication strategy, I seem to recall that it’s always looked a bit stuffy in the past and maybe someone thought it was time to lower the target market demographic (the MD’s son perhaps?).

To be honest, it’s all a bit cringe -making.  How many women still describe themselves as “ foxy” (other than Kath and Kim)?  Then again, maybe their customers are so old they still use words like “foxy”, groovy” and ”far out”

This campaign is so wrong, it’s hard to believe that it exists at all. Really, Fernwood’s, what the Fox  were you thinking?

Posted by Ian Minter