Outdoor apparel company The North Face has recently launched a new ad campaign that is stirring up controversy. This ad, which is part of the company’s “Summer of Pride” campaign, features drag queen Wyn Wiley, also known as Pattie Gonia.
In this video, Gonia encourages people to come out and embrace the transgender lifestyle while wearing a rainbow-colored dress and garish makeup.
Can anyone explain how the heck this ad helps @thenorthface sell outdoor clothes? They’re screaming at you to not buy their products if this violates your values. Accept their challenge. The North Face is owned by the VF Corporation which also owns Supreme, Vans, and Timberland. pic.twitter.com/9RwVljsa9N
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) May 24, 2023
Many have expressed their disapproval of this campaign, claiming that it panders to the LGBT community at the expense of alienating customers who don’t support it.
On top of that, many are criticizing the company for pushing products specifically targeted toward children with its “Out in Nature” line.
It appears as though The North Face wants to make a statement by embracing certain aspects of the LGBTQ+ community while ignoring others – a strategy that many deem hypocritical and contradictory.
The North Face’s decision to launch an ad like this is probably tied to its parent company VF Corporation’s attempt to appeal more strongly to younger generations – Millennials and Gen Z in particular – who are much more likely than previous generations to openly accept members of the LGBTQ+ community.
But often times companies forget about those customers who may not be so willing or enthusiastic about this kind of messaging – those who may feel alienated or offended by it instead.
It’s also worth noting that The North Face isn’t alone in doing something like this; Bud Light and Target have also been criticized for making similar decisions in order appease certain groups at the expense of their own customer base.
This begs the question – should businesses be making these kinds of decisions solely based on potential profits? Is there ever a point where it becomes too much?
Many believe that there needs to be a balance between appealing to different demographics without alienating any one group or customer base entirely – something which The North Face seems unable (or unwilling)to do right now.
I am in a state of disbelief with Target, North Face, Adidas etc.
After the Budweiser debacle, why would they continue with the gay, trans, satanic, ads and clothing?I won’t buy any of their crap! Good riddance.
— ProudTexan (@mm2martinis) May 24, 2023
It remains unclear how successful (or unsuccessful)this marketing strategy will actually end up being for The North Face in terms of sales numbers but one thing is certain: they’ve stirred up quite a debate with their latest move – both good and bad – among consumers everywhere about where businesses should draw their lines when it comes advertising campaigns such as these ones.
