Just one week after Melinda Tankard Reist wrote about Woolworths promoting the Lynx Lodge, Woolworths has agreed to withdraw from the Lynx Lodge promotion. Lynx was holding a competition with Woolworths, where a winner will be the first to stay at the Lodge with seven friends. Collective Shout supporter Jade posted Woolworths response to the letter she sent them about the Lynx Lodge.
Thank you for your email to Woolworths concerning the recent Lynx Lodge
marketing campaign. A number of customers have contacted us and
expressed their concern about Woolworths’ involvement in this promotion
which was primarily focused on an associated competition to win dirt
bikes. We have reviewed this activity and agree that the nature of the
overall Lynx Lodge promotion is not in keeping with Woolworths’ values
as a company. As a result we have spoken to the manufacturer and taken
steps to remove the association between the Woolworths brand and the
Lynx Lodge promotion. We sincerely apologise for any offence caused.Kind regards,
Woolworths Supermarkets
It’s great to see this action from Woolworths. However we wonder how it came to be they were promoting the Lynx Lodge in the first place. Who made this decision? Who thought it would be a good idea to promote a venue that has been dubbed a virtual brothel?
You might like to thank Woolworths for making this decision and urge them to not to stock or promote brands that degrade women. You can do so here.
There is still much more work to do with Lynx. Find out more details on how you can take action, see our Lynx Stynx campaign.
9 Comments
Wooo I’m famous!
Big applause for Woolies that they have listened!
Good on you Jade! Thanks so much for letting us know your response from Woolies. Really appreciate your letting us know so we could inform out other supporters, who are thrilled with this result.
It’s a win and congratulations, not to Woolworths, but to the vigilant people who saw what was happening. Woolworths have withdrawn only because the backlash might have cost them profit, which is all they care about. They control liquor and gambling in this country – brothels was a logical next step.
Companies also need to look at the prizes they are offering for other reasons e.g. Cadbury via their Chupa Chups comp are giving away absolute plastic junk in the thousands that will just go into landfill…5000 plastic necklaces, 6000 inflatable Chupa Chups etc…1. they’re probably made in China 2. they’ll just go after a day or 2 into the bin and into landfill. So irresponsible. With that promotional money, why wouldn’t they give away Aussie holidays and that way spend their money in Australia and the recipients would also spend some money and the economy benefits HERE not in China plus the environment suffers less. Cottees were the same last Summer giving away thousands of big plastic water pistols in a DROUGHT that didn’t even work properly. Again irresponsible marketing. Mars is also giving away 30,000 balls – again maybe used for a while but then thrown away.
Good on Woolies for doing the right thing.
Has anyone heard from Woolworths since this reply has been received?
Congratulations!
Every day I work with women who’s partners and ex-partners have tried to live out the so-called “fantasy” that Lynx Lodge says they are promoting. For many men it is not their fantasy, but their reality. But it is not a reality that has a place in an equal, respectful relationship. There is a growing number of boys who reach adulthood and expect their women to look, act and meet their needs, exactly as portrayed at Lynx Lodge, and it cannot be achieved. These men have self-entitlement issues and will resort to any sort of behaviour, usually violent, if they don’t get what they think they deserve. I meet women who are in the fallout of that dynamic daily.
I sent a thank you email to Woolworths. I think it sends a powerful message that establishments like Lynx Lodge (and which effectively makes Unilever a pimp service) will not be tolerated in mainstream society.
Found this thread : http://www.lottos.com.au/forum/viewthreadlite.php?tid=226255
discussion about the pull out of Woolies.
The posters mention that IGA is involved.
We must contact IGA head office and see if they’ll pull the plug as well.
Regard the IGA Lynx Lodge promo , it closed on the 15/10/10 & winners were published in The Australian Public Notices on the 25/10/10 , the woolies bike winners were also listed in the same notice .
I am a member of lottos.com.au & have just caught up on this .As a lone female I did not enter so was not aware of the prize offered .
Link to the public notices
http://www.lottos.com.au/forum/viewthreadlite.php?tid=227896
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[...] by breaking its connection with the competition! Melinda Tankard Reist and the activist group Collective Shout report that one of the group’s members has received this reply to her complaint: Thank you [...]
[...] fact, today, Collective Shout announced that they have successfully convinced Woolworths to withdraw support for Lynx Lodge, which was a resort catering to the sexual fantasies of men. This is just one of many wins that [...]
[...] HERE is the post that they made, which includes the reply that I got from Woolworths. As far as I can [...]