'It's toxic': Why some experts say new Experience Regina slogans go too far
Mixed reviews continue to roll in days after Experience Regina delivered new campaign slogans that lean into the double entendre of the capital city’s name.
Lines such as "Show Us Your Regina," "The City that Rhymes with Fun," and "Make Regina Sexy" were part of the new rebranding.
Cindy Hanson, professor of sociology and social studies at the University of Regina, said she was shocked and disturbed to see the new slogans.
“My thoughts were, ‘Who would have allowed this to be released virally? Who is responsible for this?’” Hanson said.experience
“While this messaging may seemingly be fun or a spoof, in fact what it does is normalize violence against women. It normalizes sexual behaviours that are harmful to the wellbeing and safety of women.”
Hanson said by sexualizing women’s bodies in a campaign, it promotes similar dialogue among the public.
“It’s toxic. Saskatchewan and Regina have among the highest rates of violence against women in this country. It’s unconscionable that we would actually consider this fun,” she said.
To prevent similar situations in the future and to learn from this situation, Hanson said she’d like to see a stronger vetting process from Experience Regina.
“We need to vet things that are potentially racist or sexist,” she said.
In the marketing industry, experts have mixed views as well.
Marjorie Delbaere, an associate dean and professor of marketing at the Edwards School of Business at University of Saskatchewan, said the rebranding of the Experience Regina name was effective given the history of the song and the viral exposure.
However, she said they may have leaned in too far with the slogans.
“They’ve got two things happening at the same time and that one side that’s leaning into the parody that was going around the name and how it’s pronounced in the City of Regina, I think that’s where a lot of the conversation moved towards,” Delbaere said.
When it comes to humour in marketing, Delbaere said it’s tricky to execute.
Download the CTV News app to get local alerts sent to your device
“It’s not necessarily guaranteed to polarize as extremely as it did, but it is. It’s pulling on some of these cultural norms. Some people will find it funny and some people will not. When you put that in the context of a city, it’s different,” she said.
“They’ve made [the city] more memorable, but the tricky part is now it’s associated with some of these other negative emotions. Normally in branding you just want to focus on the positive emotions and eliciting positive feelings, so that’s where it’s gotten really tricky for them to manage.”
David Williams, an associate professor of marketing at the Edwards School of Business, called the marketing “a little bit genius.”
“It’s creative, exciting and risky,” he said, adding it sheds light on a city that’s not as well known as other Canadian municipalities.
“Don’t forget some of the target market is outside of Regina. It’s not necessarily the city residents themselves, which is where most of the complaints have been coming from.”
Williams said he doesn’t think the CEO of Experience Regina should have apologized.
“This is probably going to be short term backlash. The campaign has legs. It’s not just being risky for risk’s sake, it’s linked to the brand name and the play on the double entendre and it’s simply,” he said.
CTV News reached out to Tourism Regina for an interview on Monday and is still waiting for a response.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.