Dolce and Gabbana 1 Concerned Dad 0- 7th December 2007

There is an advert currently being screened for Dolce and Gabbana watches that has caused a mini furore in Derry over the last couple of weeks.
For those of you who haven’t seen the advert I‘ll give you a summary of the key events. A good looking man, who is wearing two watches on the same wrist, helpfully gives directions to a passing motorist. The motorist looks admirably at the two watches. She is then seen wearing two watches on the same wrist and the trend catches on. As the advert progresses, more and more beautiful and trendy people are seen wearing two watches on the same wrist whilst looking beautiful and dancing in trendy niteclubs.At the very end of the advert it cuts back to the ‘helpful directions man’. He is leaning against a car whilst another man is working at the engine. When he has finished footering with the engine he wipes his hands clean and asks his companion for his watch back. It turns out ‘helpful directions man’ was only wearing two watches because his friend didn’t want to get his dirty. The pair then share a kiss for less than a second and the advert ends.The audience is supposed to think: “Ahhh, aren’t beautiful and trendy people silly!? - they thought wearing two watches was an uber cool new fashion statement when, in fact, it is a practical way of keeping oil from damaging a fancy Dolce and Gabbana watch!”A concerned parent from Derry has said he will never return to the city's Omniplex cinema after this advert was screened before a PG rated film.The man, who did not wish to be named, said he took his children to see a film at the Strand Road cinema for a family outing, but it "turned into a horror" after the commercial was shown.IncandescentStrong language indeed, but the man was incandescent with rage that his children were subject to such images.He said: "I got up and walked out because it is against our family values. My children are seven and 11-years-old, I was taking them to see a family film and didn't ask for that to be shown in front of my children."I got my money back but I will never be back in the cinema. I
was outraged and don't think this should be pushed on us or on our children."The only thing Dolce and Gabbana is pushing on anyone is expensive, fancy watches. The company’s balance sheet won’t care, or have a specific column, to state whether or not its watches were bought by gay people or straight people or whatever.It is an age old advertising trick to throw something into an advert which the public don’t expect. Customers then remember the advert (even if it isn’t with much fondness) - think “Hi, I’m Barry Scott” shouting far too loudly in the Cillit Bang ads, or the woeful dubbing in Kinder chocolate adverts. In this instance, it happened to be two men sharing a kiss.The outraged dad continued:"It has infringed on my rights as a parent. I am trying to bring my children up the right way and protect them from the homosexual lifestyle. Children are like little gardens.
Sow a bad seed and you reap in return a bad habit."Legal actionThe man also said he is considering legal action over the Dolce and Gabbana advert because he believes it is "programming children's minds”. If he goes down that particular route, he is doomed to fail.A spokesperson for Carlton Screen Advertising said: "This commercial was approved in line with the British Codes of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing. Depictions of heterosexuality and homosexuality are treated on an equivalent basis in line with British law on sexual discrimination. This commercial was also given a U certificate (suitable for all) by the British Board of Film Classification."That’s that then, done and dusted - there is zero chance of a successful legal ch
allenge.I am not going to go on a rant about why the concerned dad’s views on “pushing homosexuality” have no place in today’s society.I have covered that ground before and don’t wish to repeat myself too often. Needless to say, ‘little gardens’ need to be exposed to all the elements if they are ever to grow and blossom fully.It is ironic though that his anti-gay views have increased the exposure for the Dolce and Gabbana brand. By going public with his concerns the man has proved the advertising campaign is working and he has actually promoted it. I was unaware of the advert before his letter arrived in the ‘Journal’ and then I watched it on YouTube to see what all the fuss was about. The watches look class and I’m seriously thinking about adding one to my Christmas wish list. But only one though, I’m nowhere near beautiful or trendy enough to wear two at the same time.