Monthly Archives: September 2024

What’s So Wrong With a Matchmaker Ad Pitching You to ‘Date Like a CEO’?

by doctorads

Well the Doc opened up the old mailbag today and here’s what poured out.

Dear Dr. Ads,

There I was, minding my own business and leafing through the New York Times, when I came across this quarter-page ad on A7.

Really, Doc? Not to be cynical about it, but do CEOs really “date”? Doesn’t seem that way from news reports.

– Date Lyin’?

Dear DL,

Maybe this is unfair, but plug CEO sexual into Google and these are the first two Autofills.

Then again, plug CEO sexual into Google News, and here’s what comes up for just the last 10 days.

As Michael Peregrine reported in Forbes, CEO sexual harassment has become a major concern for corporate boards.

What is it about codes of conduct and sexual harassment that some CEOs apparently don’t get?

Most responsible corporate boards might be excused for thinking that they’ve already addressed the issue. Prompted by the “MeToo” movement, they’ve acted with a combination of internal education programs, new codes of conduct and strong disciplinary procedures in order to protect employees from sexual abuse and intimidation. For them, that particular “box” had been “checked off” the risk and compliance list.

Not so much, apparently. But beyond the board’s responsibility to preserve and protect the company’s reputation and workforce culture, there’s this: “[The] most current, and likely most significant, incentive is the 2023 decision of the Delaware Chancery Court concluding that sexual harassment by an officer or director constitutes a breach of the fiduciary duty of loyalty. In such a situation, the board should have a claim against that officer or director for the harm his/her action caused the company.”

Date like a CEO? That would not only be good business, but a blessing, no?

Can a ‘White Dudes for Harris’ Ad Really Turn Out . . . White Dudes for Harris?

by doctorads

Well the Doc opened up the old mailbag today and here’s what poured out.

Dear Dr. Ads,

There I was, minding my own business and scrolling through Politico Playbook, when I came across this scoopy item about a new ad campaign in the presidential bakeoff.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — White Dudes for Harris is launching an eye-popping eight-figure ad campaign targeting, you guessed it, persuadable white male voters in swing states, trying to draw a sharp contrast between the so-called “toxic masculinity” Trump displays and Harris’ campaign pitch.

The ad is airing in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on YouTube, streaming and social media platforms with a buy in the $10,000,000 range. It is backed by the Beige Rainbow PAC.

Bro-tastic narrator: “Hey, white dudes – so I think we’re all pretty sick of hearing how much we suck. Every time you go online, it’s the same story: we’re the problem. And yeah, some white dudes are. Trump and all his MAGA buddies are out there making it worse, shouting nonsense in their stupid red hats and acting like they speak for us when they don’t.”

Whaddaya think, Doc – could that pitch actually work?

– White Knuckles for Harris

Dear WKfH,

First off, ten million dollars is real money, bru.

Here’s what Beige Rainbow PAC is buying with all that dough.

As the dude puts it, this “isn’t about picking teams [but] who’s got a plan that’s gonna make life better for me and my family . . . [Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz] are actually talking to guys like us — no lectures, no B S. Just real solutions that protect our freedoms and help us take care of the people who matter.”

Not surprisingly, the MAGAsphere thinks the ad is just cringe. The Twittersphere, on the other hand, likes it just fine.

White Dudes for Harris is only one of the grassroots groups jumping on the Coconut Train, as The Hill’s Judy Kurtz reports.

Many organizers credit the “Win With Black Women” call for getting the ball rolling and igniting the virtual fundraiser trend. The July event drew more than 40,000 participants.

Since then, countless other calls have been organized from a dizzying number of groups, including “White Dudes for Harris,” “Cat Ladies for Kamala” and “Comics for Harris.”

Bill de Blasio helped coordinate “Paisans for Kamala” (ciao, Robert De Niro and Nancy Pelosi!), while Swifties for Kamala was up and running well before she officially endorsed Harris.

Still waiting for Comma Nerds for Kamala (Harvard Division). Shouldn’t be long now, yeah?