The Cleavage Campaign

August 14th, 2009 Posted by Suzy Ogé

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What do you think of the German Political Campaign poster making headlines around the world this summer? Scandalous, using sex to sell? Objectifiying women’s bodies to get votes? A sleazy superficial PR stunt in a time of serious political and economic issues to address?

As a modern feminist, personally engaged in the daily pursuit of helping women achieve professional success and equality, I have to ask myself, “Why do I love this campaign poster?”.

My first reaction was shock at the sight of Chancellor Merkel’s Cleavage. Somehow I missed the global coverage (or lack there of) by tabloids like the NY Times, when she revelaed debuted the dress at the Opening of Oslo’s Opera House last year.

It was the reactions of the German voters interviewed on the streets by CNN this week that won we over to Vera Lengsfeld’s camp(aign). Many of those interviewed were not impressed, some amused, but most were uptight and therefore support Vera Lengsfeld’s claim that Germans need to both wake up and lighten up, in general.

Vera Lengsfeld ‘s decision to build a campaign around this photo is to some, offensive, but to me, brilliant. Irony wins. First of all, she is from the Christian Democartic Party. How funny is that? From a Marketing perspective, she knows her target market (not conservatives). Her electoral district is known as alternative and overwhelmingly in support of the more liberal Green Party.

Secondly, Merkel and Lengsfeld have both reached the age where our culture deems women can no longer be sexy, so humor it shall be with a wink to the women’s movement.

Breasts; bra burning and topless sunbathing have long been part of the women’s movement. Recent studies in France show topless sunbathing is out of fashion with young women, but still popular with women over 50, who associate it with the struggle for freedom and choices as women.

The current trend of topless vacation photos among world leaders from Putin (enough please), to Sarkozy and Obama, all strutting their stuff in surf and sand, might signal that Lengsfeld has an even higher ambition for International Politics?