Total and "femmes libérées"

Every once in a while something comes up to to give us hope that the advertising/communication industry still has a future beyond the uneducated clients, the silly visuals, the corny messages and the ego-filled (un)creatives.... The new initiative by Total Liban during the month of May is an initiation session for women to teach them the basics of fixing their cars. It is pure genius! It has been confirmed to me that the people behind the campaign are Publicis-Graphics who handle the Total account, so a huge kudos to them.

As to the ad itself, it is of course based on the famous propagandist poster "we can do it!" - and it is frankly so interesting to know that there are still visually educated advertisers, able to come up with initiatives compatible with the socio-cultural needs, and who are able to produce such visually works. "Vous ne viendrez plus chez nous par hasard" (you will not come to us by chance anymore) says their incredible selling line, and yes, they ought to be encouraged for whatever they are doing.

As a small joke aside, all of this made me remember Cookie Dingler's hit "Femme Libérée" (emancipated/liberated woman) specifically the line "elle aime raconter qu'elle sait changer une roue" (she likes to say she knows how to change a flat tire)... Only to say later "elle est si fragile c'est une femme liberee" (she is so fragile she is an emancipated/liberated woman).