They’re Trying to Take The Laughing Cow from Us
Is nothing sacred anymore?
When I used to come home from school as a kid, my mom often gave me a Babybel cheese to hold me over until dinner time. I made a series of creations out of the red wax that the cheese was enclosed in: a mini shirt, a vase, a smiley face, and whatever else my imagination led me to make. All these memories I have of the Laughing Cow cheese and accompanying wax are tied to one image: The Laughing Cow herself, who wore huge dangling earrings of her own face on the cheese’s logo like the absolute diva she is.
With this in mind, you can imagine my shock and horror when I saw a new TV ad for Babybel cheese about a week ago:
UM, EXCUSE ME, BUT WHERE THE FUCK IS THE COW?
As soon as I saw this advert, my mind started racing — How could they do this to her? What were the executives thinking? What does this mean for our current society? Well, after considering it all for a while, I now have a few ideas:
This “superhero” campaign is simply following in the footsteps of our current media landscape. When Disney progressed from cartoons like ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Dumbo’ to 3D animations like ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘Tangled,’ we stopped seeing as many playful and surreal drawings on TV and in movies and started watching more life-like images instead. Suddenly, before we even knew it, the cartoon cow wasn’t cutting anymore, and The Laughing Cow brand decided to move in a more “futuristic” direction, leaving the legacy of their bovine icon behind.
I also can’t help but notice the obvious Marvel-ization of Babybel in this newer advertisement. I mean, the cheeses are superheroes??? Who was even asking for that??? Now, not only does Marvel dominate the movie industry, it’s seeping into the dairy industry too. I guess nothing is sacred anymore.
It seems that brands have started overwhelmingly pandering to supporters of Trump’s administration and its characteristically fascist policies as well. The other day I saw a Jeep commercial that bragged it was “America’s most patriotic brand”. If the auto industry is trying to appeal to Trump voters, I don’t think it’s a big stretch to suggest that the food industry is changing its approach too. After all, it is pretty sexist to turn your back on The Laughing Cow herself, the mother of the entire brand whose appeal to women likely made it popular in the first place.
I swear to god if they don’t bring the Laughing Cow back, I will be taking to the streets. But until then, it’s your move, The Laughing Cow.