Keep the global brand of the porn industry off our girls – boycott Diva
Playboy has been very clever with its marketing, establishing its brand on doona covers, pencil cases, wallets, keyrings, stationery, make-up, youth clothing ranges and even embedded into children’s movies such as Hop. I’ve written about this before.
Now DIVA is the latest company to pimp the Playboy brand to girls as young as nine, promoting the idea that porno chic is cool.
DIVA is very popular with young girls. The company is contributing to the normalising and mainstreaming of the Playboy brand. Girls are being targeted with the major brand of the global sex industry, founded by pornographer Huge Hefner who is responsible for the exploitation of female sexuality on a global scale. As a result many girls are walking 
billboards for a sex industry brand while being told it’s just about a cute rabbit.
Here’s our post on the issue on the Collective Shout site:
Diva, the jewellery and accessories store popular with teenage girls, is now selling Playboy branded jewellery.
Through use of cute love heart logos, invitations to ‘BFF us on Facebook’ and girls magazine promos, Diva are directly marketing to young girls. So why is Diva wanting to dress them up in a Pornography brand?
‘Playboy’ is not just a ‘cute bunny’, but represents the global brand of the pornography industry. We’ve previously written about how Playboy has infiltrated the mainstream market creating brand familiarity with young people. Playboy is now branding bed sheets, make-up and even energy drinks. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has previously said “I don’t care if a baby holds up a Playboy bunny rattle.” What is then forgotten is Playboy’s core business – pornography.
Among the other Playboy items on sale at Diva is a playboy bunny ‘bowtie’ necklace. Presumably for little girls who want to look like ‘Playboy Bunnies?’ What is Diva thinking?
Diva announced their new Playboy range on Facebook and received some negative responses:
Some of the comments include:
‘Ok so I’m not being a prude (my job is in the adult industry) but playboy is PORN…. Nude magazines, porn films… Ect and i know that diva is REALLY popular amongst girls aged like what 9-16? Diva should be about encouraging girls to empower themselves and their individuality. Not letting a girl aged 14 to year a bunny necklace that shows all she wants to do in life is be a dumb blonde who wants to be in porn and get with an old guy. Seriously diva, thought SO much better than this tacky crap….’
‘Totally agree Nadine. I have two little girls and they were my thoughts also.‘
‘Very disappointed. Will look totally off sitting next to the Disney princess section.’
Take Action!
Write to Diva here: contact@diva.net.au
You can let them know what you think on their Facebook page here.
Tweet them on Twitter here.
Phone them: 02 9938 3311 or 1300 348 228
More contact details for Diva can be found here.
Tell Diva to withdraw their Playboy range or you will boycott their store.
See also: ‘Tell Playboy and Diva our little girls are off limits’, Collett Smart
September 29th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
If girls think it’s all about a cute rabbit, it means Playboy has been successful in normalising and mainstreaming pornography. Which is exactly the point we’re trying to make – it’s subtle and sneaky and that’s what makes it dangerous.
Even aside from the marketing to girls (which is bad enough), I simply don’t want to support a company that so blatantly supports the porn industry. People can say, “It’s just a cute, fun brand” until they’re blue in the face, but ultimately where do you think the money goes when Playboy products are sold? To rescue kittens? Yeah, hardly. It goes back into the porn industry, to make more porn that degrades and abuses women, harms men and damages relationships. That’s not cute, and not fun, and not something I want to support, no matter how many people are “excited” about the brand.
September 29th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Unfortunately it appears from my browsing and posting on the Diva facebook page that some girls do think it’s all about the cute rabbit. There are also adults posting there who encourage that point of view (and encourage the kids to keep thinking that.)
I’m encouraged by the men and women who persistently state that the marketing of a porn brand in a shop frequented by children is innappropriate. I’m also encouraged by the quick action of Collective Shout to organise a petition, and the members who have already contacted Diva.
Predictably anyone who objects has been labeled “prude”, “stupid”, “stay at home mum”, along with “unattractive and aged”. Same old arguments trotted out time after time. It’s so important to keep fighting!
October 25th, 2011 at 9:43 am
Glad to note that my daughter (age 10) declined a second-hand T-shirt with a Playboy logo. Not so glad – in fact, furious – about Diva. Looks like I’ll have to find another place to buy fun, cheap jewellery – bother!