Well, I was rather surprised.

Blushingly, so.

I had never seen an ad like this on LinkedIn, unless it had been concealed by the algo. Escaped my attention because I am asking:

  • Who is the audience on LinkedIn?
  • Don’t professionals wear makeup?
  • Don’t they look in the mirror?
  • Don’t they select and shop online?

Well, the answer to those 4 questions is yes, but dear readers, this is not what LinkedIn is all about.

This power tool is a global watercooler in a break room where the world comes to discuss matters that pertain to businesspeople, about the business of increasing the thrust of business, or seek their next position to add to a business, theirs or someone else’s.

Not an e-magazine (which it could be come with more of these ads) that exists for advertisers to plunder, with some lame copy thrown in.

So, I object to this ad.

I am not their market, admittedly, and maybe if the ad ran with an International Women’s Day theme the days before, that might be more germane to LinkedIn’s mission, but I say stop the visual abuse of beautify and objectify people, puppies/kittens, “me in the hospital” scenes, all-of-us-at-the-conference, obnoxious video ads that shock (and run for days and stop shocking and just annoy), and the rest of the more base-ic (not a typo) material being posted these days..

You know a business partner when you hear AND see them. Not just evaluate when you their looks.

You’d do best to concentrate on the cerebral as well as the emotional aspects of approaching your market.

I cannot make up this stuff!

OK, I will now step down from my soapbox.