Rivers eroticisation of violence a deadly deal for women

Rivers uses 'dead' women to sell clothing

We were recently alerted to the front page of River's latest catalogue, '10 deadly deals.' We have previously written about Rivers' objectification of women here. It seems River's have decided that even 'dead' women are to be objectified and used to sell products.

Image source here.

Keturah contacted Melinda Tankard Reist about the catalogue which she found in the lift out of her local paper.  She shared with us the letter she sent to Rivers:

This week in my free local newspaper I received the Rivers Catalogue
4: "10 Deadly Deals". It is not he first time I have been shocked by the
image on the front cover of a Rivers brochure.

My family and I shop at the Nowra Rivers store and consider their products
to be wholesome/Australian country in style. Therefore, I cannot understand
why the Rivers marketing team have lowered themselves to using images
advertising that demoralise and objectify women in their advertising. The
salient image on the front cover of Catalogue 4 is of a dead woman clad in
fish-net stockings and black stilettos sprawled on the floor, protruding
from underneath a couch.
Apart from this the woman appears to be naked. Under the heading "10 Deadly
Deals", I find that this image is very morbid and glamorises the
victimisation of women.

I have two daughters and believe that women should be allowed to feel
confident and respected. Too much in our media objectifies and eroticises
women (even in death!). This is not sexy. It's promoting violence against
women and I am quite disappointed. Surely there are other, more intelligent
ways to advertise Rivers products. If I continue to see Rivers advertising
in such a misogynistic way I will seriously consider discontinuing shopping
from Rivers.

Rivers, in response to your '10 deadly deals' we wish to offer you a deal of our own:

Stop using images of objectified and now dead women to sell your products or we won't be shopping at Rivers anymore.

Take Action!

Contact the Advertising Standards Board here, via their online complaints form.

Contact Rivers

email: [email protected]

Owner of Rivers

Phillip  Goodman P.O Box  7034 Hawthorn North

Please share with us any letters you have written in the comments below, as well as any responses you receive.