A common ideology surrounding New Zealand men is that they should be resourceful, hands-on workers. Mitre 10 Mega's current "Easy As" promotion conveys this ideology and uses it to sell building supplies.
The Mitre 10 Mega television advertisement sends a blunt message to New Zealanders, and in particular Kiwi men: You want to be a hard worker. You want to build things yourself. You don't want help, and you don't want people to do things for you:
This ideology of men being hard-working is conveyed by the dialogue and tone of the narrator and the contrasting facial expressions of the men in the video. The narrator isn't subtle in announcing that men should enjoy construction:
"..there's the 'pay someone else to do it' type. You don't wanna be this type."
The viewers are told that they should be like the first man in the video, who builds and fixes things himself, rather than the second man, who pays other people (presumably professionals) to do the work for him. The narrator's shift in tone from a happy voice when describing the first man to a disapproving one when describing the second man also helps to convey this ideology to the audience. The contrast in facial expressions between the two men also reinforces the idea that the first man is preferable as he bears a content smile whereas the second man looks uncomfortable and perhaps dissatisfied with himself for not engaging in DIY.
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| MEN WHO AREN'T BUILDERS: "You don't wanna be this type" |
These techniques are effective in creating the ideology by appealing to people's basic wants- people want to fit in, and they want to be happy. The Mitre 10 Mega ad tells men that if they are resourceful and active in construction then they will be happy and more accepted by society.
This ideology is enforced by Mitre 10 Mega in their ad to get people to buy their products (building supplies). After telling viewers that they want to build and fix things, (and definitely don't want to be like the second man who pays workers to work for him- workers who may not shop at Mitre 10 Mega) the narrator explains that by following instructions on their website and by buying equipment from Mitre 10 Mega that you will be able to be like the first, "ideal" man. This ideology of Kiwi men shows biased thinking and does not reflect rational real-world ideals because exchanging money (which is worked for) for skilled services can be a sensible option in many cases. It is also not a fair or realistic ideology for many people who lack the physical capabilities required to perform construction (ie. people with disabilities) or people who simply don't have enough time to dedicate to such tasks (such as travelling businessmen or students in higher education).
This ideology affects the targeted group by making men feel like it's important that they build things and fix problems themselves. At the end of the advertisement, the viewers are told: "DIY, it's in our DNA". This message implies that it is natural to want to engage in DIY, and therefore men who do not get involved in building things are not normal. This ideology can have a large impact on the target audience, especially those men who don't fit the ideology, as it makes them feel less manly. It is these people, represented by the DIY-hesitant second man, who the marketing campaign is primarily aimed at. When confronted with the opportunity to build or fix things, those people who submit to the ideology (in order to be a "normal" or "favourable" man) are likely to take on the job themselves and purchase supplies from Mitre 10 Mega.
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| DIY: "It's in our DNA" |
The ideology doesn't only affect the thinking of the target group, however; it can also shape the way that society perceives the men around them. For example, constructive men could be seen as more attractive to women than non-constructive men due to their perceived greater masculinity. Men who avoid construction could also be more prone to sitting lower in the hierarchy of social groups and workplaces than the idealistic DIY-men.
There are few ideologies in New Zealand as strong as the resourceful, DIY-loving Kiwi bloke, and Mitre 10 Mega uses this ideology and its social impact as a way to sell their building supplies.
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