“You look better bald… said no-one ever.” That’s the sentence on a digital billboard in Auckland that’s dividing views with one critic calling it cruel and “body shaming”.

The owner of the contentious ad, an Australian-based medical tourism company called Asthetica, says it is their most successful campaign globally.

But the digital billboard on display in Auckland has been slated online by New Zealand based author Sarah Ritchie as harmful and outdated.

In a LinkedIn post Ritchie says the ad for hair transplants in Turkey, is not clever, nor aspiration.

“It’s body shaming, plain and simple, and – frankly – quite cruel.

“The message implies that being bald is something to be embarrassed about. That approach is not just outdated, it’s harmful.”

She says baldness is natural, common and doesn’t diminish anyone’s worth, confidence or attractiveness.

“Ads like this fuel insecurity in order to sell a product or service. I know that’s the way of the world, but it’s not ethical marketing — it’s exploitation. Asthetica — do better.”

Opinions are mixed in Auckland’s CBD with one man telling RNZ people have gone “soft” and others saying they can see the humour in the ad.

One woman says it’s funny to see men being targeted in the media instead of women, while others agree the ad assumes baldness is undesirable.

“I guess it’s better to embrace all body types and appearances and not take digs at anyone,” one woman says.

But Asthetica founder and chief executive David Allen told RNZ the aim of the ad is to provoke.

“As with any advertising the idea is to provoke, and whilst we’re not choosing to offend anybody we certainly do want to provoke.

“And that is a campaign that’s actually been running on that billboard for probably on and off for the past year-and-a-half, two years.

“In fact, we’ve run it globally and it’s one of the most successful campaigns.”

Allen says he was “follically challenged”.

“I was bald and I had a hair transplant. I was my first customer and it changed my life.

“The whole idea is this is meant to be tongue-in-cheek.”

Allen says the ad can’t be compared to women’s magazines, which have historically body-shamed women.

“We’re not doing that. What we’re trying to do is actually just do a bit of light-heartedness and the people that are offended by it are not the people that are targeted by it.”

Allen claims it’s a fact that everyone wants to look younger and better.

“The thing with when you lose your hair, it prematurely ages you. There is nothing like having your hair back to take 10 to15 years off your life.”

When asked if it’s possible to market the cosmetic surgeries without “overtly negative comments,” Allen says he doesn’t believe the ad is overtly negative.

“I mean I was bald myself – I’m not offended by that.

“The fact that a middle-aged woman got upset about it and started banging the drum, she’s not our target audience.”

So what about Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Stanley Tucci, Michael Jordon or Tyson Beckford?

Asked if he would feel comfortable substituting the word bald with, “You look better fat, said no-one ever,” Allen replied that he was somebody who was bald “so it’s not offensive”.

Asked whether Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Stanley Tucci, Michael Jordon and Tyson Beckford are good-looking men, Allen says that’s not the issue.

“Of course they’re good-looking men… but go onto any dating website and you’ll see there are hundreds of ads on those dating websites where woman say ‘No bald men’…

“And we get so many men that come to us that are struggling to find dates with women because of the hair and because it’s prematurely aged them.

“And we changed their lives. Literally having a hair transplant changes somebody’s life and gives them so much confident, makes them look younger, gives them energy back.”

Julian Maloney of Maloney’s Barbershop in downtown Auckland says bald heads are in style.

Are ultra-buzz cuts the new black?

Maloney, 54, who’s been cutting hair since the late 1980s, says there are plenty of trendsetters who prefer a bald head including former client Dave Dobbyn.

While many men choose baldness, Maloney says it’s often because they have male pattern baldness and prefer no hair at all to hair on the sides and back.

“For the first time I’ve seen a couple of younger guys, in their 20s, would be what I’d call fashion-forward, maybe one or two steps ahead of where fashion’s going and they’re getting short haircuts, like buzzing it off.”

Not bald but closely cropped, he says. It’s the opposite of what’s been trending – which is medium to long hair.

Being bald is not unusual these days, Maloney says.

“It’s just a mainstream haircut.”

He calls the billboard ad shocking and says it’s “not great marketing”.

Maloney himself says he’s thinning a little now and ready to embrace baldness, and one day soon – once there’s no turning back, he’ll be shaving it all off.

rnz.co.nz

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