New Bic pens ‘for her’ spark online ridicule

Consumer product giant Bic, which has long differentiated its razors by gender, has discovered that marketing differently to men and women doesn’t necessarily go quite as smoothly when it comes to another signature product: Pens.

The products were introduced to the Canadian market in late 2011, but the growing number of derisive customer reviews of the gender-specific pens on Amazon.com are turning Bic’s marketing brainwave into a mockery.

“For years I’ve had to rely on pencils, or at worst, a twig and some drops of my feminine blood to write down recipes (the only thing a lady should be writing ever),” wisecracked one reviewer. “But, AT LAST! Bic, the great liberator, has released a womanly pen that my gentle baby hands can use without fear of unlady-like callouses and bruises. Thank you, Bic!”

Another reviewer sarcastically praised the pen for improving her drawings of kittens and ponies. “Since I’ve begun using these pens, men have found me more attractive and approachable. It has given me soft skin and manageable hair and it has really given me the self-esteem I needed to start a book club and flirt with the bag-boy at my local market … Those smart men in marketing have come up with a pen that my lady parts can really identify with.”

Yet another recommended that wives “ask your husband for some extra pocket money so you can buy one today!”

Consumer products have long been targeted towards a specific gender – from razors designed for men and women to dolls and cars marketed to little girls and boys respectively. But as old stereotypes fade, some marketers are taking notice. One Swedish toy catalogue this year featured a child dressed as Spiderman pushing a pink stroller and a blond girl driving a racecar, Swedish publication the Local reported. But earlier this year, toymaker Lego came under fire after it introduced “Lego Friends,” a line specifically aimed at girls. The set, which featured an ice cream café, prompted an online petition that earned 50,000 signatures from shoppers offended by the product.

Ken Wong, a marketing professor at Queen’s School of Business, said gender-specific products are acceptable if their unique function is directly related to an anatomical difference between the sexes. While thinner pens might genuinely benefit women, he said, Bic’s choice of stereotypical pastel colours likely pushed things too far.

“The real lesson I think for Bic is if you’re going to make a distinction between gender, it better be scientifically based,” Mr. Wong said. “If it’s tied to something that seems whimsical, I think you’re going to find yourself in a big whack of trouble.”

Bic would not agree to an interview about its “For Her” pen line. “We appreciate hearing honest feedback from all of our consumers, whether it is regarding a promotion, advertising campaign, or product,” a spokeperson said in an emailed statement. “As a global consumer products company, BIC wants to hear these important comments.”