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Rude shop sign slammed – but do you agree?


They’re known for their cheeky and irreverent merchandise, but one Victorian shop owner has had enough of gift store Typo’s tactics, slamming their campaigns and the language used in their promo material.

Homewares shop owner Frith Cheatley took to Instagram with a snap of Typo’s advertising, with a large sign reading “The F*cking Huge Sale” hung in a store window.

The Geelong owner of Thule Trading slammed the company, writing, “Really Cotton On /Typo?!”

Really Cotton On /Typo?!😳 I often walk by the Geelong Mall to access the Post Office and / or bank. There are usually teens in the mall – some of whom have had very under privileged upbringings and for whom the Mall gatherings offer a sense of family. It’s common to hear the ‘f’ word used in their every day conversations with each other, and in their conversations on their mobiles as they walk past THULE. Not to shock. Not in anger. Just part of their vernacular. And for this (and admittedly other behaviours) these young people are often mocked and ridiculed and termed ‘Mall Rats’ by Geelong people. @cottonon ‘s @typoshop – Geelong’s global success story – use the ‘f’ word and sexual inuendo on some of their cards, and now today their Huge Sale sign. It’s really incongruous to me And for a company in their position I think disappointing and irresponsible use of their power and branding. I’ve seen beautiful cards for Typo’s original 10-15year old market sit along side cards with slogans such as ‘Keep calm and rock on with your c**k out’ and ‘Hapoy f***ing birthday’. School kids are encouraged to read signs to improve their reading skills. Walking past Cotton On / Typo on school holidays , Cotton On appears to condone and normalise the use of an inappropriate word I heard from a past Cotton On employer that in her office a common phrase to others was JFDI. After a few weeks of working there she’d asked what it meant and was told ‘Just F***ing Do It!’ Is this why obscene language is condoned in their stores? Do Cotton On /Typo staff use the ‘f’ word in their every day conversation in the office? When working with children in their admirable Foundation work? I spoke to a lovely lady at Cotton On Head office. She was gracious as I expressed my concerns. She thanked me for my concerns and would pass them on. She explained that Cotton On try things to see what the market wants and allows the market to influence what they continue with. I’ve also been told in the past that Cotton On like to shock. Maybe @cottonon / @typoshop can use their power and influence to shock us with their integrity and praiseworthy values instead? #geelongaddy #gtown

A post shared by THULE Trading (@thuletrading) on Jul 12, 2018 at 9:56pm PDT

“For a company in their position I think disappointing and irresponsible use of their power and branding.”

Claiming that the shopping mall is frequented by teens, who gather there for a “sense of family”, Frith says using swear words in such a blasé way for the purpose of branding makes no sense to her.

“I’ve seen beautiful cards for Typo’s original 10-15year old market sit along side cards with slogans such as ‘Keep calm and rock on with your c**k out’ and ‘Happy f***ing birthday’,” Frith added.

“School kids are encouraged to read signs to improve their reading skills. Walking past Cotton On / Typo on school holidays, Cotton On appears to condone and normalise the use of an inappropriate word.”

Typo is known for it’s cheeky range of giftware. Photo: Instagram/typoshop
Typo is known for it’s cheeky range of giftware. Photo: Instagram/typoshop

The photo has divided social media, with some siding with Frith.

“Totally agree with you,” wrote one supporter. “Shock value has long gone with those words – it’s just rudeness.”

“So well put completely agree,” added another parent. “My 13 year old loves typo and we are both often outraged & offended – sad really that it continues.”

Meanwhile others claim the company is simply using language that is commonplace in society today.

“The phrasing and whatnot is relatable, and part of our life now,” argued one commenter.

“I think it’s time to accept the times that we live in, move on from prehistoric views and move comfortably into the future without judging others.”


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