Money

Can You Guess Which of These Women's Products Are for Real and Which Are Totally Fake?

March 31st 2016

Marketing to women can be tricky for some companies, but it's entirely necessary. "Women drive an estimated 70-80 percent of consumer spending with their purchasing power and influence," according to Female Factor. Given that women are such power spenders, many business are asking themselves, "What do women want?" In answering that question, we've seen some pretty creative products for women. Some so creative that you find yourself wondering, "Wait, is this for real?"

Can you tell which of these women's products are real and which are fake?

1. TGAP Jewellery

Thigh Gap JewelryTGAP - tgapj.com

THE PRODUCT: Like a necklace for your hips, TGap Jewellery is designed solely to show off the gap in between your thighs.

"TGap Jewellery designs accessories specifically for thigh gap," proclaims their website. "We focus on accentuating and celebrating the gap." Prices range from $175-$190.

WAIT...IS THIS FOR REAL?

Nope! It's FAKE.

Let's say you wanted to buy a piece of Thigh Gap Jewellery for yourself. Click on the product, add it to your cart, and then try to check out. When you do, you're redirected to a page that tells you the truth about this company:

"TGap Jewellery is a fictional company that sells jewelleries designed for thigh gaps. It is launched to catalyze a debate on unrealistic body image social media portrays."

Designer Soo Kyung Bae from Singapore is the brain behind the gap. "By using outrageous products, I hope to bring a provocative jolt that leads us to ponder and reflect upon what we are like as a society and the absurd things we value and obsess over — as well as how this creates unnecessary pressure for women and girls," she told Dezeen.

2. Bloody Marys Period Panties

Bloody Marys Period PantiesCuteFruitUndies/Etsy - etsy.com

THE PRODUCT: A pair of "period" undies that comes with an attachable heating pack and politician of your choice on the inside of the crotch to freely bleed on

"The most badass period panties for the most badass girls," proclaims the designer, Cute Fruit Undies. "[Features] Blood Dumpsters, aka the face of a U.S. politician who has worked to hinder women's reproductive rights is in the crotch of every pair of undies for YOU to bleed all over! As a bonus, $3 of every Bloody Marys sale goes to a Planned Parenthood located in the state affected by your chosen Blood Dumpster."

WAIT...IS THIS FOR REAL?

Ted Cruz on underwearCuteFruitUndies/Etsy - huffingtonpost.com

Yes...it's REAL!

Sarah Palatnik, founder of Cute Fruit Undies, described her undie inspiration to Huffington Post:

"The thing that inspired me is the idea of voting with your dollar. That is often the most powerful form of activism, whether we like it or not... I was already making undies with a feminist twist, so undies with a very political element was a natural progression."

3. BIC For Her

Bic for her pensStaples - staples.com

THE PRODUCT: A line of pens designed for women

These pens by BIC boast a "sleek silhouette" and "floral embossing [for] added style and fashion." They're BIC pens...but "just for her!"

WAIT...IS THIS FOR REAL?

BIC gel pens packSam's Club - samsclub.com

Yes...it's REAL!

In 2012, BIC decided that they needed to devote a line of pens specifically to women. The reaction from the majority of consumers was to mock BIC relentlessly, even three years later.

 

Amazon Reviews in particular were a special treasure trove of ranting and WTFery in the form of satire as elegant as the pens:

"Someone has answered my gentle prayers and FINALLY designed a pen that I can use all month long! I use it when I'm swimming, riding a horse, walking on the beach and doing yoga. It's comfortable, leak-proof, non-slip and it makes me feel so feminine and pretty! 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. [...] I'm positively giddy. Those smart men in marketing have come up with a pen that my lady parts can really identify with."

4. Pump Gloves

Pump Gloves for women for pumping gasPump Gloves LLC/Facebook - facebook.com

THE PRODUCT: A pair of fancy gloves designed for women to wear while pumping gas

"The days of simply driving into full service gas stations and saying, 'Fill’er up!' are, for the most part, a thing of the past," proclaims the Pump Gloves Facebook page. "Pump Gloves are Smart, Safe and Stylish gloves designed to protect a woman's hands and manicure from the gas, grease, grime, and germs that are never cleaned off gas station pumps and ATM machines."

WAIT...IS THIS FOR REAL?

Woman wearing Pump GlovesPump Gloves LLC/Facebook - facebook.com

Yes...and no.

It's easy to understand why Pump Gloves would be mistaken for a joke, for a few reasons. The biggest being that their website is no longer live, and then there's this infomercial that makes "The Room" look like "The Shawshank Redemption":

"Hey, Dawn. Come take a look at this," says a bored-sounding woman to her companion in a gas station convenience store, upon noticing the Pump Gloves display.

Dawn, not wanting to make waves, heads over. "Oh my gosh. What are they?" she asks, with all the emotion of an orange.

But Pump Gloves were indeed a real thing. They were featured on "The Today Show" and "The Doctors." However, it appears that the company has folded and you can no longer buy them.

5. Ladyball

LadyballTheLadyball/YouTube - youtube.com

THE PRODUCT: A pink sports ball for women

"Specially designed for a ladies’ game. Soft touch for a woman’s grip. Easy play for a woman’s ability. And fashion-drive for a woman’s style," says the soothing female voiceover in the Ladyball YouTube advertisement. It's unclear what sport the ball is designed for; the important thing seems to be that the ball is just for women.

WAIT...IS THIS FOR REAL?

No...it's FAKE!

To the relief of many, the Ladyball was a fake product brought to you by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and their sponsor, a European grocery store chain named Lidl. The idea was to "start a conversation about how women’s sports in general are perceived," according to The Washington Post. The YouTube video and the Ladyball Twitter account were especially convincing.

Share your opinion

Real or not, would you buy any of these products?

Yes 26%No 74%