I’ve always been a great fan of Fairfax, the publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald. For me, its publications have always stood for quality. Personally, despite may people thinking otherwise, I still think Fairfax publications are amongst the best in Australia.

That’s why I was surprised to see the above ad being featured prominently on the Sydney Morning Herald website during the past few weeks.

I’m not going to comment on the ad itself; I think most reasonably intelligent people understand what this type of advertising is about, and who it’s trying to target, and can draw some conclusions of their own.

By running this kind of advertising Fairfax is undermining its position in the market place. It’s giving credibility to a organisation that may not warrant that kind of implicit endorsement.

I would argue that even in tough times, when advertising inventory may be harder to sell, it’s still important for publishers to protect their brands.

On the other hand, there have been many changes at Fairfax lately, so this may be where management is trying to position its brand.

For the sake of an Australian icon, I hope not.