Ads with boobs. Heh, heh, heh.
I've run afoul of the political correctness police a few times myself, so I'm hardly a candidate to become indignant when an ad displays
a woman's ample cleavage. (In the interest of being balanced, the link to the ad is over at Adrants, where they have a perspective that's different than mine.)
New York's Advertising Week, an event I've already weighed in on, has many worked into a lather with the print effort that promotes the festivities. It seems to be based on the old chestnut that sex sells — even when it's an industry most people have decided is clueless.
Fact is, it's not the sexist nature that I find disappointing. It's the turd-like qualities of the ad that are so disheartening. This seems like a student idea straight out of Creative 101 at the School of Visual Arts — it hardly provides an especially compelling reason for someone to advertise. Worse, I can practically hear the fossilized creaive executives at DDB as they reviewed the idea.
"So it's this photo of a woman with a really great rack, right? And she's undone an extra button, right? And then it says: Advertising. We all do it."
"Oh, man, that's great. And it's gonna be a really hot babe, right?"
"Oh, yeah. She's gotta be really hot."
This would be followed by much discussion about that woman from the soda commercial they shot back in '85. You remember, that totally hot one.
The ad was the work of DDB, the same massive agency that is relaunching — relaunching! — Subaru by using "Dust in the Wind" as the track in spots for the new Tribeca.
Finally, let me be clear about something so I don't get lumped in with morals and values types. If you hang around me long enough, you'll soon realize I'm not light on the profanity or short of testosterone-fueled thoughts that occasionally spill out as inappropriate comments. But at a time when our industry is desperately seeking credibility, this ad makes us look ridiculous. Like a bunch of clowns, really.
It seems the advertising industry is actually like many brands right now. We'd probably be better off if we didn't advertise at all.
a woman's ample cleavage. (In the interest of being balanced, the link to the ad is over at Adrants, where they have a perspective that's different than mine.)
New York's Advertising Week, an event I've already weighed in on, has many worked into a lather with the print effort that promotes the festivities. It seems to be based on the old chestnut that sex sells — even when it's an industry most people have decided is clueless.
Fact is, it's not the sexist nature that I find disappointing. It's the turd-like qualities of the ad that are so disheartening. This seems like a student idea straight out of Creative 101 at the School of Visual Arts — it hardly provides an especially compelling reason for someone to advertise. Worse, I can practically hear the fossilized creaive executives at DDB as they reviewed the idea.
"So it's this photo of a woman with a really great rack, right? And she's undone an extra button, right? And then it says: Advertising. We all do it."
"Oh, man, that's great. And it's gonna be a really hot babe, right?"
"Oh, yeah. She's gotta be really hot."
This would be followed by much discussion about that woman from the soda commercial they shot back in '85. You remember, that totally hot one.
The ad was the work of DDB, the same massive agency that is relaunching — relaunching! — Subaru by using "Dust in the Wind" as the track in spots for the new Tribeca.
Finally, let me be clear about something so I don't get lumped in with morals and values types. If you hang around me long enough, you'll soon realize I'm not light on the profanity or short of testosterone-fueled thoughts that occasionally spill out as inappropriate comments. But at a time when our industry is desperately seeking credibility, this ad makes us look ridiculous. Like a bunch of clowns, really.
It seems the advertising industry is actually like many brands right now. We'd probably be better off if we didn't advertise at all.
posted by Dean Gemmell at 6:41 AM
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