Two ads: one for men, one for women. Both with exactly the same premise and scenes. Except that one ends with half-naked men parading about and the other ends with half-naked women parading about. Sexist, yes. But in a hipster, post-laddish/ladette, post-ironic kind of way that only offence-seeking puritans would have a problem with.
It's done well enough and would work much better if we believed the set-up was genuine and that the test-drivers were real people. I'd love to see the outtakes of actual drivers squirming with embarrassment or declaring that, actually, they're gay. And it'd have been nice to see two completely different versions: the 'guy' ad featuring a proper pub, full English breakfasts, football and fully naked women. But then I suppose that wouldn't be French enough.
Still, it's good to see a car ad attempting something different.
This ad (promoting Posy Simmonds' Saturday Guardian piece) has been doing the rounds on Twitter these past few days. Although most often described as "brilliant!" or "inspiring", it is - as anyone with eyes can clearly see - a rather cliched response to the fact that, while some people loved Thatcher, other people hated her.
It wasn't enough, however, for them to rely on such an obvious visual comparison: they also helpfully changed the label to read "Margaret" and included a picture. Presumably this was in case the sophisticates who read The Guardian had, along with the rest of the country, lost their minds over the whole Thatcher business.
NAPAC (the National Association for People Abused in Childhood) have just launched a hard-hitting press and poster campaign that references Jimmy Savile. While I admire its pull no punches approach, and have no doubt that it'll raise awareness, I'm a little uneasy about it. Possibly because it seems to display a lack of understanding about the reasons why people who have been abused do stay silent. There's also a danger that the ad could be seen to blame them for saying nothing. If you see what I mean.
On balance, however, it's great that it's out there. If it causes debate or divides opinion, at least it's getting people talking openly about an important issue. Which is what you'd expect a good poster campaign to do.
Brilliantly creative and highly amusing, this excellent secondhand car ad (posted on Craigslist) also tells you everything you need to know about the product. The only problem is that, despite receiving thousands of views worldwide and loads of positive feedback, the car failed to sell. Which just goes to prove that if your price or product isn't right, the greatest advertising in the world won't be enough. I certainly wouldn't hand over £1000 for a piece of junk like that - no matter how much the owner made me laugh.
Click the picture above to see the ad in all its glory. And here to read an entertaining interview with its creator.
Unashamedly sentimental, this is a nicely executed film of a lovely idea: what would some rather wonderful people be up to now if they hadn't been murdered or assassinated by bigots and hatemongers?
If you fancy yourself as a professional cynic or a dedicated curmudgeon, I imagine the sound of John Lennon's Imagine alone will be enough to get you sneering. But I defy anyone to not have at least the smallest lump in their throat when they see Anne Frank as a happy old woman.
Produced for the Anti-Defamation League, it's a gentle and powerful reminder of how we can all make a difference. More than that, it's a reminder to just be nice.
There was a bit of outrage about this ad on Twitter. No surprise there: there's always outrage on Twitter.
The objections to it were mainly to do with the fact that Bertolli wouldn't have got away with an ad that portrayed three old men objectifying and abusing a young woman. Which is true, of course. But if we were being honest - instead of indulging in grandstanding moralising - we'd accept that there is something different about the situation being reversed. Old women pulling a towel away from a young man so they can photograph his genitals isn't the same as old men pulling the towel away from a young woman so they can photograph her genitals.
It isn't the same, no. But it's still pretty creepy and wrong. Ban this sick filth!
