What the Falklands, Argentina? #FdAdFriday

Oh, my. Argentina really is poking the bear. (Or rather, the bulldog.)

In this new spot for Argentina's Olympic team, field hockey captain Fernando Zylberberg run through the Falklands, and (according to Yahoo! News) ends his workout "on the island's Great War Memorial, which honours British sailors who died in World War I".

The tagline then claims the islands as "Argentine soil"...

For those of you not born yet 30 years ago, at the time Great Britain and Argentina went to war over the desolate British territorial islands off the southern coast of South America. 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel and three Falkland Islanders died during the conflict, which the Brits won.

Argentina has never given up its claim to the islands, however, and has been making increasingly threatening statements about having another go at them.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague was unimpressed by this attempt to politicize the Olympics:

"Of course in Britain we remain absolutely steadfast in our support for the self determination of the Falkland Islanders and we will always support that," he added.

"It is a rather sad stunt, it won't impress anybody in the world. We are not do going to take any actual action in response to it."

London Mayor blocks "cure your gayness" transit campaign

The above king board was supposed to run on several buses in London, England, next week. That is, until the city's mayor intervened.

According to the Guardian, the ad by "Christian" organization Core Issues was blocked by London Mayor Boris Johnson in his capacity as Chair of Transport for London.

In case you haven't noticed, it parodies the popular human rights slogan, "Some people are gay. Get over it!"

He defeated the frickin' Balrog, so you may want to heed him.

Surprisingly, the Advertising Standards Authority, which bans every ad that upsets even a couple of people, cleared the creative in advance.

"We went through the correct channels and we were encouraged by the bus company to go through their procedures," Core Issues Trust leader Mike Davidson told the press.

But the Conservative Mayor would have none of it. "London is one of the most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance," he said. "It is clearly offensive to suggest that being gay is an illness that someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion driven around London on our buses."

Core Issues is crying "censorship" which is their prerogative. But assuming homosexuality is something you're born into, these ads as bad as promoting programmes to teach people to stop being Swedish, or stop being female.

Brian Paddick, the Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate, is gay. He made light of the situation.

"As mayor I want to make London a place that is welcoming to all people," he quipped, "including Christians."

Hot dog stuffed crust pizza is a thing now

That Pizza Hut unleashed this abomination will not surprise anyone. That it was Pizza Hut UK, not USA, that did it first, however, may come as a shock.

It also comes with "free mustard drizzle".

Gah. Let's just ladle some gravy on it and call it a day.


Via Buzzfeed and Gizmodo

How to Handle a Sex Pest

When I saw this video (and the title "How to Handle a Sex Pest") on the Viral Videos Facebook page, I assumed it was a social marketimng message about sexual harassment. I was wrong.



No, this "choose your own adventure" interactive YouTube is actually a promotional video for Elsie, a British pop singer I had not heard of until this morning.

The video is disturbing, but not in the way you would expect. The options to get rid of the "sex pest" are pretty violent (see above) and the viewer gets an opportunity to let the guy "get revenge" at the end.


The explanation:

"Every girl out there knows this guy -- the horny, crotch-thrusting dancer who just won't leave you alone in the club. They see a bit of booty and think they can touch. Watch Elsie go on the attack and show how us girls WISH we could deal with sex pests."

It's as if it's all a game. Not a violation of personal space, not harassment, unwanted sexual touching or even assault. Just a bit of fun.

And this is, of course, just a video. But every message matters. And it can make things better or worse.

Which do you think this is? Harmless fun, or bad idea?

Ziggy Street

It's certainly one of my favourite album covers.  Shot by photographer Brian Ward in January 1972 photographer Brian Ward outside a fur distribution company called "K. West" at 23 Heddon Street, London. According to The Ziggy Stardust Companion, the entire shoot was done in black and white, then colourized in those saturated tones. (You can see some outtakes here.)

"To be played at maximum volume."

The side street has apparently changed quite a bit in 40 years. But just this week, the Crown Estate mounted a "Blue Plaque" at the site to commemorate its historical significance.

Unveiled by the dude from Spandau Ballet. Remember them?

Now that David Bowie is seemingly retired, I hope this kind of thing doesn't make him feel too old.

But then again, he's the one who said we only had five years...

Thanks to Mark B for the tip.

Kate Moss ad sends four to hospital #FdAdFriday

And it wasn't for anorexia nervosa. Or even too much partying.

E! reports that four London pedestrians were hospitalized Wednesday when the hoarding on which a poster of the famously waifish supermodel collapsed on a busy shopping thoroughfare.

The newly-married Kate Moss has recently signed on as the face of Mango, and this ad was part of a series shot by Terry Richardson.


One fashion victim suffered a possible back injury, while the rest sustained minor injuries.

Thanks to reader Mark B. for the tip.

British GQ presents a bunch of male comedians and Oliva Wilde's breasts #FdAdFriday

I'm still waiting for the punchline.



Via Buzzfeed

The least appropriate use of female sexuality in point-of-sale... ever

AdFreak shared this bizarre standee from Germany, advertising Jack Link's beef jerky.

There is simply no way I want to associate leathery preserved meat with sex. Hell, I didn't even like it when Lady Gaga wore fresh steak.

A little Gooogling revealed that not only is this campaign well known in Europe, but Jack's links actually teamed up with Maxim UK to run a contest across the continent to find the next "Jack's Girl".

Here's the winner, "Tillie T from Nottingham, UK":

Somehow, I don't think this beer will sell well in the UK #pong

The Consumerist shared the news about this new brand of beer made specifically for American students' drinking games.

Beer pong is similar to the "quarters"game I played in high school, but uses ping pong balls rather than coins. The object is the same: get one in the glass, and your opponent has to drink. (Since your coordination diminishes the more you lose, it's pretty much a guaranteed puke for someone. Lovely.)

According to the Pong Beer site:

"We are beer fanatics committed to providing the highest quality, most flavorful, premium product at a reasonable price.  

Pong Beer is brewed using only the finest natural ingredients to produce an exceptionally crisp, smooth, and refreshing light beer."

 A "crisp, smooth, and refreshing light beer"? Great. But the brand name also brings to mind an unfortunate bit of British slang:

Obscure? The thesaurus entry even has a picture:

Probably not a problem for the brewers, though, since the Brits probably already think most mainstream American beer is pongy...

Street-artist-turned-copywriter shouldn't quit his day job

Martin sent me an interesting link to an item about Scottish artist Robert Montgomery, who spends his evenings pasting over outdoor advertising with his anti-consumerist poetry.

Great idea, but I find the poetry kind of awful. It makes me think of an angry 19-year-old, who has just discovered anarchism, scrawling away in his notebook at Starbucks in the hope that the girl behind the counter will notice how deep and dark he is.

Too harsh? The other point against this work is that, while the artist admits he has vandalized billboards "without permission" before, these installations are authorized. (And even when he was doing it illegally, the police couldn't be bothered to arrest him.)

If you don't know me, you may assume I am trashing this stuff because I make my living in advertising. Not so. I love subversive shit. I just find this subversion forced, false and boring. If you're going to subject the public to copy like this, you might as well slap a logo on it and get paid.

Ad hackers play into admen's hands #FdAdFriday

The defacement of public advertising can be brilliant and entertaining, as in the recent Mad Men teaser poster hacks in NYC. And then there's this:

The Drum writes:

Peter Davis, executive creative director of [Powownow agency] gyro Manchester, commented: “Our new campaign for Powwownow has been made to court with controversy, so we’re pleased to see it’s already doing just that. If our character is already causing widespread offence then many people won’t like some of the things we have planned for him - this is only the beginning! We all have preconceptions about free services – ‘if it’s free, it must be bad!’ To confront this idea, we’ve created an obnoxious fictional businessman that spends money lavishly and dislikes anything that’s free – especially Powwownow. Our "more sense than money" campaign drives the idea that actually, you don’t have to pay a premium to get a great quality service.”

In Plain English: the guy in the ads is supposed to be an asshole and the copy is supposed to piss you off.

So, whoever got enraged enough to risk arrest and fine by stating the obvious on this ad actually did the advertiser a tremendous favour. I wouldn't be surprised if future campaigns of this kind actually hire people to deface the ads. (Maybe that's what's happening with the Mad Men meme - you never know.)

Being an ironic asshole in your advertising, by the way, has a history of backfiring. Remember the Groupon dogpile during last year's Super Bowl? People are just not that clever.

ASA okays furry fandom SIMS ad for UK

"Are you an animal person? Well, not like me cos most people are made up entirely of person. And if you're a person person, then you'd be missing out on the duality of life. With the Sims 3 Pets you can have a pet or be a pet. You can play both ways. So, go on, experiment. Chase some tail. Play with life".

According to BoingBoing, Britain's Advertising Standards Authority (who always make for good blog) received a complaint about the sexualized nature of this ad, featuring both people and animals (as well as people as animals):



From the ASA site:

"A TV ad, for a console game, included an animated character that had a human body and a dog's head. It stated "Are you an animal person? Well, not like me cos most people are made up entirely of person. And if you're a person person, then you'd be missing out on the duality of life. With the Sims 3 Pets you can have a pet or be a pet. You can play both ways. So, go on, experiment. Chase some tail. Play with life". The ad also included animated scenes of a man playing a guitar surrounded by animals and other people. He was also shown in a bath and then appeared about to kiss a woman on a bed."

Issue

1. Some of the complainants challenged whether the ad, in particular the scene with the couple on a bed, was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.

2. Most of the complainants challenged whether the ad, in particular the scene with the couple on a bed, was suitable to be broadcast when children might be watching.

...


Assessment

1. Not upheld

The ASA considered the presentation of the ad was such that it was clear that it was for a videogame and that the scenarios shown were not a reflection of real life. We acknowledged some viewers might find the content of the ad, in particular the scene of the couple on the bed, distasteful but considered most viewers were likely to interpret it as being light hearted and mildly suggestive, rather than as being overtly sexual. We therefore concluded that it was not likely to cause serious or widespread offence.

On this point, we investigated the ad under BCAP Code rule 4.2 (Harm and offence) but did not find it in breach.

2. Not upheld

We considered the scene of the couple on the bed was mildly suggestive but noted it was brief and that although they appeared about to kiss, kissing did not take place. We considered the ad did not include anything that was likely to cause harm or distress to children or was otherwise unsuitable for them. We therefore concluded that the ad did not breach the Code.

On this point, we investigated the ad under BCAP Code rule 32.3 (Scheduling of television and radio advertisements) but did not find it in breach."

So go ahead, Britons! Get your yiff on...

A perfect Harley-Davidson ad

"Hand-picked by the establishment"

And that's all I have to say about it.

Via Ads of The World

Steel Panther poster banned in UK for sexy/sexist imagery

Spinal Tap would be so proud.



Indeed. Steel Panther are yet another parody band who do the material so well that people take it seriously. At least that's what happened when this outrageously over-the-top poster appeared in the UK last fall.

The Guardian reports that the ASA, the UK's notoriously ninny ad standards enforcer, did not accept the argument that that the ads were meant to "poke fun at the ridiculousness of the attitude to women, outfits and music in that [1980s] era".

Here's the ruling in full:

"The ASA noted Universal Island Records' argument that the poster was not meant to cause offence or be seen as demeaning to women.  However, we considered that the main image on the poster was overtly sexual.  We noted that the pose of the woman showed her with her legs apart, her hand between her legs and her breasts partially exposed and considered that her facial expression was suggestive of an orgasm and sexual activity.  In addition to this, we considered that the album title "Balls Out" was sexually suggestive particularly when viewed in the context of the poster, where the woman was seen dangling two silver balls between her legs in a way that we considered was suggestive of male genitalia. 

We noted Universal Island Records' argument that the poster was meant to be viewed humorously and not to be taken seriously as it was meant to represent the over-the-top image of the band featured in the poster.  However, we considered that most people would not view the poster in this way and even if they had viewed it in that context, the poster was overtly sexual when taken as a whole.  Given its placement in a range of public locations, we concluded that it was likely to cause serious and widespread offence, was unsuitable to be seen by children and therefore was not appropriate for outdoor advertising."

Universal had stated that their media plan favoured locations that are "popular with adults for nights out" but since the campaign is over now anyway, it hardly matters.

What is interesting about all of this is the struggle between artistic licence in the pursuit of laughs and real-life standards against sexism, racism, and other social ills. It's such a fine line...




Tip via Adland

With two words, I will completely ruin this campaign for you.

BLOW

JOB

Sorry.

Via Ads of The World

F'd Ad Fridays: Effing awesome intermission film

Casey sent me this awesomeness by the British show Look Around You. They had a screening of their best shorts from the past ten years screened at the British Film Institute, and they made this special intermission film for the occasion:

2012's first epic social media fail brought to you by Volkswagen

For months, Greenpeace UK has been campaigning against Volkswagen's corporate opposition to new environmental laws in Europe.

According to Greenpeace's Star Wars themed campaign site (making fun of VW's Darth Vader Super Bowl ad):

"VW opposes key environmental laws we need if we’re going to stop our planet going the way of Alderaan (bye bye). But all is not lost. We feel the good in Volkswagen.
All of us in the Rebellion are calling on Volkswagen to turn away from the Dark Side and give our planet a chance. 

Despite its green image, Volkswagen is spending millions of Euros every year funding lobby groups who are trying to stop Europe increasing its commitment to greenhouse gas reductions from 20% to 30% by 2020. Progressive companies – from Google to Ikea, Sony, Unilever and Philips – support the target. Volkswagen can’t afford to be left behind. 

More efficient cars are cheaper to run, use less oil and emit less CO2. Volkswagen has a history of lobbying against the strong European standards that we need to kick our oil addiction. As the biggest car company in Europe, with the biggest responsibility, VW must change and support strong standards from now on. 

Volkswagen says it wants to be “the most eco-friendly automaker in the world”, but only 6% of the cars it sold in 2010 were its most efficient models. It has the technology to do better. VW must set out its plan to make its entire fleet oil-free by 2040."

The "Rebel Alliance" at Greenpeace seems to have found its Death Star: Volkswagen UK's Facebook page:

After the company's admin posted an innocent-enough update, "We hope you had a fantastic New Year. Do you have any resolutions and what would you like to see us do more of this year?" the dogfight began. Almost 1000 damning comments, as of this writing, and not one response.

While the organized criticism itself will become a cautionary tale for many big brands on social media, the moral of the story will be lost on most. The key to being an effective social brand is not avoiding, deleting or even ignoring criticism; it is engaging the negative.

Chapstick figured that out the hard way when a fairly tame campaign idea went totally off the rails and they responded by deleting negative comments. Commenters just went elsewhere to vent, and the brand lost a key opportunity to learn more about its audience.

Eventually, they saw the light and issued this abject apology:

“We see that not everyone likes our new ad, and please know that we certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone! Our fans and their voices are at the heart of our new advertising campaign, but we know we don’t always get it right. We’ve removed the image and will share a newer ad with our fans soon!  

“We apologize that fans have felt like their posts are being deleted and while we never intend to pull anyone’s comments off our wall, we do comply with Facebook guidelines and remove posts that use foul language, have repetitive messaging, those that are considered spam-like (multiple posts from a person within a short period of time) and are menacing to fans and employees.” 

Volkswagen, on the other hand, is either too negligent or too scared to respond on their own Facebook page. And that's a real failure to communicate.

In my experience, every brand or cause has an answer to criticism that won't necessarily be widely accepted, but is rational and at least partly valid. There are two sides to every argument, especially when it comes to awkward issues like greenwashing and corporate social responsibility.

Volkswagen UK is being called to task on its side of the story.

On their corporate site, they claim:

"We care as much as you do about the environment so we design our cars to have minimal impact on it at every stage: during manufacture, while on the road and at the end of their lives. 

Of course, we also want you to enjoy driving your Volkswagen. That means our engineers are constantly working to produce cars that offer great performance with better fuel economy and fewer harmful emissions. Our Golf BlueMotion for example, is currently one of the most fuel efficient cars of it class, with CO2 emissions of just 99g/km thanks to its start/stop technology and regenerative braking. Click here to find out more about our BlueMotion technologies. 

We also use recycled and recyclable materials where possible and the most environmentally friendly construction techniques 

A car doesn't just have an impact on the environment when it's being driven on the road. Download Viavision to see the whole story - from factory to shredder - and to understand how Volkswagen is working to minimise energy consumption, emissions and waste throughout a vehicle's life. 

So when you decide to drive one of our cars you can feel you're making a choice for a better future, too. 

Please visit our Mobility and sustainability website or download our mobility and sustainability report for more information on what Volkswagen are doing in the area of mobility and sustainability."

But if the Greenpeace accusations of corporate lobbying against tighter environmental standards is true, then they have some 'splainin to do. And that's exactly what they should do... not in the echo chamber of their fan base, but to their most vocal detractors. They should explain what the truth is, what their motives are, and how that fits into their brand. Whether Greenpeace members agree with it or not, they will at least have had their day in court on social media. And if they handle themselves rationally, respectfully, and truthfully (even if it's just "their" truth) they can use this as an opportunity to repair and even grow the reputation of their brand.

...or not. It's been two days already, and the PR nightmare is going global.

Update: AdFreak picked up this story, and includes the Greenpeace ad:

More hysterical censorship from the UK

Source

This transit ad, from the UK's Marks & Spencer chain, has been banned by the kingdom's ad regulator for being too sexy.

From their ruling:

"We noted the complainants’ concerns that this ad, displayed on buses, was likely to be seen by children. We considered that most children viewing the ad would understand that the poster was advertising lingerie and, as such, the models would not be fully clothed. We considered that the pose of the woman lying on the bed was only mildly sexual in nature, and as a result was unlikely to be seen as unsuitable to be seen by children. However, we considered that the pose of the woman kneeling on the bed was overtly sexual, as her legs were wide apart, her back arched and one arm above her head with the other touching her thigh. We also noted that the woman in this image wore stockings. We considered that the image was of an overtly sexual nature and was therefore unsuitable for untargeted outdoor display, as it was likely to be seen by children. We concluded that the ad was socially irresponsible."

If you read this blog, you know my stand on this. Using sex to sell everything is just lazy. Objectifying women in ads is insulting. But those are my opinions, not things I want regulated.

I honestly believe that we, as consumers, need to decide for ourselves what we are willing to tolerate from advertisers. Sexual exploitation of women in ads is so commonplace, in ads aimed at both men and women, that I'm surprised it has any breakthrough potential at all anymore. My 7-year-old son, just last weekend, was stopped in his tracks by a larger-than-life POP poster at Sears showing a woman in see through underwear. But that stopping power wears off. (In his case, he just blurted out "booby covers!" and laughed.)

You can choose to complain to a business about their ads. Or you can choose to not do business with them. You can choose to complain to the owner of the media. But this knee-jerk banning that's happening with the ASA in the UK really seems over the top to me. Plus, it only works into the offending advertisers hands by giving people a reason to take notice of their ads.

Generally, in social marketing, we feel that it's more effective to recognize and reinforce good behaviour than punish and shame bad. Imagine if organizations like the ASA put more of their efforts into celebrating the advertisers who are "socially responsible",  giving them the free PR while the naughty ones languished in the oversaturated sexy soup of the ad landscape. Wouldn't that be nice?

Via The Drum and The Telegraph