D̶a̶r̶k̶ Chocolate

Is this ad racist? Naomi Campbell thinks it is. Here's what she says: "I am shocked. It's upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women and black people." She's going so far as to file a lawsuit. Cadbury has firmly refused to pull the ad. In my opinion I think she's just pissed off because she isn't getting anything for what she perceives as Cadbury's use of her name. I can't see how she thinks this is racist. Although you do have to remember that this woman is one of the kindest and gentlest in the country and would never do anything to hurt another soul. Oh wait.
I do feel however that Cadbury has made a huge mistake comparing their product to Naomi. Their chocolate is sweet and popular, nothing like Miss Campbell.
It's just ridiculous. Stand by for a lawsuit from the Milky Bar Kid next, guys.

All You Can Eat

Time for a rant.
VW can piss right off. Why do people do things like this? Why do VW think this is a good idea? Oh wow, they've created an ad that can be eaten. They only thing that this ad will taste of is bitter disappointment. This is a complete waste of money from a company that are usually right on it. This 'idea' was created by Ogilvy, Cape Town and it just makes me angry (can you tell?). What does "eat the road" even mean?

"Hey Dave, I'm gonna go eat the road."
"You're going to do what?"
"Eat the road."
"I don't understand."
"I'm going for a drive."
"Next time just say that, please."
"Ok."

Maybe this ad will do really well and I'll eat my words. But I sure as hell won't be eating these ones.

Chubble Dutch

This an ad for Interbest billboards in the Netherlands by Y&R Amsterdam. Over a period of time, the man gradually loses his clothes. I think this an excellent, attention-grabbing and tongue-in-cheek campaign and would have certainly garnered a whole load of publicity. It's an amusing concept from Y&R and in my eyes, a very memorable one at that. I also believe Radio 2 would have really benefited from this idea too. Excellent stuff.

Draw Out Your Winnings

'Just Imagine'. This is a stunning piece of copy for a lottery ad. It encapsulates exactly what the appeal of the lottery is. Created by Clemenger BBDO, Adelaide for X Lotto, these ads are visually engaging, and demonstrate minimalism at its best. The vast empty space almost adds an interaction element to the series and forces you to actually fill in the blank space and to 'imagine'. These ads aren't spetactular, nor are they visually groundbreaking, but they do work, and they do make X Lotto an attractive proposition.

 

Middle of the Road Ad

This is one of the best print ads I've seen all week. The message is so simple yet so clear and so powerful. I'm not a huge fan of the word 'effective' and try to avoid it when I can, but this ad created by Ogilvy, Auckland for Auckland Transport is exactly that. It makes me take a step back and think, and it's a piece of communication that almost everyone can relate to. Good stuff.

Let There Be Light, Bud Light

I'm not sure if this is a great piece of opportunism from Bud Light or whether they were responsible for both billboards, but I'm an advertising optimist, so I'm going for the former. I don't know whether this was created by Bud Light or whether it was created by an agency, I don't know when it was created, and I don't know what country it was created in. To tell you the truth, I don't know much about this, but I felt it was definitely worth a share. And it probably pissed a whole lot of people off. Which is always a great thing.

Croc and a Hard Place

I like these ads a lot. They combine two elements into one simple concept, and that's what the very best of ads do. I'm unsure of the copy and the phrase 'citysized' but this doesn't hinder the brilliance of these two ads at all. This is an excellent campaign by Africa, São Paulo with outstanding execution. 'nuff said.

 

The Long Arm of the Phwoar

Following their Rape Campaign, Harvey Nichols have decided to go one step better (or worse) by advertising their lingerie on half-naked women with elongated arms. These ads are ghastly, and how they expect them to sell their products is way beyond me. They're freaky, grotesque and just plain weird. They were created by Miami Ad School, Hamburg (who have come up with some great ads over the years), but these are just awful. Whether the plan is to intentionally attract the ASA's attention it doesn't matter. It won't work. A bizarre piece of bollocks, in my opinion.

Rip-off

This is a great ambient idea for the aptly-named ‘Lonni’s Punani Waxing’ by the Miami Ad School in Brooklyn. The idea of ripping the page off in a waxing motion is excellent, and to reveal only the first few letters of the original copy is brilliant. It’s such a simple concept, but one that works very well. It’s an excellent piece of communication that is both funny and interactive, as well as creative. Good job. 

 

Redhook, Line and Sinker

Now I'm all for ads that use 'edgy' copy in an attempt to be different and 'cool' but this set of ads are frustrating because half of them are great but the other two fall short. The design, humour and appeal of the U.S beer brand Redhook is great and exactly what I believe Frank Unlimited are attempting to create, but I just wish they'd spent a little more time crafting the copy on the 'party' and 'commando' ads. Also, another thing that annoys me, the "outdoor" ads are blatantly photoshopped onto a billboard. Why bother? I think the persona being created for this brand is brilliant, it's just hindered by a couple of pieces of mediocre copy.

   

Stamp of Approval

This ad is wonderful. Delightfully simple and straight to the point. Although the small amount of copy in this ad doesn't take anything away from it, it could easily get away with not having any at all. The conception is so strong the image says everything it needs to. Although I have always been a fan of Land Rover's 'Go Beyond' which I believe is an excellent tagline. This ad comes from RKCR/Y&R, London and is just stunning. One of those we all wished we'd thought of again. But bloody well didn't. Again.

 

No Eggcuse (Sorry)

Hm. Now how do we go about raising awareness of the poor treatment chickens receive in Germany? What's that, Publicis Frankfurt? You want to squeeze 16 chickens into a vending machine? But isn't that going against the very issue we are campaigning against? ... Publicis? Hello?

Whilst I appreciate the message of this campaign, and the conception of it, I just can't get my head around and learn to accept the hypocrisy of it all. This just seems to me it was ill thought out. Although we are assured "No chicken was harmed. After a short time, all of the chickens were returned safely to their organic farm." Yerright. I just can't see how a campaign against the ill treatment of chickens can force 16 chickens into a vending machine and think nothing of it.

 

Top Dog

Now I love these ads. It's a great approach from a condom brand and they are light hearted and amusing. The visuals are very engaging and all three are clean and direct, with such simple copy in 'Kids Later.'  The whole campaign, devised by Argentinian agency Young & Rubicam, Buneos Aires, carries a lovely insight, and it's something different in an extremely overcrowded category. I like.