I've worked in marketing for most of my adult life, so I know it's
common for advertisers to be a little provocative when they're trying to
sell a product.
Here are some good examples:
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| Sent to me by Twitter pal @midnightrem. Don't you just want to devour it? |
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| My mom at a hot dog shop on the island of Kauai. |
Then there are the outliers. The advertisers who may or may not have intended to be perverts, but who nevertheless leave me giggling like a hormonal middle schooler. Check these out...
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| Writer pal Harley May texted that to me yesterday. Apparently it's the sign adorning the front of a shop specializing in painting and coffee. Um, OK. |
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| Regular blog reader Shain Brown tweeted that one to me yesterday. I don't think I want to touch that. (That's what she said) |
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| I snapped that billboard in Tampa last January, and still can't figure out if they meant to be filthy or not. Either way, that guy looks very capable. |
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| Surely Dr. Scholl's has a large enough marketing budget to have people reviewing their packaging materials. Were they trying to be provocative, or did it really not occur to anyone that Rub Relief for Her might have multiple meanings? |
So what do you guys think? Who meant to be filthy, and who wasn't perverted enough to grasp the humor in their own ads? Please share!
I'm off to buy some Rub Relief for Her. What? It sounds like a good product.
20 comments :
lol so funny! 4th one is terrible! :D
I SOOOO want the shorts with the Buns quote on them. Cute! Can't wear them in public down here in Georgia, but I sure wish I could.
There's a hamburger place called In-N-Out. Apparently, the franchise's expansion has caused some controversy. The first one opened in 1948 though, probably with just the idea of getting in and out quickly. (Okay, I'm laughing again; that didn't come across right.)
hahahahhaha!
*gasps*
hahahahaha!
*faints*
The only one that gets off without a what were you thinking, is the spotted dick. It's not a marketing gimmick, it's an English pudding.
What always makes me giggle is bangers (sausages).
I find foot rubs to be fairly yummy anyway, so that one's fine by me.
And Taymalin is right---spotted dick is one of those traditional names that was perfectly acceptable when it was coined, like varies names for roosters and cats.
You have to wonder about that Florida lawyer, though . . . The image of the car helps, but not much. He is cute, though. And, apparently, aggressive.
yes spotted dick is in every supermarket here. But the rest made me smile.
I've worked in pr/advertising all my life, mostly for conservative places the govt agencies and banks. My husband is always rolling his eyes at how "safe" the ads we use are, so he likes to offer his help.
Case in point: For a billboard campaign promoting tips on improving air quality in LA, he thought it would be great to display beautifully bikini-ed breasts with the headline "Save These Lungs!"
To avoid a charge of sexism, he suggested we do a few billboards with nice male pecs as well.
I've always been kind of sorry I didn't do it. If I had, maybe the campaign would have appeared on this blog, alongside the Spotted Dick :)
(Although now that I think of it, that last one could make an interesting public health campaign ...)
LOL! Again, you made my day! I saw an ad for a shed company with a huge caption reading: "Erections Available!"
Awesome.
I could look at stuff like this all day.
Spotted Dick: don't knock it till you've tried it (not that you are -- knocking it, I mean).
Regarding this Rub Relief Stick and your cheeky question about "multiples," it's just as the Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet Karl Shapiro once wrote (in a poem called Advertising):
"Advertising is poetry -- in bad faith."
I'm pretty sure this is a trick question.
My wife & I had a laugh when we were riding our bicycles across Iowa a couple summers ago and we saw Kum & Go convenience stores throughout the state! http://www.kumandgo.com. Meant to buy a hat or t-shirt, but couldn't find a place for it in my bike jersey.
My husband brought home a can of that "Spotted Dick" it sat on a shelf in my dining room for months, I kept telling him to 'please, please remove the spotted dick'...it finally disappeared. I don't know where it went, I just hope it doesn't come back!!
I think it would be good practice to avoid spotted dick whenever you see it. Just sayin'.
Have you ever seen one of those lists of Unintentionally Sexual Church Signs? Like, "The most powerful position is on your knees." HA. For some reason, the church can't seem to avoid innuendo...hm.
http://www.happyplace.com/3695/unintentionally-sexual-church-signs
Unfortunately, our culture seems totally convinced that sex sells--and for the most part, it's entirely true. I'm too cynical to think that most of these slogans are just coincidences. I will admit though, the Scholls is pretty funny.
I like that the spotted dick is microwaveable.
There is sexual innuendo in EVERYTHING. I'm sure there always has been, but it seems to be much worse in the last decade (or better, you decide). The other day, on of my employees (he's 21) said, you know this song is about sex, right? I don't remember the song, but I do remember thinking, "Really, when did that occur to you?"
And I'd say I liked the Scholls one best.
Just want to be on record as saying that Spotted Dick is delicious with custard.
Also, one that never ceases to amaze me, is Aveda's hand lotion, called Hand Relief. It's freakin' expensive too...but what is super-special about it? Aveda has trademarked 'Hand Relief'.. so, folks, be careful how you use the phrase; you might get sued.
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