How To Get Ahead In Advertising (free post Friday).
It's easy: make ads with stupid funny visual metaphors that sell the damn product.
Humor is dying fast in advertising. It’s all “Purpose” this and “Diversity” that and disingenuous GenY and GenZ “you’re the best person in the world” anthems. Which would be fine if those ads were good, creative ads. But they’re not. They’re utter shite, across the board.
So when somebody does a stupid funny ad (that also sells the friggin’ product), I sit up, in complete disbelief, and decide to write an article. So, here we are.
Forevergreen (Canada)
New spot for Forevergreen, the largest lawn care company in Quebec. Do you have a lawn that you meticulously care for like its a vagina? Well, you’re a fucking psycho with disturbingly misplaced priorities, but no-nevermind. Weeds are your “enemy”.
Now: how do I scare you, Lawnmower Man, into paying even more money to take care of your Precious? By employing a stupid-funny visual metaphor with a matching copy line:
“Don’t wait for weeds to rear their ugly heads”.
It’s so fucking stupid. And yet, it works, it sells. I love it. Ad agency: Cossette, who’ve previously produced a hilarious spot for Oatmeal Crisp cereal.
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Tylenol (South Korea)
Meet the Tylenol Headache-Chicken, another funny visual metaphor. V/O (the chicken):
“I am a headachep-chicken. I hatch when there is a headache. If I am ignored, I gradually get bigger. Making my master have a hard time. Didn’t I get even bigger? Mt master says ‘a real man does not take medicine and does not take any pills for his headache. The more he ignores me I get bigger, and cause trouble. I take my master to a meeting. There are my friends there, too. It seems like the meeting today went to waste (…) My master took out the headache pill. It must be the time to say goodbye. Goodbye master (flies away). (V/O switches to man) You thought that it ended it, didn’t you? He is the CEO. He is giving me a load of work again. Don’t let it grow. Take Tylenol.
Well yes the copy is a bit much, but visually it is perfect—the idea of a headache chicken is good stupid funny stuff. And I love how there are many headache-chickens/eggs of various sizes throughout the office. And it sells Tylenol! It is a real situation we’ve all been in: having a headache, not taking anything, and the headache getting worse and worse. Ad agency: INNORED, Seoul.
Humor! Please people, MORE HUMOR. I am begging you. For my sanity. Also, yes, secondarily, to save the industry.
Get it: “ahead in advertising”. And it’s two funny ads featuring heads.
when nonsense makes sense. the forevergreen is hilarious indeed, surprising and delivering (IMO). the korean, well it's clear, but the surprise wears off fast and the spot lasts too long.