The Eight Best Ad Exploitations Of US Presidents

"Happy" Presidents Day.

Posted in order from least-best, to best.

8. HUMO (Belgium)

“Mixing Cultures Makes Anyone More Human”. Bush with a Bindi. HUMO magazine is a weekly humor tabloid. See more of the ads here, including Rasta-Hitler. From 2006. Ad agency: Mortierbrigade Brussels.

7. Benetton (Italy)

The global fashion brand has a long history dating back 40+ years of producing “controversial” ads that have nothing to do with fashion. See many of them here. This Photoshopped UNHATE campaign from 2011 doesn’t measure up to previous real photo efforts, but it did cause a stir. L—Obama smooching Hugo Chávez. R—Obama and Chinese leader Hu Jintao swapping spit; this one makes more sense. See other executions from the campaign here.

6. CBN (Brazil)

“The radio that plays the news”. Well, maybe not one of the “best” ads, but definitely one of the strangest. CBN is an all-news radio station. Trump has been “adjusted” to look like David Bowie on his 1973 album “Aladdin Sane,” except they butchered the lightning bolt and forgot the teardrop — an absolutely horrifying visual. From 2017. Agency: Agência UM, Recife.

5. Salvation Army (Brazil)

Translation: “It may not be perfect for you, but it’s perfect for us”. The Trump-Mexican hat artwork makes this execution a winner, though he of course wouldn’t have given the hat to charity. He would have worn it, ironically, on one of his many trips to his “beautiful” border wall. Ad is from April, 2018. Agency: McCann, Brazil.

4. Axe (USA)

Cheap shot, but Axe got a lotta press from this print ad that ran in several editions of Metro and AM New York during February, 2008. The “Imagine…” copy line is unneeded. Ad agency: BBH, NYC.

3. “American Pyscho” (New Zealand)

2008 Bush billboard outta New Zealand advertising the TV debut there (on channel 2) of the 2000 film American Psycho. Here’s a 2nd more graphically-appealing ad for the same broadcast. Ad agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, NZ.

2. Veet (Australia)

This ad for the feminine hair removal brand ran in newspapers in January, 2009, the week of Obama’s inauguration. Take note, creatives: this is how you do a borrowed interest ad. Perfect. Ad agency: Euro RSCG, Australia.

1. Kwik Fit (UK)

Plunderphonics mash-up of Obama speeches for Kwik Fit, a British chain of 570 automotive and tire centers. Taking advantage of the fact that Obama mentioned the importance of tires in one of his energy speeches, the London office of DDB created video magic. This is the best Obama brand ad ever produced. From 2009.

UPDATE: Here’s two not-good ones featuring Bill Clinton—one for Arno Blenders via Brazil, and another for Smart Cars via Malaysia.