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The site where bad ads go to die. Best Ad Critic In The World™. I obsessively cover advertising creativity past, present, and future. Also, a copywriter/creative director with 30+ years experience. Yes, I've won lots of awards. Who gives a fuck.

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The Lazy Ad Exploitation Of Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have a Dream that one day ad creatives will stop being SO FUCKING LAZY.

Copyranter

Jan 16, 2023

Get it? See MLK has “highlighted” the equals signs in this equation, meaning…something something equality. I. Guess. That is some forced-ass creative connection. Ad agency: Serviceplan, Hamburg.

2. ReFresh Salad Shop (Oman)

“Make peace with your stomach”. Oy. Ad agency: FP7 McCann World Group, Muscat.

3. Johnson & Johnson Sundown Suntan Lotion (Brazil)

IT’S GOOD TO BE BLACK. Sorry, for the low res scan—it's just a bio of MLK. So classy, and an even lazier forced-ass creative connection. Ad agency: DDB Brazil.

4. Dormimundo Mattresses (Mexico)

"Dream" on Dormimundo mattresses. See above comments. Ad agency: DDB Mexico.

5. Superior Multi-Purpose Bags (Chile)

“Keep The Good Things Fresh”. HOW BOUT “FRESH” IDEAS? HUH? Ad agency: BBDO, Santiago.

I have a Dream; Buy a Subscription.

6. Volkswagen (South Africa)

“I have a dream—1963”. COPY: “Small can be powerful”. Trade ad for VW's TSI engine. At least they respected white space. Ad agency: Ogilvy, Cape Town.

7. Woolite Dark Washing Powder (Puerto Rico)

“lo negro es bello”. (Black is Beautiful). I’m out of shit to say. Ad agency: Mccann Erickson, Guaynabo.

8. Haywards Black Stout (India)

COPY: "I have a dream that one day little black bottles and little black glasses of beer will be able to sit at the table with little pale bottles and pale glasses of beer as sisters and brothers”.

That’s Fucking Beautiful. Look at that nappy beer foam. Ad agency: Ogilvy, India.

9. Booksellers (South Africa)

COPY: “Biographies”. See the idea is you’ll “see” the world through MLK’s eyes…because we’ve surgically, digitally removed them (since he is dead). Not at all creepy. Rest of the campaign, which of course includes Einstein, here. Ad agency: Ogilvy, Johannesburg.

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