Tag Archives: advertising

Weirdest. Ad Campaign. Ever.

Extended Stay Hotels want you to know that their hotel rooms are so clean you can safely lick any surface. (Click the room key on their home page.) In any case, as Slog notes, surely there is some freak out there masturbating to this. And yes, she licks the toilet.

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Nike Pulls Homophobic Ads

Nike has announced that it has canceled its “That Ain’t Right” campaign after it was widely criticized as homophobic by gay bloggers and advertising critics. Via ESPN, here is Nike’s statement: Nike is strongly opposed to discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting athletes regardless of their sexual orientation. The advertisement in question is based purely …

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Mars Kills Homophobic Snickers Ad

The Human Rights Campaign has announced that candy giant Mars Inc. has agreed to pull their new campaign for Snickers. The commercial features Mr. T machine-gunning an effeminate-appearing Olympic race-walker. Earlier this week, AdAge critic Bob Garfield issued an open letter to the head of the ad agency responsible for the ad, calling for its immediate withdrawal. Following conversations between …

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That Ain’t Right, Nike

Via The Gay Recluse comes word of the latest Nike campaign, which features a series of athletes “humiliated” by having their faces pushed into the crotches of other players. Tag lines on the “That Ain’t Right” campaign include “Your mama won’t let you come home after this. What would she tell the neighbors?” The ad was created by Wieden+Kennedy. Non-consensual …

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AdAge Critic Blasts Omnicon Ad Agency Head For Homophobic Ads

Advertising Age critic Bob Garfield has published an open letter to Omnicon CEO John Wren, blasting three homophobic ads that have been produced by agencies under the Omnicon umbrella. Dear John, Two years ago, from BBDO, Detroit, came the spot for the macho subcompact Dodge Caliber. It featured a burly tough guy snorting the words “silly little fairy” at a …

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Devo To McDonald’s: Whip It (Out)

Devo wants McDonald’s to whip it out and pay them for appropriating their iconic flowerpot hat costume for a Happy Meal toy. The U.S. rock band Devo is suing McDonald’s over the New Wave Nigel toy the restaurant chain is including in its Happy Meals. The New York Post said the new wave band, whose song “Whip It” was one …

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Obama On The Dignity Of Work

Barack Obama’s latest ad hits on themes that are more commonly seen from Republican candidates – getting people off welfare and ending the outsourcing of American jobs. Interesting commentary can be found at MyDD. Via Ben Smith: Obama’s new spot weaves his biography into themes of his fighting for workers. He also brags of legislation aimed at moving welfare recipients …

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Creepiest Cell Phone Ad Ever

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British Tab Attacks Heinz

A British tabloid based in gay-friendly Brighton published a front page photo of two men kissing in a story attacking Heinz for pulling their now world famous mayonnaise ad. “We were disgusted at Heinz for pulling their ‘gay kiss’ ad and for apologising so readily for their own ‘offensive’ imagery,” said Torsten Højer from One80news. “We just couldn’t believe that …

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CNN Takes On Heinz Mayo Story

NYC-based gay activist Wayne Besen appeared on CNN last night as the Heinz Deli Mayo story continues to grow. Why oh why do all the anti-gay callers on these shows have to have country accents?

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MTV To Start Taking Political Ads

He’ll be preaching to the converted, but it looks like Obama’s gonna get to put some ads on MTV after all, thanks to a reversal of long-standing policy at Viacom. “MTV Networks will accept political advertising that is national in scope, sponsored by a legally qualified candidate, a candidate’s official campaign committee, a nationally recognized political party, or the official …

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So You Should Cawl Us!

Someone has finally YouTube’d my favorite New York commercial. The collagened-to-fuck lips! The hair extensions! And the nails! My god, the nails! So you should cawl us! Linda Richman should sue.

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Much Ado About Mayo

Well, now there’s an online petition to get Heinz to put the New York Deli Mayo ad back on the air in the UK. At least 205 people have so far complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about an advert featuring two men kissing. An ASA spokesperson told PinkNews.co.uk they had also received around 50 emails and calls from people …

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Racist Or Not?

Tech blogs like Gizmodo are all over this Japanese mobile phone company’s ad in which a monkey (long their official corporate mascot) appears as an Obama-like figure exhorting the crowds to “Change!” to their phone. Totally racist. Unless it isn’t. Maybe we shouldn’t expect a local Japanese ad campaign to be sensitive to America’s racism trigger points. Unless we should. …

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Heinz Ad Pulled Due To Complaints

The Heinz Deli Mayo ad that I posted about last week has already been pulled in the UK due to complaints over the male kiss. Nigel Dickie, of Heinz UK, said: ‘It is our policy to listen to consumers. We recognise that some consumers raised concerns over the content of the ad and this prompted our decision to withdraw it. …

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The Heinz Deli Mayo “Mum”

Wow, this is cute. From the Guardian UK: Heinz is set to challenge some viewer expectations with a light-hearted TV campaign that features two men sharing a kiss. The TV commercial, which promotes a new range of dressing called Heinz Deli Mayo, breaks tonight and will be supported by a press campaign. Heinz’ new ad opens with a family on …

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Soylent Yeller

Because America wants a dog food named after beloved family pet that gets rabies and is killed with a shotgun blast from a crying boy. (Via – Slog)

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Manhattan Mini Storage:
Still Made Of Teh Awesome

I’ve blogged several times about Manhattan Mini Storage’s provocative ad campaigns, which tend to support progressive causes ranging from pro-choice to anti-Bush. Now, in an in-yer-face dig at conservative groups (such as the Catholic League who want Gothamites to boycott the company), they have unveiled a new “Save More Than Your Stuff” program in which they donate $25 (in the …

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Damage Control

Interpublic Group (IPG), the parent company of global ad agency McCann-Erickson, has issued their own apology for the Hanes ads, saying the work was done without their approval is order to compete in India for a local advertising award. The apology appears on a single-post blog created by IPG titled Apology 4 Fake Hanes Ads. Fake local print ads were …

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Hanes Apologizes

After a complaint from GLAAD, Hanes has apologized for the “Lipstick” campaign, which came to national attention last week after a JMG reader tipped us when he found the images on a website dedicated to overseas advertising. The ad was created by a Bombay-based division of McCann Erickson. Via GLAAD: According to a press release from Hanes dated April 15, …

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