1. Money

What if Advertising Told The Whole Truth?

Zipper mouth

What if Ads Were 100% Honest? If we're completely honest with ourselves, we know as either clients, account managers or creatives, we'd be setting ourselves an impossible task. That's not to say we're not honest in what we do. But come on, no one ever sprays on Axe deodorant and gets chased by women from the Victoria's Secret catalog. Men don't become more attractive to women when they drink beer. Women don't get a flawless complexion by putting a bit of foundation on.

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Advertising Spotlight10

Abercrombie & Fitch - Assholes & Fascists

Tuesday May 14, 2013

Abercrombie & Fitch

Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, made some comments in 2006 that certainly made his fashion brand sound nothing short of uber-elitist. Now, those comments are coming back to haunt him and his brand. And it looks like they will do some permanent damage.

It's one thing to be honest. But anyone from the UK will know what happened to Ratner's jewelers when their CEO, Gerald Ratner himself, made the following comment:

"We also do cut-glass sherry decanters complete with six glasses on a silver-plated tray that your butler can serve you drinks on, all for £4.95. People say, "How can you sell this for such a low price?", I say, "because it's total crap."

Ratner's lost over $500 million in value, which spelled the end for the chain. It changed its name to the Signet Group, but the damage was done.

Now, although Abercrombie is not a purveyor of cheap clothing, the CEO has committed the cardinal sin of advertising. He ignored his brand. There is nothing wrong with being honest, but really, his opinions of "fat people" and "ugly people" are not opinions you want tied to your multi-million dollar empire.

People are donating Abercrombie clothes to Goodwill left and right. Sales are dropping. Soon, A&F will stand for Assholes and Fascists. You can read more about this right here. But in a word...disaster.

Too Many Balls in the Air?

Monday May 13, 2013

Overworked post it notes

Juggling. We all do it on a daily basis.  But if the creative director is not up to scratch, you will see some people juggling 15 balls, while others are throwing one against the wall in a scene from Cool Hand Luke. How does this happen? Check it out, right here.

And Now...The 1960s

Tuesday May 7, 2013

VW Beetle 1960s

We've recently looked at the 1940s and 1950s, very briefly, to see what advertising was doing at that time, and how it reflected culture and news events. Now, it's the turn of the 1960s. And thankfully, the advent of DDB made the sixties a much better decade for truly memorable advertising. Read more here.

What Are Your Thoughts on the Hyundai Ad?

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Hyundai Suicide Ad

I'm sure you have seen the spot for Hyundai, showing a failed suicide attempt. If you haven't, you can read about the whole thing here (and click on this link if you must see it). Personally, it's one of the worst ads I have seen in a long time, considering the product and the client. But what do you think? Let us know in the poll below.

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