Angry evangelical Christian starts viral campaign for Starbucks

A former Arizona pastor named Joshua Feuerstein was angry that Starbucks' Christmas cups this year have no recognizable holiday motif with the exception of the colour red. He is also angry that (according to him) Starbucks employees are forbidden to use the phrase "Merry Christmas."

So he took to Facebook with this rant and a video (which you can watch here):

Starbucks REMOVED CHRISTMAS from their cups because they hate Jesus ... SO I PRANKED THEM ... and they HATE IT!!!!  #share
Use #MERRYCHRISTMASSTARBUCKS
Follow --> Joshua Feuerstein
Posted by Joshua Feuerstein on Thursday, November 5, 2015

Not too bright, this fellow. But his post has been viewed more than 10 million times, and shared almost 400,000 times.

Which is really good for Starbucks.

After all, people will have to buy a Starbucks coffee to be able to pull off this "prank." Depending on the demographics of Mr. Feuerstein's followers, some might even be new customers. It's the exact opposite of a boycott, and the baristas will probably be mildly amused.

That is, as long as people don't bring their guns. That's just asinine.

The War on Yule

Image via

My friends, some of our oldest traditions are under attack. The faith that sustained generations of our ancestors through the long, dark winter nights is falling victim to the forces of "political correctness" that say there is no place for religion in public. They won't be happy until the only answer to "is nothing sacred?" is YES!

Via

That's right, I'm taking about the War on Yule. I was just at my son's school "holiday concert" this week, and they seemed to take great pains to avoid talking about any of the things that make Yule cool: There was no mention of Yuletide, no gigantic burning log, and not even one song about throwing a virgin in the bog for Mōdraniht. What the Hellmouth?

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for other religions. I would fight to the death to defend the gods-given right of my Druidic neighbours to burn their enemies in giant wicker statues, or my Olympian friends to anoint themselves with olive oil, tie up their foreskins, and do a public workout in the nude. It's a free country!

But some people hate our freedom. Just this week, Pope Francis of the Roman Catholics referred to paganism as "not nice". That's antipaganism! 

His people are quite happy to appropriate the traditions of the great holiday of Yule from "not nice" people — the tree, the mistletoe, the fire — without really understanding the reason for the season: binge drinking,  animal sacrifice and decking the halls (and ourselves) with the still-warm blood of the slain:

It was ancient custom that when sacrifice was to be made, all farmers were to come to the heathen temple and bring along with them the food they needed while the feast lasted. At this feast all were to take part of the drinking of ale. Also all kinds of livestock were killed in connection with it, horses also; and all the blood from them was called hlaut, and hlautbolli, the vessel holding the blood; and hlautteinar, the sacrificial twigs. These were fashioned like sprinklers, and with them were to be smeared all over with blood the pedestals of the idols and also the walls of the temple within and without; and likewise the men present were to be sprinkled with blood. 

Doesn't that bring back wonderful Yuletide memories? I can almost smell it. But perhaps soon, our children won't know the visceral pleasure of the holiday slaughter. It's a bloody crime.

You know who's behind this, don't you? The Atheists. Just look at what they're trying to ram down our children's throats:

Via

Via

I'm not buying any of it. If I want to wish people a "Good Yule" on the sacred solstice, I'll keep doing so, godsdammit! If we let these unbelievers sanitize our holidays, what's next? Will they take the gods out of the days of the week? I grew up with Tīw's Day, Woden's Day, Thor's Day and Frigg's Day, and I'll be damned if secular humanists will destroy our most beloved and sacred traditions:

Good Yule, dear readers. And Merry Christmas. Stay warm, stay safe, and don't take yourselves too seriously.

"Fathers4Justice" ad attacks Kate Winslet's kids

It's a low-res image, but this ad (found on Daily Mail) reads:

Kate, every child deserves their father this Christmas.

We congratulate Kate Winslet on the birth of her new baby boy. 

However, in a recent interview, the actress was quoted as saying, 'My kids don't go back-and forth, none of this 50/50 time with the mums and dads — my children live with me; that is it. That is it!' 

We disagree. This year nearly 4 million children will wake up without a father this Christmas, often as a result of outdated and prejudiced views with treat a nation of first-class fathers as second-rate parents. 

We hope that Kate and her son never experience the profound pain and loss of being separated from their loved ones as millions of fathers and children will, not only at Christmas, but throughout the year.

The Mail reports that Ms. Winslet has threatened to sue Fathers4Justice. She has three children by three men: film directors Jim Threapleton and Sam Mendes, and Virgin Galactic's Head of Marketing Promotion and Astronaut Experience, a man who legally changed his name to "Ned Rocknroll". Although it doesn't make a difference these days, she was actually married to the first two dads when their children were born, and is currently wed to Ned. (I'm thankful she kept her maiden name!)

Sam Mendes is reported as saying "It is inappropriate for this organisation to involve my family and I when they know nothing of our personal circumstances. Whilst I fully support fathers’ rights, I can happily state this has never been a concern for me or my son."

Apparently, Jim Threapleton has been supportive of the group (in 2004) as he claimed he went long periods without seeing his daughter.

Ms. Winslet's lawyers sent Fathers4Justice a letter this week calling the ad "misleading and seriously defamatory."  A group spokeperson, however, commented: "We believe the content of the advert is accurate, balanced and reflective of her comments. Fathers4Justice has not made any comment in our advert about the personal arrangements of Kate Winslet and the fathers of her children."

No, they just happened to say that every child needs a father, and implied that she was wrong to say that her kids stay with her rather than "flown here and there with nannies."

I'm a dad. And my son is everything to me. I can't imagine not being able to see him. So I can imagine the passion with which these estranged dads fight for parental rights. They just need to leave Kate Winslet's kids the hell out of it.

As well, I respect and honour the many households that don't have fathers — single mothers due to divorce, death, or simply choice, and those started by same-sex women couples.

I thought we were already over these kinds of blanket statements 21 years ago, when US Vice President Dan Quayle went after a fictional character on TV for deciding to have a kid on her own.

The ad hasn't been placed yet, but in this digital age that is almost beside the point in a discussion about advertising ethics. To lawyers, however, it will make a big difference.

Terrifying demon child defends Christmas

 St. Mary's Church, a Catholic congregation in New Jersey, recently released this bizarre and confusing PSA about the "War on Christmas":



It was actually aired on Fox News and MSNBC. Its equally confusing YouTube description states, "Happiness can be expressed through a smile or a religion. Will negative people try controlling the way we smile next?"

The narrator, Jim Flood, sounds a little like Leonard Nimoy. And the girl, whose name is kept secret (thankfully) sounds like a banshee from the darkest depths of superstition.

Here's two of their other contributions to the weird video literature of religious fundamentalism:

WestJet celebrates Christmas with joyful excess

Call me Scrooge, but this video that is going viral all over Canada doesn't warm my heart quite as much as it should:



Don't get me wrong. I actually really like the WestJet brand. It's an employee-owned airline, and the crews regularly sing, tell jokes, and do other fun things for the passengers. So surprising a flight with Christmas presents on arrival is totally on-strategy. (As is the Santa in their corporate indigo.)

The adman in me appreciates the concept, execution, and pure joy of this stunt. The part that bothers me a bit is the reinforcement of Christmas as a time to ask for — and receive — luxury goods from big box retailers. Yeah, sure, we all do it. But it would have been nice for the airline to give to people who really need things like food, shelter and company this winter. The best part of this promotion was when people wanted plane tickets home for the holidays. Now that's Christmas spirit!

On the lighter side, however, it's interesting to note that not everyone asked for big-ticket items. I wonder if the guy who asked for underpants was kicking himself later...

This year, Sweden's favourite Christmas tradition got a gender swap

Via Adland

Adland shared this seasonal Swedish mailer for retailer ICA featuring a boy in the traditional roleplay of female martyr Santa Lucia, and a girl as the traditionally male stjärngosse (a star boy). 

Åsk 'dabitch' Wäppling writes, "For people in the States: This is the equivalent to a boy homecoming queen. Not a transgender homecoming queen. Just a boy homecoming queen."

Personally, I like it. There is no mention of how traditionalists in Sweden reacted. dabitch quips, "They might still be in shock."

Santa Claus conquers the Axis

Via

Santa Claus was busy during World War II, mostly beating the crap out of enemy leaders portrayed as various stereotypes. (Hirohito getting particularly vicious treatment.)

Via

Merry Christmas, readers.

The "good old days" when Santa sold smokes

The Guardian reported last October that a new edition of Clement C Moore's 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, which is widely attributed with popularizing the modern image of Santa Claus, has censored all references to the visitor's pipe:

"The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, 

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath"

Canadian publisher Pamela McColl released the bowdlerized poem through her own company, Grafton and Scratch.

Ms. McColl explains:

"I have edited out a few words and lines that reference Santa smoking and removed the cover illustration of his pipe. The omission of these few words do not change the material intent of the author nor do they infringe on the reader's understanding or enjoyment of this historically-rich story, but by removing these words we may save lives and avoid influencing new smokers," she says. "I think these edits outweigh other considerations. If this text is to survive another 200 years it needs to modernise and reflect today's realities. I want children to celebrate the spirit of giving and to reflect proudly on the holiday traditions that shape their childhood, and the best way to honour Santa and this story is to make him smoke-free."

When my parents were kids, Santa didn't just smoke a pipe. Through the magic of big tobacco advertising, he also enjoyed promoting several brands of cigarettes:

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I'd just like to add that I totally disagree with what Pamela McColl did to the old poem. 

I am also very much anti-smoking, but I am also anti-censorship. Old works are expressions of their time, and they provide an opportunity to talk with kids about why certain things were considered okay in the past, and why they are not now. In my opinion, this helps prepare kids for a world in which "normal" is a constantly moving target. By sheltering them, you only make them believe that the world was always as it is now. And how are they supposed to cope with change then?

You'll shoot your eye out, kid

Business Insider posted a collection of ads that paint a picture of American gun culture, past a present. What particularly struck me was this series of 1960s Christmas ads.

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid."

Beware the Christmas Creep!

At Acart, we did something a little different with the agency Christmas card this year. It's an old fashioned morality tale, written in reaction to the way Christmas marketing seems to start a little earlier each year.

This "Christmas Creep" (as Consumerist calls it) is starting to overwhelm the fun of Halloween and Thanksgiving. Worse, it has broken the old taboo of not being festive on Remembrance Day. After Shoppers Drug Mart made headlines by delaying the onset of Christmas music, after customer complaints, it seemed like an opportunity to push back against the trend and make a stand for putting Christmas in its place.

With illustrations  rhyming couplets and online parallax scrolling, it's Dr. Seuss meets Dr. Frankenstein with a 21st Century feel. We had fun with it. It even made Ads of the World.

See the English version here
Or the French version here

You can read more about it on our agency blog, changemarketing.ca

Related: Last year's card, Paranoël Activity

Women strip for Christmas toy donations, but one charity refuses to accept them

Via CBC

CBC reports that Ottawa "Gentlemen's Club" Barefax is letting its performers accept toy donations as payment for table dances.

It's hardly the first time this kind of charity drive has happened. The Admiral Theatre, in Chicago, has been doing it for years. But what was interesting about this story was the question of whether strippers are morally acceptable benefactors to kids.

The Debra Dynes Family House, which provides support to low-income families in Ottawa, pulled out of the program after being contacted by a reporter. The CBC article states that the Ottawa Salvation Army did not reply to questions about their involvement. (The Sally Ann runs the biggest local toy drive, Toy Mountain.)

But what is the real problem here? It might be the uncomfortable connection it makes between the sex industry and young children. Or perhaps its a distaste for the perceived exploitation of the stripping business. Or they might just be grossed out by the idea of the toys having been handled by naked women and the men who pay them to give informal gynaecology classes.

While the PR opportunity for the club is obvious, I think the individual dancers really do just want to help kids. Many of them, inevitably, are moms themselves. And offstage, they are just members of the community who want to feel the spirit of Christmas.

A Barefax dancer with the stage name Melina told the CBC, "When they asked me to do this I thought it was a really good idea because there’s a lot of children who have nothing. Just because it’s a strip club doesn’t mean that we’re mean people and we can’t do any good."

Here's the CBC TV report:

Victoria's Secret reminds you that their models are to be seen, not heard

According to VS:

Supermodels Candice Swanepoel, Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Lindsay Ellingson and Erin Heatherton have fun decking the halls and putting their own spin on a Christmas classic in this adorable video for Holiday 2012.

"Adorable" is more appropriate for children and puppies. This was just kind of sad. Last year, Miranda Kerr was a role model for breastfeeding. This year she — along with the others — is a role model for dumb girls who are only there for their T&A.

I doubt that any of these models is this vacuous in real life, but the stereotype goes on. It may an ironic gag, but this video ensures that the guys who ogle them from darkened basement rooms won't be threatened by the idea that women are anything but eye candy.

"Warm Wishes from Adland" shows the true Xmas spirit in the industry

Currently trending, "Warm Wishes from Adland" is an anonymous compilation of 21 bitter and cynical comments about other people's work, compiled from comments on Ads of The World, Agency Spy, or elsewhere. (But oddly, not Adland.)

Lovely.

Now who is going to take credit?

Via Twitter

UPDATE: Adfreak's David Gianatasio identified the culprits as "a bunch of staffers at BBH in New York":

Tim Nolan, the interactive group cd who heads up BBH Labs, tells AdFreak: "As we approach that time of year where we all wish each other the warmest, we thought we would look at how we, as an industry, extend our 'warm wishes' throughout the year and under the veil of anonymity. After carefully curating some of the worst 'semi-safe-for-work' comments from around Ad Land, we picked our favorites and gave them all a dip in holiday cheer." 

He adds: "Traffic has been pretty steady since launching [Tuesday] afternoon. Most of the original visits came in from Twitter and Facebook, since each 'Warm Wish' is individually sharable. I'd say we are more pleased with the 'trending-ness' of it all, rather than being surprised. I mean, everyone likes to share a bit of 'naughtiness' around the holidays."

The biggest disconnect between ad and product you will see this Xmas

There really are people who think sex can sell anything. But what sex really sells is more sex. If the product can somehow be seen to enhance the consumer's sex appeal — be it a car, clothing, or perfume — then the sexy ad might sell it by association.

The tease, however, might lead to the ultimate letdown. Not only is the "sexy" ad poorly performed and executed, but this is what's in the mystery box:

Yep, that's what you'll find at Australia's O Christmas Tree.

The owner, Catherine Oates- Smith, tells Mumbrella: “Christmas decorations don’t just have to be boring pieces and we’ve tried to make them sexy. Any woman would love to receive one of these gifts, wrapped up seductively in a red box. Think Agent Provocateur meets Santa, this Christmas."

More like Etsy meets Harlequin Romance.

Merry Christmas from the American Meat Institute

Via johnwilliamson.com

The American Meat Institute is still around. The ad is undated, but others like it are from the 1940s. At that time, the AMI did not represent poultry processors, so I'll assume this category ad was intended to convince Americans that Christmas ham was superior to turkey for the big dinner.

Ham is festive, ham is gay—ham's in tune with the holiday!

Drug store chain stops playing Christmas music, so of course people reacted with racist rants

From their Facebook page:

As a friend mentioned, they were apparently responding to complaints about the music coming on too early.

You see, Canada used to have an unspoken rule that Christmas festivities didn't start until after Remembrance Day on November 11, out of respect for our war dead. But with retail Christmas creep pushing the shopping season well before Halloween, stores are no longer respecting that.

However, as you can see from the post, they didn't do a very good job of it. And that's all it took for a bunch of "nice" Canadians to launch into a flurry of racist and anti-immigrant rants:

This is just a sample, and they are of course cherry-picked from the mass of intelligent comments. But they were not hard to find.

Canada, we still have a long way to go.

F'd Ad Fridays: And God bless us every one

I'll leave you with this animated Terry Gilliam Christmas Card from 1968, via Bleeding Cool.



Have a great one. I'll be back next week with my top posts of 2011.

F'd Ad Fridays: Christm-ass outfit

Via Yandy. Classy.

F'd Ad Fridays: The bad old days

Via TrèsSugar

Perhaps life was simpler back then. But can you really call that living?

F'd Ad Fridays: Now THAT's an "orgy wonderland"

Via Guyism

I guess if you had the stamina to gift every believer kid around the world in one night, you could pull this off too. Poor Mrs. Claus.