Using tired "beer goggles" clichés to sell taxi service

Via Daily Mail 

You know, we advertising practitioners really should adopt something like the popular conception of the Hippocratic Oath, starting with the words, "First, do no harm."

We're here to represent our clients, but we are also contributing to the language and imagery of popular culture and media. When we create something that gets attention by promoting stereotypes — or worse — unearned scorn towards our fellow humans, then we are being irresponsible.

Via Daily Mail 

These bar ads, by West Quay Cars taxi company of Southampton, UK, are an example of this. They use the hackneyed old idea of beer goggles to imply that this large woman and tacky man are unworthy of love.

Note the difference. The man is a cartoonish stereotype of a disco-era lounge lizard. The woman, on the other hand, is mostly implied to be unattractive because she is fat.

The Southampton University Feminist Society wrote an open letter to the advertiser, stating:

This advert is a form of body policing and an example of fatphobia. It is making fun of someone because of the way they look. This objectifying, judging lens is something we are well aware of in the media, for both genders, but especially for women. Therefore seeing the female version of this advert by itself, as it first was, some members branded it sexist. It was only later that the male version was posted. Members immediately voiced their dislike of the male version also, noting again that it was an unacceptable form of body-policing.

The company issued the standard non-apology:

"We apologise for any offence that may have been caused by either of the posters,” manager Lee Haynes told The Tab. 

"We recognised that the campaign may be controversial, but in our opinion, our obligation to try to reduce the amount of lives devastated by drink or drug drivers ever year was overriding. 

"We refute the claim that either our advertising or West Quay cars as a company is sexist or discriminatory in anyway.

They mentioned that 16 of their staff of 22 are women.

I'm sure that some of their best friends are also Black.

Related: The goggles do nothing (Osocio.org)

The Pizza Burger wants you to eat one for all those who couldn't

Via campaign site

Cheeseburgers and pizza are my two favourite foods in the world. But not together. That would be an abomination.

Boston Pizza disagrees:



It's an amusing campaign, by Taxi Canada. But I can't help but be a little uneasy when I think of all the people in the world who still can't indulge in this kind of Epic Meal Time kind of thing. I guess that's the nature of our society, though. We keep looking for the most decadent food experience possible, just because we can.

But should we? That's up to you. And your digestive system, which might not be impressed if you throw one of these at it:

"Add gravy for $1.65"

Pothole season is here. Distracted driving remains a year-round problem.

While checking his iPhone for a pothole-free route, he killed 4 pedestrians.

Montreal's Taxi came up with a clever campaign called "Pothole Season" that includes a site where drivers can report the winter's ravages on their roads online, which can be avoided by using an iPhone app.

The only problem is, you aren't supposed to be using your iPhone while driving.

You are also not supposed to be drinking coffee...

Or eating donuts...

 Or putting on make-up.

If you're trying to drive safely in Montreal with these folks on the road, potholes might be the least of your worries.

Via Ads of The World.

UPDATE: Taxi tells me the app has a hands-free function:



The ads are still a problem, though.

F'd Ad Fridays: Sausage Fest

Via AOTW

This campaign, by Taxi, for Toronto's Wurst restaurant is one of those "screw you, vegetarians!" campaigns that we've all seen before.

Via Wandering Gourmet

In this case, the art direction is nice, but I don't find the concept particularly awesome. And I'm a guy who really likes sausage. (Not penis, actual sausage—just to be clear.) Thinking about the random bits of beast that get ground into neat intestinal packages is not my idea of an appetizing mental image. I guess Taxi missed that famous Otto von Bismarck quote, "Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made."

Via AOTW

What I do like is the "all natural - no preservatives" angle. They would do well to talk about the provenance of their meat and their processing people as well, since foodborne illness scares are on top of everyone's minds. As I like to say, "If you're going to put a man's sausage in your mouth, you ought to be able to look him in the eye." (Once again: sausage, not penis.)

Ironically, as well, Wurst features two vegetarian sausages on its menu (PDF). So they haven't quite take it to this extreme:

Via Passive-Aggressive Notes