JC Penney creates a truly clueless breast cancer awareness ad

What is this, even? Fumbled CSR? Trivialization of cancer? Terrible brand pun? Photoshop Disaster?

It's all that, and more.

Digiday's Joanna Franchini writes:

Someone please save JCPenney from itself: the company’s latest ad campaign, rolled out in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month, is a painful mess of mixed brand messaging, inadvertent sexism and cultural tone-deafness. 
...
The long hierarchy of people who approved this ad believed it was cool or clever to conflate pennies and breasts, making light of the nightmares of breast screening, lumpectomy, mastectomy and breast reconstruction. Very uncool and way, way out of touch.

While JC Penney is taking PR lumps over this ad (which appeared in People magazine), I feel really bad for the woman featured. She's trying to do something good for a cause that is really close to her (far too close!) and now she suffers embarrassment at the hands of bad advertisers.

How to go viral without making a cent

It's been almost five years since I started this blog. I don't do it for money, as I already have a full-time job as a Creative Director. So there are no ads, and I don't get paid for clicks. I just write these posts as part of my ongoing professional development, reviewing the fruits of my industry and thinking out loud about the ethics and social issues involved.

I've managed to generate a bit of a following. The numbers aren't huge, but they include some people who themselves have huge followings on advertising, culture, and social science blogs. As a result, every once in a while, the content in one of my posts goes viral. That happened again this week.

Here I was, just not minding my own business as usual, and I saw some really shitty photoshop from Target show up in a Facebook post by Photoshop Disasters. Since sex, sexism and body image in advertising are some of my regular topics, I whipped up a quick "Ethical Adman" post about it, then promptly returned to my day job.

Then this happened:

That mountain range is an analytic spike that hit on Tuesday. It turned out that Jezebel picked up the story and linked me as the source, but not Photoshop Disasters. That gave me about 6,000 extra views. Then Buzzfeed picked up the story from Jezebel, and didn't credit me. I got no direct traffic from Buzzfeed, but may have gained some secondary hits via Jezebel.

Even more traffic came when Kim Komando, "America's Digital Goddess®" teased the Target story and very kindly added, "Click here to see the full story and more photos from The Ethical Adman." Woo-hoo! That was worth almost 10,000 extra hits.

Next thing I knew, I was linked as "an observant blogger" on the Today Show's blog. The frigging Today Show! But surprisingly, that only racked up another 6500-or-so hits. (I guess they'd better stick with mainstream media.)

With all this attention, I was bound to get some of the negative kind. Several people, claiming to be graphic designers, accused me of overreacting and seeing hurtful "thinning" in what they saw as just sloppy Photoshop. But the real surprise came when fanatical followers of the fitness blog, Blogilates, started an organized campaign to accuse me of "stealing" content.

For the record, the Blogilates post went up after 11 pm, Pacific Time. By that point, the Photoshop Disasters/Ethical Adman/Jezebel/Buzzfeed posts were already hours old. Blogilates author Cassey Ho did, however, manage to become the credited source for a post on CNN's HLN blog.

Since CNN, Blogilates, The Today Show, Kim Komando, Buzzfeed, Jezebel, and Photoshop Disasters are all commercial blogs, they all made money off of Target's bad Photoshopping. I didn't make a penny. How stupid am I?

Oh well, like I said at the top, I already have a job. If anything, this whole affair helps me with my online brand as a "concerned advertising guy" and adds to my credibility when I give clients advice on social media and content marketing strategies. This whole thing also helped my all-time pageviews top the two million mark.

So in the spirit of karma, I'd like to give a big shout-out to the person who apparently first caught the Target fiasco and submitted it to PSD, and also made no money from it:

Major Photoshop Fail @Target! http://t.co/EcGtk46SSl @photoshopfail
— Adam Z Lein (@adamzea) March 9, 2014

If you don't already, I suggest you follow Adam Z Lein on Twitter. You'd be amazed how ahead of the curve you can be when you know the right people.

Target's pathetic Photoshop disaster

What were they thinking? This swimsuit from Target is featured on their site with some of the worst Photoshop "slimming" you will see today:

That's right! Really, really poor job at cutting into the waist and arm, as well as a hamfisted attempt at cropping out an artificial thigh gap on the model. 

If it weren't part of an ongoing attempt to mould unrealistic bodies in fashion marketing, it would almost be funny.

H/T Photoshop Disasters (@adamzea claims credit for tipping them off.)

More awkward Target PSed thigh gaps here, here and here.

Update: After this was shared on Jezebel and Buzzfeed, target pulled this picture and apologized. (You're welcome!)

Sleep apnea product company "brings the sexy back"

It's either that, or a weird new fetish.

From easybreathe.com:

Since when has CPAP [Continuous Positive Airway Pressure] been perceived as not sexy?  Sleep apnea is what is not sexy.   Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that can have damaging effects such as pregnancy complications, glaucoma, and motor vehicle accidents due to improper sleep. Well, as Justin Timberlake says, “It’s time to bring Sexy Back.”  What is sexy is something that combats sleep apnea…  Meet the CPAP.  The CPAP is the heavyweight champ in fighting sleep apnea and if you don’t think that’s sexy enough, CPAP therapy has also proven to make you appear more physically attractive and – gentlemen – CPAP therapy will improve erectile dysfunction.  How is that for sex appeal?!  Without further ado, here are the top 10 sexiest CPAP wearing people.

What follows is a series of poorly-photoshopped stock photos of "sexy" men and women wearing CPAP apparatus, along with every sexist cliché in the book.

 The Ultimate Surfer Chick…  Crushing Waves and Hearts! 

Surfs up, dudes! Here we have what’s known to all guys as a “major babe”.  She doesn’t care about what she eats, how much she drinks, or what her reputation is.  She’s a surfer chick without a care in the world.  Drink all day, party all night and be up early in the morning hangin’ ten on some choice waves in the ‘Bu.  She aspires to be a pro surfer and travel the globe but if she doesn’t go pro she’ll settle for modeling in Pac Sun catalogs.  Free clothes!  Cowabunga!  If this aqua-marine gem sleeps at all she probably wears the Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask because she wants that optimal seal so she can be tubular on the waves on the flip side.

It's so dumb that it actually fooled Photoshop Disasters. I guess they failed to actually read this stuff:

The Couple that Wear CPAPs Together (on the beach) Stay Together 

What a fun day these two are having on the beach! Nothing but sunshine and smiles surround these two beautiful people. Looking at this picture, you can just feel the abundant love and affection these two share for each other. There’s nothing anyone could do to distract these two lovebirds from enjoying the beautiful day. After they have a picnic and watch the sun set over the ocean, they’ll walk home holding hands only to slip on their Quattro FX and Quattro FX for Her, Mask Systems later that night. Have you ever experienced the sensation of a mutual Quattro FX goodnight kiss?  Neither have I, but I bet it’s nothing short of true bliss…

Really weird stuff. But at least it's not a snore. Read the rest here.

Here's the least appetizing burger ad of 2013

Presenting women as sexy food is nothing new in the ad world. But it's doubtful that any other fast food advertiser will top this Australian ad for "Goodtime Burgers" in tastelessness.

mUmbrella's Alex Hayes reports that this ad appeared in December’s issue of The Beast, a community magazine in Bondi Beach, to promote the opening of a new restaurant.

Consumer reaction was swift and negative.

From the Advertising Standards Bureau report:

A sample of comments which the complainant/s made regarding this advertisement included the following:  A burger patty and accompanying lettuce etc is lodged in a woman's private part, the woman's body and private parts are objectified as something for people (probably men) to consume. 

The advertiser responded:

...the advertisement has no intention to be obscene. The image which features a woman’s rear in the fore-ground is not heavily detailed. The image which acts as a burger bun does not feature obscene body-parts, rather uses the shape of a rear to form the shape of a burger. The purpose of the advertisement was and still is to be eye-catching, iconic, memorable and to ride on the coat tails of everything associated with Bondi Beach. 

And the Bureau ruled:

...although the advertiser intended the image to be a humorous depiction, the close up image of the woman’s bottom and the portrayal of her bottom as a burger likened the woman to a piece of meat or object for consumption and objectified women. The Board also considered that this depiction of a woman as a burger is exploitative of women and degrading.  

And disgusting, quite honestly.

It's not even an original idea. The image is ripped from a Photoshop gag that made the rounds a few years ago, when Kim Kardashian was a spokesperson for American burger chain Carl's Jr. The real ad was a typical "sexy" one from the chain, but some nameless wag took it one step further:

Once again, ewww.

Let's hope 2014 doesn't unearth anything worse.

This glasses ad makes my eyes hurt

Which is ironic, because it's about vision correction.

In the words of Photoshop Disasters:

In my eyes, it seems like the airbrushed tangle of limbs and Escher-inspired body type raises some serious questions about something that’s supposed to fix your sight.

What they said.

#stockphotoproblems

She's a popular generic "success" image, isn't she?

Must be the NYC subway (area code 212). As shared by Photoshop Disasters of Facebook.

This vintage ad illustration makes photoshopped ads look realistic by comparison

Retrogasm recently posted this old Jantzen girdle ad from the 1940s. 

Here are a couple more, via allgraphically.com (the second is fromt he '50s):

Portraying unrealistic body types in ads and fashion is nothing new. The difference between fashion illustration and manipulated photos, however, is that it is easy to mistake the latter for reality. 

The impossibly long and slender ladies in the ads above can more easily be dismissed as cartoons.

Ralph Lauren ad, via Photoshop Disasters

Via ynaija.com

Miu Miu ad via The Frisky

And that's the problem with digital image manipulation: It lets impressionable young minds believe they're looking at reality, rather than fantasy.

Jantzen was originally a swimsuit company. It's interesting to note that its ads for swimwear around the same time celebrated the way it exaggerated "curves":

via allgraphically.com

Here, the hourglass shape (itself a challenging, if more biologically useful beauty ideal) is the thing. And once again, it is exaggerated.

And it still is...

Via Joe Crazy

This baby photo is absolute shit

It's not what it seems. That's the stamen of the hibiscus flower, that this unfortunate baby has been superimposed on, that reads as an explosive fountain of poo.

Found on the site "You Are Not a Photographer" with all identifying information blacked out.

Victoria's Secret and the case of the missing bum

Photoshop Disasters first made me aware of this mess on Victoria's Secret's Facebook Page. Not to be an ass about it, but don't you find something's... missing... from the model's body in the middle pic?

Yeah, you're not the only one.

The picture has racked up over 2,000 comments. And they're mostly negative:

Even the other adbloggers are chiming in:

What makes this particularly tragic for the brand is that their Facebook admin (and entire marketing staff) is apparently too busy being drunk for America to notice or even react.

Oh, and here's my favourite:

Wow. This kind of thing is happening so often, these days, that I think we need a new word:

Socialfreude (n): The perverse pleasure derived from the misfortunes of poorly-managed big brands on social media.

The Photoshop Workout, with Jennifer Lawrence

UPDATE: Fake

Suck in that gut! Suck in that butt! Suck in those... arms? Talk about a hunger game!

BuzzFeed contributor blckgifs shared this disturbingly hypnotic gif created by comparing a shot of the 20-year-old actress as she appeared in GQ and an anonymous "source" photo.

And now at Forever 21, kneecaps are out of fashion #FdAdFriday

Those photo editors are so afraid of curves, they don't even want to see a bent knee.

Via Buzzfeed

F'd Ad Fridays: Headless ghost house from Hell

My colleague Christopher shared this bizarre real estate listing:

Yeah, I want to live in headless ghost house from Hell.

F'd Ad Fridays: "Disgusting" is not a very good brand association

Yeah, haha. Clever Photoshop work. But what happens when people run away from your pilates ads, while choking back hot vomit, before they get a chance to read the call-to-action?

Via Ads of The World

The Durex ad that I didn't need to see on World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. And while many great attempts have been made by social marketers to get people to practice safer sex, the sexual transmission of HIV continues at a worrying pace.

The biggest barrier is that fact that nobody really likes condom sex better than bare sex. "Shower in a raincoat," etc. It will always be seen as a sensory compromise, even if it can improve length of performance or allow a more relaxed response by offering peace of mind.

And even the condom manufacturers know it:

This ad was featured today in Photoshop Disasters, because of the badly altered hand, but I found the concept itself gave me pause.

So, apparently, did @sidgestion, who Tweeted another version of the ad with the comment, "you can leave her pleasantly puzzled - do I need to get an abortion?"

Indeed, the ad seems wrong on so many levels. That a woman would muse about whether her partner used a condom or not brings up all kinds of questions about sexual health, consent, and plain old respect in the bedroom. It implies that she really would rather you forwent the Jimmy cap and jumped in au naturel, no matter what she has said to the contrary. In some ways, this is as bad as "no means yes".

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just a stupid ad. But in a world where some men would rather have their foreskins cut off than wear a condom, I don't think it's helping the cause any.

Scientists develop tool to measure Photoshop Disasters

Via Wired

Scientists in the United States have developed tools to quantify the amount that an image has been digitally manipulated — but only of they have access to the original image.

While Wired talks about the breakthrough as a way to regulate image manipulation in advertising, at a time when some jurisdictions are cracking down on altered images, Nature says the system was developed as a way of combatting image fraud in scientific journals.

Nature also quotes developer Hany Farid, a computer scientist who studies digital forensics, wo points out that this system is no magic bullet:

"The requirement for both original and retouched images is an obvious flaw in his system, admits Farid, as researchers can’t always find their originals. But, in his opinion, it is impossible to get an accurate score for the extent of manipulation without the original image. Moreover, for both scientific journals and popular magazines, the very act of requiring original images to be provided could act as a deterrent against manipulation, he says."

In advertising and the fashion industry, therefore, the system will only work if media or regulators institute a scale of manipulation and insist on access to unaltered images. Which won't do much to deter dishonest marketers, who are not bound by the same honour and reputation system as scientists.

So, while this is pretty cool, we'll probably have to keep discovering image fraud the old fashioned way.

F'd Ad Fridays: Does this look 'shopped to you?

I don't even want to know what this product is supposed to do to the poor girl to make her look like that.

Via PSD

The only ad people worse than those obsessed with Cannes...

Are those obsessed with being "above" Cannes.

They could have also done a much, much better job executing this.

Via Ads of The World

F'd Ad Fridays: I'll bet she gives really good...

Spotted in Singapore. Via Photoshop Disasters.

F'd Ad Fridays: Scary JesusWeen ad

I told you about JesusWeen earlier this week.

Photoshop Disasters recently featured one of their ads:

She's got the whole wo-rld, in her bum!

I thought I understood contemporary Christian symbolism. But I am baffled by this one. Any ideas?