Red Bull finds out it's still "too soon" to make Titanic jokes in ads

The Telegraph

A couple of days ago, AT&T and other brands took a lot of flack online for using the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as subject matter for advertising and social media promotions. "Still too soon," is the general response.

But what about something that happened more than a century ago? Red Bull probably thought that the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic was fair game for a laugh. Sure, more than 1500 people died that night. But surely with the passing of time, and survivors, this one is fair game for a gag?

Apparently not. The Telegraph reports that Britain's Advertising Standards Authority has received 42 complaints about the ad, calling it "tasteless" and "offensive" (although they haven't yet launched any action against it). Clifford Ismay, a relative of Titanic owner Joseph Bruce Ismay, called it "despicable."

Howard Nelson, founder of The Titanic Heritage Trust, went into detail:

"It is very offensive and just disrespectful. We appreciate there will be commercial ventures involving the Titanic which we say is fine - as long as it is in good taste and respectful. 

This is not. 

There is a difference between making a joke and this. I get jokes all the time about icebergs and the like, taking the mick out of my interest in the Titanic, but that is banter. This is blatantly offensive because it is taking the mick out of the people who have passed away. 

It would be the same if someone did something similar about 9/11 - there would be an uproar. This is no different."

Is it no different? I've grown up with the Titanic as more of a symbol than as a real event, since it's such an icon in popular culture. People have been making Titanic jokes, and using the ship's sinking as a clichéd metaphor, for generations. I can understand why Red Bull didn't anticipate the backlash.

But perhaps the biggest difference between the Titanic and horrors such as 9/11 or the Holocaust is that the ship's sinking was a tragedy while terrorism and genocide are something much worse. To joke about the latter isn't just to joke about death, but to make light of the human evils that deliberately caused those deaths. That's the difference.

Not to say that the Red Bull ad is tasteful, mind you.

But in my opinion it's not as bad as what The Onion was implying with their horrifying satire of opportunistic 9/11 ads:

Feels different, doesn't it?

These Open vagina ads crack me up

Oh, sorry if you came expecting something different. I meant to say "these vaginal moisturizer ads by Toronto creative shop Open are actually funny. And while many products have exploited the v-word in this Year of The Vagina, these ones are actually kind of appropriate.

Check out this one:

And...

As Adfreak's Rebecca Cullers explains, this is a very different campaign than all those horrible douche, whitening and tightening ones, because the product is actually useful:

...there will be no feminist outcry here. The product is well positioned, the copy is sassy and targeted at older women who are quite familiar with the suggestion that age has rendered them sexually inadequate. In fact, I'd say Damiva has a perpetual market so long as it's easier to buy a pill than to explain to your "honey" what constitutes adequate foreplay. But before all the pre-menopausal women in the house go hog wild trying to relive the carefree, lubricated days of their youth, know that Mae by Damiva is not compatible with latex condoms.

I'd love to know if this was the work of a female creative team. Anyone?

Original tip via Adrants 

Possibly the best maxi pad campaign ever

It started with a Facebook post:

It was probably a plant (although Richard's profile is pretty established) but who cares? Truly funny sarcasm trolling has become a popular sport online, and posts like this do occasionally show up.

In this case, I don't really care about the authenticity of the setup. It's Bodyform's response that rules:

It's funny, it's truthful, and it even squeezes in (or rather, "out") a fart joke.

Oh yeah, and she drinks the "blue water":

Sure, it makes men look kind of dumb in a tropey kind of way. (And they missed a golden chance to make those guys actually look like they were from the '80s.) But of all the efforts that have been made to break out of the advertising clichés around feminine hygiene, this is by far my favourite.

 Gotta love the Brits!

Tip via The Drum

Sun ad sure knows its target audience

From the front page of Today's Sun:

It's an ad inserted in the top news slideshow for Ultralase, a British laser surgery clinic.

It's sexist, exploitative, cheap and... just about perfect for readers keen to learn the latest about the man who had sex with a donkey, Lady Gaga's drug use, or nipple slips of the rich and famous (or even royal).

Tip via The Drum

Milk so good, it will put babies off breasts? (Nudity)

This is an old ad, from the '90s. As a pro-breastfeeding dude, I actually like it. The humour is based on the assumption that of course the baby would prefer mom's milk. The nudity is gratuitous, but doesn't feel sexualized.

Even 18 years later, I can't see this ad ever running on public media in the United States. It cas created by Waechter & Waechter Worldwide, Germany.

Via adgoodness

"One Million Moms" are against married sex now, too

"That's a weird way to kiss..."

I don't like jarred tomato sauce. Tastes like ketchup.

I do, however, love this ad:



My friends at One Million Moms, however...

In the newest Ragu commercial, a young boy barges into his parents' bedroom without knocking. We don't see what he sees, but the cringe on his face and wide eyes tell us enough. This boy catches his parents in the act and walks away in shock. 

"Parents in bed, but it's just eight o'clock; that's why they taught, you should always knock," a singer tells us. "He needs Ragu, 'cause growin' up's tough. Give him Ragu, he's been through enough." The parents then give him a plateful of spaghetti to calm him down. The Ragu is supposed to make him feel better. It's all part of Ragu's "Long Day of Childhood Calls for America's Favorite Pasta Sauce" campaign. 

This entire ad not only makes someone lose their appetite, but Ragu is also being irresponsible in their new campaign. Instead of being helpful, it is harmful to children in the name of so-called humor. The Ragu commercial is inappropriate and tacky. The commercial has aired during the Olympics when families are likely watching.

I'm not really sure how this ad is "harmful" to kids — seems like pretty good advice to me.

Mike Dwyer, U.S. foods director for Ragu-owner Unilever, told AdAge "We didn't want to come out with another utilitarian food ad."

That's for sure. These ads appeal to me both as a parent and as a former kid. (Note to self — buy lock for bedroom door.)

Check out the other ones in this great campaign by BFG9000:

Family Guy demands that "Brentwood Jews" give show an Emmy #FdAdFriday

According to Hollywood Reporter, this direct mailer went out to Emmy voters. While it is in character for the 21st Century animated version of Archie Bunker, reactions were mixed.

"Wow," responds one Brentwood TV producer, "if Family Guy was that funny on a regular basis, it might get nominated." 

Another producer, who lives nearby in Pacific Palisades, has her own review. "It's so heavy-handed," she says, "it's light on funny."

Yet another adds: "While I think Family Guy is a genuinely funny show, we all -- including this 'Brentwood Jew' -- need to think twice about this kind of humor. Stereotyping any particular ethnic group is just not cool and can lead others (with the wrong intentions) to feel a certain license to take shots. Surely Seth [MacFarlane] has better stuff than this."

It's one of those tricky issues, isn't it? Family Guy is supposedly "making fun of that kind of thing" with its outrageously offensive gags. And yet the concern that it gives licence to less... umm... artistic(?) racism is also valid.

And would it make a difference if MacFarlane were Jewish, rather than possessing the ultra-WASPy pedigree of "Scottish, Irish, English and Welsh ancestry, partly by way of Canada, and his ancestors include William Brewster, who travelled to America on the Mayflower"?

Australia's "Barbie Girl" is not sheepish about shilling for meat

Sam Kekovich is an Australian sports commentator, media personality and "lambassador" for Meat & Livestock Australia.

To promote heavy lamb consumption for Australia Day cookouts, Sydney agency BMF teamed him up with surgically-enhanced pop singer Melissa Tkautz to perform a carnivorous cover of Aqua's 1997 dance hit, “Barbie Girl”.



Did I mention that he's autotuned? He also raps.

Happy Australia Day down there.

Tip via The Inspiration Room

The 'shock and ha!' Hyundai ad that you won't see on TV

Ads of The World shared this Dutch "shock and ha!" ad by Fitzroy, which was Hyundai apparently abandoned post-production because it is "'too shocking for our brand'.



At first it made me wince, but if you don't mind the cartoonish violence its parody of Final Destination is actually kind of amusing.

Is your phone even worth stealing?

This funny bit from BBC's Jazzie Show gives a great reason to hold on to your old model: muggers hate them.

Colder than Toronto's sense of irony

The rule used to be simple: making fun of the weak is mean, but making fun of the strong is expected.

It seems nobody told a few Torontonians that. Because their feelings were hurt, Coors Light has pulled this outdoor campaign from Vancouver:



This was just the latest in a long-running "colder-than" campaign that began with headlines like "Colder than Kim when you called her Kate" and has since moved on to regional variations:



The amusing part in all this, as the Vancouver Sun points out, is that the ad was actually created in Toronto by Draftfcb.

So, whatever happened to Canada's self-deprecating sense of humour? As one T.O.-based commenter on the CTV coverage noted, "People need to grow a backbone and stop whining so much."

...or at least get in on the fun. I'm just sorry I missed the deadline on Coors' colder than copywriting contest. I would've suggested something biting about Ottawa!