F'd Ad Fridays: The breast outdoor outfitter in Ukraine

No, this isn't a post about FEMEN. But it does provide some context for why they started using their breasts as their primary medium of protest. Because if these ads for outdoor outfitter Go Free are any indication, consumers there are even more boob-obsessed than their Western counterparts.



The first ad, apparently for helmets, was featured on Copyranter this morning. I found two more on their YouTube channel.

Ad Hacks

People have probably been messing with ads since ads first appeared. Whether it's drawing a moustache (or worse) on the fashion model, adding social commentary to the copy, or re-editing TV spots, people just seem to love to repurpose creative and media placements to their own ends.

One of the best-known trends in this phenomenon is culturejamming, a term used by the people of Adbusters and Greenpeace to describe simple changes made to ads or logos that reveal their true nature:




You get the idea.

But in today's electronic media, jamming opportunities can be much more dramatic, such as when people break into electronic billboards.



So it was only inevitable that someone would find a way to access the giant video billboards going up in major cities all over the world.

And it came to pass, last Friday, that late-night traffic in Moscow came to a standstill as a 9 x 6 metre video billboard near the Kremlin suddenly started screening hard core pornography.



As amusing as this is, it kind of seems like a missed opportunity to make a really grand statement. People got out of their cars and videotaped the incident, and it's still making the news rounds three days later.

The billboard company owner accuses the hackers of "hooliganism". I just think they displayed a lack of imagination.

A better man than I

Yesterday, I just happened to catch wind of Mike Lush' 3rd Annual 320 km Rideau Trail end to end hike to end cancer on a friend's Facebook page.

Wow. In his own words:

All set to go, mid-October and this year I'm more motivated than ever !!! This horrid disease just took my Mom after a short battle on September 4th. 2 out of 3 of us can expect a cancer diagnosis sometime during our lifetime so you now have a far greater chance of getting this disease than not. So for the sake of yourself, your friends and family support the fight in any way you can.....remember, if you don't help fight this disease....who will?

So here I am, growing whiskers and wearing bras to work to support cancer awareness and research, and this guy's out there slogging it up the Rideau Trail.

Only 90 kms. to go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cold/flu waining......left leg, just a mild nuisance...all is well.

I can't believe this has been going on for three years without me noticing it. Mike's odyssey is very close to my heart for several reasons:

• I lost three grandparents to cancer (two far too young, one who gave thyroid cancer a damn good fight to almost 100!);
• I grew up on the portion of the trail just south of the Little Cataraqui Conservation Area, in Kingston, on which my Dad was among the volunteers who cut the paths through the woods where I take Ladman salamander hunting even today; and
• I love hiking (although I'm just a day tripper).

So, Mike, my moustache and my bra salute you.

Mike's almost done his trek, but you can still sponsor his 3rd Annual 320 km Rideau Trail end to end hike to end cancer at http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/Mike_Lush and follow his progress on his Facebook Group or Blog.