I believe Publicis commited one of the great ad sins with this pro bono piece. Tricky business when your witty writers accustomed to campy copy designed to amuse and entertain are tasked with drawing attention to genuine human suffering. While clearly well meaning, using a ketchup packet to harken to the horrifying wounds inflicted by landmines is ... at best, minimizing an experience we can't even relate to. And, while it is just a condiment, tossing any kind of food to make some ad point about suffering to the very privileged is vaguely, well, gross and seems oddly American for an agency out of New Zealand.
Seen at Arena, Ads of the World, Houtlust, etc.
If nothing else, the ad does, as FishNChimps suggests, grab you.
As for New Zealanders acting American, it's unavoidable anymore. While varous countries of the world may despise America for invading their cultures, they know we are the masters of marketing - and bad taste is effective sometimes.
Posted by: Radio Free Babylon | July 10, 2006 at 11:18 AM
Is it possible to be both tasty and tasteless at the same time? I think it happens a little too often that agencies take advantage of their pro-bono clients, using them as an opportunity to produce creative too edgy to sell to a "real" client.
Submitted to adveracio.us:
http://adveracio.us/story.php?title=When-ketchup-landmines-collide
Posted by: Reid Sorenson | July 07, 2006 at 11:53 AM
I can't really read what they wrote??
Posted by: Matt | July 06, 2006 at 11:36 AM
I think its a good idea, just maybe not executed in the most thoughtful way.
Posted by: Rob Mortimer | July 04, 2006 at 05:50 PM
I can see your point. A single ketchup sachet is worthless, and it seems cruel to marry such a trivial item to something as devastating as landmine-induced maiming.
But I disagree with you about this piece; I do think it's effective.
How many times each day do we ignore messages and appeals from organisations which exist to alleviate suffering? I would argue that much about our lives is trivial, and that people in less fortunate circumstances are made to feel worthless by a civilisation that exists on ephemera.
A good, thought-provoking post.
Posted by: FishNChimps | July 04, 2006 at 09:12 AM
Leigh,
Found my way over here via the BMA top 25 list. I like your positioning:
"What do account people know about consumers or creative? Well, far from lapdogs of our clients, many of us still hope and believe that fabulous creative is a byproduct of excellent strategy."
I think the Ad business in general is going to have a tough time re-defining creativity because Advertising is one of these industries that has spent lots of time and effort building walls and training writers to write copy and art directors to direct art and such.
I'm encouraged to see an AE commenting on the creative side of things as well as the strategy etc.
I'll try to visit more often. Good stuff here.
Posted by: David Armano | July 04, 2006 at 01:30 AM