Advertising Is Good For You

Beach-inspired advertising

I'm on vacation this week, but I've programmed some vacation-themed advertising to run while I'm away.

Playsafe Condom Ads: My mom won't let me enjoy these ads.

When I was very little, my mother made three things very clear: never talk to strangers; don't stick anything into the electrical sockets; and don't put plastic bags on your head.

As an adult, one must talk to strangers if one is to find out where the lavatory is or in what aisle to find the toothpicks, for example. But Mom's advice about electrical sockets and plastic bags still holds.

That's why I find these ads so disturbing. Their humor and edginess are totally obfuscated by my inner child screaming, "He's suffocating!"

Among other things, condoms are supposed to save lives not extinguish them. These images seem a very odd choice to me.

Agency: Leo Burnett Singapore

Source: Ads of the World

Brazilians Are a Lot More Open to Condom Advertising than Americans

These are restroom floor stickers advertising Jontex condoms in Brazil.

I can't think of too many places in the US where one could place this advertising without a huge public controversy. Yet the people targeted by this promotion are probably the ones who need protection from STDs and unwanted pregnancy the most.