Advertising Is Good For You

Still too soon

Over the years, there have been a number of well-intentioned though controversial ads that alluded to the events of September 11th. Here are a few examples from last year.

There was public outcry over this ad from Tumbledown Trails Golf Course in Wisconsin:

Also last year, consumers didn't take kindly to AT&T using the Twin Towers to remind them that AT&T sells smartphones:

The LA Lakers had to delete this tweet after fans mistakenly thought the photo was meant to be a humorous jab at Kobe Bryant's Afro:

 

The Starkville (Mississippi) Daily News ran this promotion last year:

And Marriott got into hot water when one of its hotels made guests this offer:

Last is this 2007 ad for a piano concert held in memory of 9/11 victims. Personally, I think this allusion to 9/11 is appropriate and and not offensive. Do you agree?

 

 

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I hemmed and hawed about posting this yesterday. Finally decided to take the advice I'd give a client: If you're that worried you might offend your audience, don't do it.

A great ad, despite the odds

Amsterdam's Schiphol airport was voted Europe's number one airport. KLM Airlines, which calls Schiphol its home base, decided to run an ad linking itself to the airport's distinction.

Sounds like an awful assignment for a creative team to get stuck with. Which is why I so love this ad created by Souverein.

The agency took a rather dull strategy and turned it into a pretty cool ad. That's an incredibly difficult thing to do.

Chilling Oscar Pistorius ad

2011 Nike ad featuring sprinter Oscar Pistorious.

The headline reads, "I am the bullet in the chamber."

Tragic in light of the fact that the "Bladerunner" has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Click image to enlarge.

Via AdAge

Quick-thinking — and classy — response from Marco Rubio

As a Liberal, it pains me to give the other side credit for anything. But this is a genuinely great idea.

If you want to buy one of these water bottles, you'll have to google your way to where they're sold. My hair would automatically catch fire if I published the link.    ; )

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has its bloomers in a bunch

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

At least that's what the tag line promises. And the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority takes that tag line very seriously.

The Authority is shocked and outraged that someone in Las Vegas broke the Las Vegas gentleman's code and got pics of Prince Harry hiding his naughty bits and little else.

Goodness gracious.

Here's the full-page ad the Authority recently ran in USA Today.

Via Business Insider

" Your recent near-death experience may have been our fault. Here's 30% off to give us another try."

Following the Costa Concordia disaster off the coast of Italy, the ship's parent company, Carnival Corp., is trying to do some damage control. Emphasis on trying.

Carnival if offering all the passengers of the ill-fated cruise a refund. So far, so good.

Carnival is also offering some passengers — just some, not all, mind you — 30% off future cruises.

Click here to read about another effort at damage control after a different marine disaster.

 

Via Huffington Post
Image: Sinking of the M.S. Wilhelm Gustloff,
Irwin J. Kappes

Target's Missoni launch is an online FAIL

The woman I share an office with is slamming doors and kicking wastebaskets.

Target is the reason for her wrath. Actually, it's Target's website.

Today, Target is debuting an exclusive, limited-edition line from Missoni, the Italian fashion house. The collection includes women's clothing, shoes and other fashion accessories, accessories for the home and really cute baby onesies that my officemate simply must have.

Apparently, the people at Target were so excited about this launch they forgot to shore up Target's servers.

The Target website is down.

If my officemate is any indication, Target has created a sh*tstorm.

Click here to see the whole Missoni collection for Target.

 ADDENDUM posted 6 hours later

The Target site is still down. But people who bought Target's Missoni merchandise at the bricks and mortar stores are offering their purchases on eBay for many times what they paid for them.

Rupert Murdoch's 'sorry' ad

This is the damage control ad Rupert Murdoch is running now that the phone hacking scandal is hurting his empire.

Click here to see an enlarged version of Rupert Murdoch's ad.

BP sign

Found here.

BP logo reimagined by Draplin Design

More work by Draplin Design.

Not quite sure what they'll be celebrating this year

Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival. 75th annual festival is scheduled for September 2 - 6.

"We're postponing the Offshore Industry Safety Awards. Write something for the website."

I said a little prayer for the poor bastard who had to write this. And to thank God it wasn't my assignment.

The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service had to postpone their annual offshore industry safety awards luncheon originally scheduled for May 3. The 120-mile oil slick related to offshore drilling is the obvious cause.

Click the image below to enlarge.

CLICK HERE to go straight to the actual webpage. 

Northwest Airlines branding takes another hit

Those two Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot by 150 miles the airport where they were supposed to land -- originally it was thought they missed their intended stop because they'd fallen asleep -- have made it into the Urban Dictionary.

Yesterday's Word of the Day was Northwest Nap, defined as:

A very deep sleep where you are unable to hear telephones, text messages, and even the Air Force.

Used in a sentence:

Dude, I was so tired yesterday afternoon, I took a Northwest Nap. My girl called me 15 times and I didn't hear a thing.

If you'd like to receive a daily email with the Word of the Day from Urban Dictionary, go to the website.