schweppes: “sensation”.

It’s really interesting to see how a company will market itself so differently to various countries. Obviously, there are social mores and cultural values that will affect how an ad will be received. Ads that run for ages to great acclaim in Scandinavia would make most conservative North Americans completely shit their pants.

For an example of a drastic shift in cross-Atlantic advertising, we need look no further than Schweppes. Following the subtle, visual brilliance of their gorgeous slow-mo Australian spot “Burst” comes the fruit-laden psychadelic mind trip of France’s “Sensation”.

I’m not sure how something this colourfully awesome could be so weirdly bad. Drop a tab and let its technotronic waves of babealicious lust slowly wash over your genitals…

(Agency: FFL Paris. Director: Warren du Preez. Production: Stink.)

WTF? I’m all for ads that get artsy for no apparent reason, but this one just seems majorly hokey to me. Plus, I’m endlessly intrigued by how the French will use lesbionic powersex to sell pretty much anything. My favourite part is when the twins rub the bright yellow strawberry between their cheeks…

Oh, but they’re just getting stared. I guess there was some fear that perhaps the ad was too subtle and the sexy party vibe wouldn’t get across, so to really drive the point home they’ve also got a girl rubbing a carcinogenic raspberry on her lips. That’s right… rubbing berries on her lips. Have we run out of “9 1/2 Weeks” food sex clichés? All she’s missing is a pearl necklace and some clear heels.

These girls are SO HORNY! And that… makes me want soda pop? Like I said, I’m all for purely experiential ads, but I don’t get this one.

Plus, if you ever wanted to talk about subliminal imagery in advertising, I give you the following screenshot to peruse:

That’s right. It’s a vagina. It’s a big, French, Schweppes-loving vagina. And to prove it, it’s filled with three glowing Schweppes power-balls. That’s how you know this vagina loves Schweppes.

Don’t get me wrong, despite how incredibly terrible I think this ad is, the production value is totally awesome. The colours are crisp and vibrant – you can tell this is high quality shit. But there’s just something that’s so overtly sexually bizarrely weird about it. I think they might have been trying to achieve a throw-back 80s Robert Palmer “Simply Irresistible” feel of some kind, but it’s just not working for me.

Especially at the end when the embracing naked girls are swirled up into the vortex of a Schweppes bottle. Like a genie. Waiting until a guy comes and rubs off again…

durex: last longer.

Dead puppies. Antarctica. Kissing your Mom…

Here’s further proof that other countries are cooler than us. As part of the Durex “Last Longer” campaign, DDB Auckland handed out these limited edition pillow cases at New Zealand’s Erotica. Not only did Durex’s sales rise 28%, but demand for the pillows was so huge that they were actually re-printed and sold at sex shops – obviously stretching not only the brand legs of the campaign but also reaching all the other consumers who might be a little too shy to have gone to Erotica in person.

The concept is more interesting than just overt sex: You’re boning someone hot, you want to rock their world, so you make sure you “last longer” by looking at these (hilariously) disgusting pillows. They’re gross. I’m disturbed and intrigued and entertained and a little nauseated all at once. “I can’t look… I can’t look away… I can’t look!” It’s like slowing down at the scene of an accident… and we all know everyone does that.

Via Ad Sneeze

use axe. get (a)head.

Ugh. Axe. Unilever is evil and the Axe brand is their fun-loving minion. There’s just no getting away from it. I would hate this Axe ad if I didn’t like it so much. I mean, let’s face it, selling body wash to males 18-29 isn’t the most nuanced brand push in the world…

Although, since Axe and Dove are both owned by the same parent, Unilever, I would be interested to know if the hard-working lady in the tub just watched any of the Dove Self-Esteem Fund vids. Just a thought…unless maybe this is how she gets her self-esteem. In which case, go get ’em girl.

Agency: Lowe MENA UAE (Art Director Dominic Stallard and Copywriter Clinton Manson)