Saw the ad above on Copyranter (they got it via), it’s an ad for Superette, an Auckland, New Zealand boutique chain that wanted to promote their sale for short-shorts. So, what’s the unique medium used for advertising? They placed indented plates on bus stop seating areas and park benches to leave imprints on people's thighs. The goal is that the plates make clear imprints on people's backsides so that they attract the attention of on lookers (a.k.a. perverts) to the featured sale. Oh, and when I say they I mean DDB Auckland.
Well, I have a few issues with the ad above and the way it was executed.
- Talk about intrusive advertising. I don’t think I want any advertising on my skin unless I put it there in the form of a tattoo not indented skin marks. Why, because that means that no circulation is getting to that area of the skin.
- Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable for those who have the marks of the ad on their skin? I think so.
- Would the indentation ever really be that clear? The answer is no because everyone has different weights and sizes so the ads would never really be that clear unless they got the absolute “perfect person.”
- Finally, who is the target audience for the ad? They are advertising for “SHORT-SHORTS” and women buy them right? Why would they look at other women’s thighs?
- Also what if people wore their jeans or any form of pans that cover their thighs.
- Maybe they were hoping people would notice the indentation plates before sitting on them. Wouldn't that cause people not to sit down due to the advertising, which would then turn them off on the brand for causing the inconvenience?
So my final conclusion is that this type of advertising was meant to ive the advertising blog world something to talk about. Or did I miss something about the audience, advertising execution or the message itself? Let me know!
Best,
-A.B.
