Crispin Porter & Bogusky
Slate: "Why I sort of hate the hottest ad agency in the country."
The above article takes Crispin Porter and Bogusky to task for making ads aimed at fratty guys and only fratty guys at the risk of excluding others. Read the article itself for which ads they're talking about, specifically. It's an interesting read.
What I found most interesting about it was the fact that I love and hate the company's ads in equal number. While I love "Man Law," (the one with Jewel is pitch perfect) I don't like The King from the Burger King ads. And I hate that damn Sponge Bob No Pants ad they've been running lately. HATE it. Makes me want to shoot my damn TV. But then I loved the ads for "My Fast" from Volkswagon. And don't get me started on those "Making Things Right" ads for Hagar. Those were the single most ... my god. I nearly burst an aneurysm just thinking about the damn things.
How did you react to each of these ads? That's my question to you. The article paints it in an all-or-nothing light, but I find my reaction far more varied. So what do you think about them? Do you like or dislike them all the same? Or do you like the ones your like more than you hate the ones you hate? How do you feel about advertising that splits you down the middle? Do you even watch commercials anymore?
I, too, hate and love the ads in equal measure - but different ads. Hate the "My Fast" ads and anything with Sponge Bob; teetering on the edge with the "Man Law". That king fom the Burger King ads makes me want to double check the locks on all my doors and windows to make sure no creepy stalker man can get in. And - oh, my god. I just watched one of the Hagar commercials. I . . .have no words. Well, one: Hate.
But I absolutely love the BK "I am man ads". (Entirely hysterical.) I'm also a big fan of the Volkswagon "Un-Pimp My Auto".
The article was, how did you put it?, "all or nothing". I think what the writer missed was that Crispin isn't just appealing to the frat boy aesthetic, he's also making fun of it. I love the BK "I am man" ads so much because it says "real men eat at Burger King" while suggesting that masculinity can be over the top.
Posted by: Susan | April 6, 2007 11:14 AM