Beauty products
We’ll say this about Old Spice’s "Double Impact" ads – once you see them, you aren’t likely to forget them.
In the ad, a centaur – half man, half horse – is in the shower, soaping up and bragging about how he loves Old Spice’s new body wash/moisturizer because he also is two things, "a man, and a pretty smart shopper."
Our narrator then goes on to explain all the benefits of this dual-purpose product before concluding:
"It’s perfect. I should know. I’m two great things. A man…,"
".. and, a provider," concludes a woman who has just walked into the shot.
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| Old Spice |
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A few months back, Hanes struck just the right note with an advertising campaign featuring glamorous yet goofy actress Sarah Chalke publicly doing battle with a wedgie, before discovering Hanes’ "no ride-up" panty.
Now, Hanes is taking on the other sex. A new campaign features sitcom actor Charlie Sheen in full fanboy mode, hoping to impress basketball legend Michael Jordan. His method is questionable, however: upon seeing the star at an exclusive club, he immediately starts bragging about the "no ride-up" boxer briefs he’s wearing.
In the process of trying to show Jordan his underwear -- while driving in reverse -- Sheen manages to slam into a valet stand. A bemused Jordan looks on.
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Say the name Dr. Scholl’s and most people think of sensible shoes, somewhat embarrassing foot ailments and other not-so-sexy connotations. That’s a hard reputation to beat, but evoking table dancing may be taking things too far.
A recent ad for the foot comfort company shows model Yaya DaCosta, a contestant from "America’s Next Top Model," doing what appears to be some sort of sexy dance (although it may be the chicken dance gone awry) on something that looks like a cross between a desk and a stage.
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| Dr. Scholl’s |
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These days, moms are constantly being told that there are countless things they should be doing to make their kids smarter, healthier and more well-adjusted. As if the pressure to hand-grind organic vegetables into gourmet baby food while teaching your toddler a second language isn’t enough, now along comes a commercial to note that, in the midst of all that, you really ought to do something about your hair.
Suave’s recent television ad argues that "89 percent of moms admit they’ve let themselves go." But don’t fret, moms, with a few minutes and a bevy of Suave products, you can, to paraphrase the beauty product company’s words, get yourself back.
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| Suave |
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It’s not easy selling underwear.
Companies aiming to get customers into their underthings have to walk the fine line between becoming too sexy for themselves - a misstep Victoria’s Secret recently acknowledged - and getting too deep into the decidedly unsexy engineering behind undergarments (how much do we really want to think about bra fittings, after all?)
Hanes is aiming to find a happy - and humorous - medium with a new series of ads that tries, in a silly but sexy way, to sell a pair of underwear guaranteed not to give you a wedgie.
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| Hanes |
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Dove’s “Campaign For Real Beauty” has been the source of good advertising with a good (if a tad bit Oprah-ized) message for a few years now.
The message: Women should be comfortable with their bodies and own beauty. Hopefully it has made some people feel better, more respected and respectful.
Certainly, though, women are still hit with contrary messages at every turn. The company’s new “short film” (or is that “long ad?”) is especially striking.
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| Unilever |
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