Insect Repellent

September 29th, 2009

Olimpia wanted to remind consumers that theirs was the only disinfectant floor cleaner that also acted as an insect repellent. They placed ads in magazines featuring a strip that detached to hold the magazine in a rolled-up shape, creating a makeshift fly-swatter. I wonder if anyone actually used the strip for that purpose–don’t people usually use newspapers to swat flies? Everyone must be getting their news online–using a computer to swat flies is a very bad idea!

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Does Paddle-Ball Give You a Headache?

September 25th, 2009

The manufacturers of non-prescription headache medication Agudol sent these paddle-ball racquets to clinicians in Ecuador, hoping this cleverly-designed promotion would lead recipients to remember and recommend their product to patients who complained of headache symptoms. The toy was an immediate hit among doctors and patients alike (no pun intended!). Not only did it depict the feeling of headache with hilarious accuracy, but it offered the solution to the ailment within the toy–the bouncing ball was a large, stylized Agudol pill. On the other side of the paddle, as you can see, the poor tormented patient has found relief, the pill’s logo on his forehead where Agudol has presumably made its impact. If only real-life headache relief was as simple as hitting yourself in the forehead with a pill!

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Customizable Sneakers = Customizable Species?

September 21st, 2009

Converse has spawned a fun bunch of makeshift species to advertise their latest line of customizable sneakers. These bizarre creatures–which bear an uncanny resemblance to some of the contest entries on one of Worth1000’s recent Photoshop contests–are certainly eye-catching, though perhaps not the sort of thing you’d want as a pet. All of them, of course, share a love for Converse shoes, and clicking on them brings the curious viewer to Converse’s website, where a Flash interface lets them design their own sneakers.

It’s kind of a stretch to link customizable species with customizable sneakers, but the result is pretty cute, even if weird cat-monsters make no appearance on the website. Still, these guys are a great way to lure in potential customers!

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Cavities? in MY Bus Ticket?

September 15th, 2009

Seeking to promote their anti-cavity toothpaste in Israel, Elmex needed to catch the customer’s eye in a way that hadn’t been done before. They teamed up with the country’s primary bus company on an entire year’s supply of season bus tickets, printing one side with the normal ticket information and graphics and the other side with a set of teeth so that the ticket eventually filled up with cavities!

The idea is certainly eye-catching, though if the toothpaste prevents cavities, shouldn’t holes be disappearing? Maybe there should be a candy bar in the middle instead…

[via ads of the world]

Posted in Everyday Objects, Food-related, General, The Arts | 1 Comment »