God Hates Your Billboard

January 28th, 2010

Gran Pantalla put together an amusing display to demonstrate the reach of its billboard advertising on a major highway in Madrid. For seven days, drivers everywhere in the city could not help but notice the giant message proclaiming “God Does Not Exist.” On the seventh day, however, God noticed the billboard, had a temper tantrum, and burnt it to a crisp! With the help of the billboard’s creators, of course, who climbed up in the middle of the night to alter the poster.

Despite the number of overly sensitive religious people who might be offended during the first few days the ad is up, I think the company redeems itself in even their eyes when the payoff comes on day 7. Meanwhile, the rest of us have been laughing all along…

[via IBelieveinAdvertising]

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Seduction by Bus

January 21st, 2010

The Niteliner is a late-night bus operated by Connexxion that provides a cheap, warm, and safe way for partying teenagers to get home after the bars and clubs close. In order to promote it among this age group, agents slipped fake “seductive” notes into the pockets and purses of bar- and clubgoers (imagine the ad guy trying to explain what his hand was doing in your bag if you caught him!) that, on closer inspection, turned out to be bus schedules.

The front side of the note, in a handwritten style, coyly intimated that the writer “wanted to show you that winter nights don’t always have to be this cold.” The note then suggested the recipient meet them at - here readers had to turn over the page - the bus stop, with times and locations and a cheery reminder to ride the Niteliner. I’m sure some people were crushed to find their secret admirer was a bus - I know I would be!

[via DirectDaily]

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Alfa Romeo in a Shopping Cart

January 18th, 2010

For an amusing and attention-getting publicity stunt, the makers of the Alfa Romeo positioned cars in shopping carts inside busy retail centers in Belgium. The eye-catching display was meant to suggest how easy it was to buy the car at the massively reduced prices the company was offering. The absurdity of a massive car sticking out of a tiny shopping cart was guaranteed to generate a few laughs, and plenty of people came closer to read the copy on the promotional materials, which gave the website address of the company and hinted at rock-bottom prices to be found online.

[via IBelieveinAdvertising]

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Beauty Secrets of Crosswalks

January 7th, 2010

This humorous promotion for Altschul Orthodontics suggests that this crosswalk owes its straightness to the wonders of modern dentistry, showing a “before” picture similar to the crooked teeth depicted in advertisements for braces. I’m sure many cyclists and motorists would agree that OK - painted lines are great - but let’s see them straighten the road…

[via IBelieveinAdvertising]

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