We are back again with another in our ongoing series, “Two Ads I Like and One I Don’t”. A feature where we ask people in the ad world to gives us two picks and a pan – choosing two ads they like and one they are not so crazy about.
This time, for our 65th edition of the series, we welcome Urvi Parikh, Insights & Strategy Lead at Quantum Consumer Solutions in Singapore.
Two Ads I Like
German Rail: No Need to Fly – Around the world in Germany
‘Travel bragging’ is a big trend these days especially on social media, and foreign travel is always seen as a more exotic option.
This campaign is pure genius as it impressively uses data and technology to find gorgeous doppelgänger landmarks that are just a train ride away for Germans, and can be reached at a fraction of the cost.
I like it because selling train travel is fairly challenging given the functional nature of it – but this one finds a way to shift the focus of the offering by selling the idea of exotic local destinations that can be accessed at a fraction of the cost through train travel.
There is also a subtle message of making travel choices that are more environmentally friendly.
Don’t Mind if I Baileys
I love Baileys but I’ve personally used it more as an ingredient rather than as a plain drink and here is a brand that recognized the potential in this space and radically repositioned the liqueur to own this space.
The campaign boldly reframes the brand as an ingredient in adult treat occasions by showcasing its versatility and it does so with consistency across different platforms.
One I Don’t like
A Protein World: Beach Body Ready
Need I say more? This ad makes every other human feel inferior about their body type. It imposes unrealistic beauty standards and sets new codes of conformity. Since when did you require a certain kind of body to be able to wear a bikini and go to the beach?
Perhaps not everyone’s priority is having a ‘beach body’ and making somebody feel guilty for not prioritizing it by questioning their personal choices is a step too far.
This also brings to light the larger issue in the health, beauty and fashion industries that tend to portray near-perfect images of women and their hesitation to show diversity in body types, skin color and different forms of beauty.
