This morning, while eating my breakfast and rifling through the industry news of the day, I discovered an advertising first for me: an ad that went so beyond the parameters of good taste and good strategy that it literally made me feel sick.
I'm not the squeamish type, nor am I easily offended. But the latest ad for Internet Explorer 8, created by Bradley and Montgomery, hit a threshhold that even repeats of "Fear Factor" and G4's "Hurl" didn't quite reach. See for yourself, but before you do, be warned: the spot is called OMGIGP (a.k.a.: Oh my god, I'm gonna puke).
The reason this spot fails is not because it's gross -- hell, we've been there/seen that kind of stuff before. And it's not even that offensive or outrageous, given the times we live in, or compared to ads we've seen for Pepsi, or even older-era ads that were acceptable at the time and now seem blatantly misdirected through a 21st Century lens.
As I see it, it fails because it distracts to the point where the true message is lost. By the time former "Lois and Clark" star Dean Cain appears to explain why this woman is repeatedly vomiting on her husband as he lies helpless on the floor, I've already lost interest in knowing what the product is and how it will make my life better.
I hope the follow-up ads in this series put the product in a more favorable light.
