Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Dutch ad students create ads that make fun of the Japanese disaster.


(click ads) For some unfathomable reason, I told "Jo den Koek" and "Piet Tiet" (not their real names) that I would post these spec ads without comment. Said "Jo" about the campaign for Fatboy lamps:
"We wanted to do something people had never done before and that's use a disaster like the tsunami in Japan in an inhumane way. A brand would never do this as it wouldn't lead to any sales but we're students, we can do anything."
I don't know what they're teaching kids these days.
Other students—DON'T send me your spec ads.
Commenters, have at them.
Previously: Argentinian ad school perverts create nudie Barbie Matchbox calendar.

25 Comments:

Blogger Nathan Schock said...

I hope for the professor's sake he has tenure.

10:47 AM  
Anonymous Mdebruin said...

please note that the names of those students are aliases. Piet Tiet = Piet Tit and Jo den Koek = Jodenkoek = a certain kind of cookie. Not really funny, these fake campaigns, I think. I don't care of they are students or not, it's just a matter of good and bad taste

10:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow. That is fucking disgusting.

10:53 AM  
Anonymous Jessie said...

Spec ads are usually pretty off base, because they're written without knowing details about the brand's audience, goals, key messages, etc. They're made in an attempt to show creative prowess and get you a job. They shouldn't have to come with an apology. If anyone hires these folks, it will be in spite of these ads, not because of them.

10:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There's a reason no one has done this before. Because it's stupid. Getting beyond that, the lines are shit and the art direction is just as bad.

If you're going to "do something no one has done before" make sure it doesn't suck.

10:55 AM  
Blogger copyranter said...

thanks Mdebruin.

10:56 AM  
Blogger Melanie said...

Students want to be working professionals someday, right? Students need to learn fast that what gets and keeps them hired is delivering what the client wants, not shock-shit on a plate.

10:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I won't even talk about how insensitive these are. That's a given. They were clearly done with that and mind, and no doubt the creators are thinking: "it doesn't matter, because the ads are being talked about."

So let's talk about them.

Work like this comes from students. And people who work in bad shops that must do fake ads to enter in the award shows.

Let's talk about the copywriting. Really, you need two sentences on the first headline? One bad joke isn't enough? You're gonna make me read more? Did you really need to say "Japan" in the headline? Like I wouldn't know where you're talking about?

Why is the bottom border so chunky? Same with the logo? Work like this, you want the headline to be smaller. Right now the copy and logo is competing with the visual.

And the rest of the border. What was the intention behind that? Did you mean to remind me of ads that came out in the 1990s?

Also the product shot layouts makes no sense: The chandelier is floating in the photo, but the table lamp is resting on the logo. You should be consistent.

Finally, despite your claim, making fun of a tragedy has been done, many, many times before. (See: Katrina and 9/11 ads)

But I guess you'd know that if you ever flipped through an advertising annual.

11:02 AM  
Blogger Fabrizio said...

Stupidity is not a plus on a portfolio

11:04 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

http://www.chipshopawards.com/categories/212/1921/everyone-loves-a-good-clean-out/

Somewhat strangely entered in the 'Best use of shocking copy' category.

Must be the missing apostrophe.

11:06 AM  
Blogger none provided said...

Well, I won't even go into how disgusting this is, because the students obviously wanted to aim for that.

So let's talk about the design instead - it sucks. Seriously, there is no creativity in these ads, and the design doesn't capture the eye.

Please, if you want to do something 'new', at least make sure that it doesn't look like crap.

11:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow.. aren't we all a little butthurt, ladies? So swift to ostracize these students for some satire. You'd think all you creatives would be able to pick up on that.

Keep the knee jerk bleeding heart reactions in your pants and grow up.

12:35 PM  
Anonymous Blah said...

@Anonymous:
Yes, let's see how you will react, after there is a devastating tsunami where you live, and you lose your family and friends to it, and I make a satirical advert about that, for a little college project.

It will be nice to observe how grown up you act to that.

2:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

These ads are like taking a shit on a conference table during a meeting. If a whole lot of very bad attention is your goal, you have succeeded heroically.

2:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

:s

3:56 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

@Blah,

If something like that happened to me or my loved ones I wouldn't be concerned with something as trivial as some students making some rage baiting ads.

That would be a grown up response.

Your unnecessary outrage on the other hand is shallow and bordering on childish. It's disappointing to see how people like you are incapable of putting your petty feelings aside and engaging in an actual discussion.

4:11 PM  
Anonymous Anne Marie said...

@anonymous, you can't ostracize someone you don't know. You can rant about or critique them, which is the whole point of this blog. Not all satire is funny.

Also: Dudes disagreed too and "butthurt" is old.

Also also: I would like to know the anatomical explanation for how a knee-jerk bleeding heart is found inside someone's pants.

8:04 PM  
Blogger Guernican said...

To be fair, there's nothing more compelling than an anonymous whiner defending a pile of shit in a blog comments section. My bleeding heart has dropped into my turn-ups.

9:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello, please be aware Fatboy had no part or gave any authorization for these adverts. The Japanese disaster is a tragedy and it is disheartening to know people would invest time mocking this devastating time for Japan, it’s people and the world alike. And to utilize unauthorized images and logo’s of a brand known for creating joy and happiness all around the world is mean-spirited. We are offended and would appreciate that these outrageous posts be removed immediately.

1:31 PM  
Blogger melissa. said...

No outrage, people are going to take this tact when it comes to disasters & tragedies because that's just what some people do. It's always happened and always will.

The ads suck though, and that's what I come to Copyranter for. Thank you for not disappointing. I really dislike the taglines, and think if they'd like to take such a "shocking" viewpoint, maybe tighten it up a bit. They're not funny, satirical, or edgy. Just come off as a bit desperate. They need to learn the art of subtlety if they want to continue with this schtick.

Oh, and maybe ask the company first before using their image and sending it out all over the internet. Just saying.

1:04 AM  
Anonymous Fatboy said...

Fatboy would like to comment on these disgusting distasteful 'advertisements'.

Fatboy is in no way related to these ads and we are truly shocked by the disrespectable way the creator misused the photo's of the victims of the Japan disaster. We will do whatever we can to track down those responsible.

Our heart is with you Japan.

Sincerely,
Fatboy

6:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am an old guy, a retired CD. I started seeing this BS about a dozen years ago in portfolios from da kids. The constant head shaking may be the cause of my migraines now?

Thoughts ...

1 - when the ad profs are failed hacks, what did you expect?

2 - the kids coming out of current courses are totally out of touch with what real advertising is, or is supposed to be.

3 - shock ≠ emotional context.


As mentioned, I am retired. To all those lucky folks still in the biz, good luck with this.

I do not care because I do not have a TV anymore. Nor read papers or mags nor listen to the radio.

Advertising, real advertising, sadly died about 25 years ago.

4:02 PM  
Anonymous AnotherStudent! said...

WTF?
Did these guys learned about branding?
It's ok to be bad-ass as soon as it give a POISTIVE image to the brand and the product... and does not make fun about poeple that have lost everything on earth in a few days.
BOOOOOOOOH!

9:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting. I'm now no longer worried about competing with the next generation of copywriters.

9:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The sad thing is, these kids are probably on the right track if they want to succeed in today's soul-bereft digital wasteland.

9:55 AM  

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