Advertising Tip of the Day

By -
If you are 1.) a graphic designer, 2.) work at an ad agency, 3.) put ads in newspapers and/or magazines or 4.) have ANYTHING to do with advertising, you need to NOT make ads like this:

This, dear friends, is an actual ad for an audiometric testing clinic. Obviously this ad is many levels of disturbing, but I for one am glad this is not an ad for any other kind of doctor! Now, I understand what they're going for, but let's be honest. Who wants to have a little mini-guy crawl into their inner-ear? So disturbing! I also would like to see the before and after of what the little guy looked like if the ear had excess wax buildup! Attention grabbing, yes; Acceptable, ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Comments

vander said…
Unfortunately, there is no way in the world any of you can fully grasp how funny this is. Jay, you have simultaneously brightened my day and forced me to confront the futility in my life. That's an awful lot for a Monday. (A special thanks to ear-butt-man for this auspicious day.)
20 June, 2005 09:13
Stephanie said…
I agree--pretty disturbing, especially to those with active imaginations!
20 June, 2005 09:13
Jay said…
Vandermolen, I'm glad I succeed at one thing today! Do tell how this forced you to confront the fertility in your life?! And Steph, I would say in my case, it's an OVER-active imagination :-)
20 June, 2005 10:07
vander said…
Um, FUtility, not FERtility, friend. Is fertility futile? I don't know. Futility is probably infertile, depending on what you're trying to grow, but that's another topic for another day. Anway, I have worked with said advertisement many, many times. Ear-butt-man runs a lot of ads. I guess the lesson here is that no good design goes unpunished and, adversely, no bad idea goes unpublished. Excuse me while I fire up Microsoft PowerPoint and dole out some rainbow word art for the masses.
20 June, 2005 10:14
Pete said…
LOL, I think I'm getting a side cramp.

VanderM, can you give us any more background on this ad?
20 June, 2005 10:27
vander said…
Well, there's not much more to tell. No one knows where ear-butt-man came from or why he chooses to explore the inner ear so personally. My best guess is that he is leftover clipart from some sort of brainwashing/cult stock photo CD and was reappropriated for use by the medical community. Whatever works, I guess.
20 June, 2005 10:53
Stephanie said…
*laughing so hard tears are flowing*. I think my day has now been brightened as well, Vandermolen! You should toss the rainbow word art for good and become a stand-up comic. And, Mr. Overactive Imagination, remember our convo about the process of learning to self-edit when speaking? ;-)
20 June, 2005 12:34
vander said…
I'll be over here, confronting fertility. (Dude, do I get a cape for that?)
20 June, 2005 12:50
The Dark Scrivener said…
I humbly submit an ad from an even lower canto of design hell. Witness how one designer, in one ad, simultaneously describes and causes the downfall of Western Civilization:

Click if you dare.

I have nothing more to add.
20 June, 2005 13:43
Jay said…
OMG - this is hilarious! Is he REALLY a butt doctor too? Sick! I am just so glad he didn't opt to advertise his other profession. Whew.
20 June, 2005 13:45
vander said…
Actually, I believe that (ear butt man) is simply the file name for that piece of art. I don't think our ear friend specializes in any other region.

When all of us are losing our hearing, we will think back to this conversation and wonder, "Should I get audiometric testing and improve my hearing?" So even truly horrible ideas attract memorable attention. Behold, the power of kitsch.
21 June, 2005 09:11
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