Comments on: Not Safe For America

Not Safe For America

boost ventilator — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 10:16:55 -0800

10 ads courtesy of AdAge.com (N.S.F.America)

By: ae4rv

ae4rv — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 10:32:01 -0800

Interesting link. At the bottom of the page it mentions http://www.japander.com/ which is a place to see western stars making Japanese commercials that are not to be seen in America. More fun!

By: wigu

wigu — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 10:32:40 -0800

The "Smith's Beer" one is wicked funny, as well as the Virgin Birth video (the last line in which, spoken offscreen, was perfect). It would be cooler if American ads were more like this instead of dudes getting whacked in the nuts and girls having erratic dance-spasms in Mitsubishi Eclipses. At least they would be entertaining subconsciously invasive propaganda for unnecessary things.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 10:38:32 -0800

Excellent stuff. Thanks.

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 10:42:38 -0800

Thanks - for some reason I was never able to see (i.e. get it to work on my computer) the Cog commercial in previous links. It's so nice when things just work.

By: dabitch

dabitch — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 10:46:29 -0800

The N.Z anti-drug ad is just soooo gross. The FHM ad is brilliant, and could have worked just fine in the US if the blah blah was the Charlie Brown's adult speak: 'wahwahwah'. ;)

By: bluno

bluno — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 10:48:15 -0800

great links! don't miss the japanese simpsons ads at japander.com.

By: simcd

simcd — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 11:03:13 -0800

adage.com says that the Mr Kipling ad was 'so offensive that it was pulled from the air' in the UK - is that the case? I swear I saw it a couple of days back.

By: simcd

simcd — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 11:05:49 -0800

more end of year ad discussion in the UK:

By: UKnowForKids

UKnowForKids — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 11:07:49 -0800

Does anyone have a link to a higher-resolution version of the Honda cog commercial?

By: fenriq

fenriq — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 11:14:31 -0800

Ads as art, curious world. But some of these really are pretty cool. Shame the American censors are so Victorian or we'd get some of the good stuff too. Best ad I've seen in a long while? Gotta be this ad for hand rolled cigars. But its totally not work safe so be forewarned!

By: jennyb

jennyb — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 11:22:42 -0800

Whoa! That cigar ad was something else.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 11:50:58 -0800

Fantastic! I enjoyed the Smith's beer ad as well. The MeFi link for the Honda Ad from April is here, and you can look at the 100k version of it here. Wish it were better, but it's still genius at any level of resolution.

By: wsg

wsg — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 12:25:39 -0800

What the world needs now is more commercials like the cigar one.

By: tomorama

tomorama — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 13:33:02 -0800

Aside from a few, like the Honda Cog ad (which is amazing), I'm glad these ads aren't appearing in American television. The Virgin Birth ad does sound offensive, and I really have no interest in seeing a guy snort his own brain on network television. And as much as the Smith's Beer ad does sound funny (I bet it is), it also doesn't sound quite appropriate.

By: pmurray63

pmurray63 — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 14:51:58 -0800

The FHM ad was predated long ago here in the US by a TV commercial for Dunkin Donuts. The talent said nothing but "blah blah blah" in perfect intonation that sounded reasonable. I think some text may have displayed at the bottom of the screen while this happened. I thought it was absolutely hilarious... but it was yanked because too many people didn't get it. Sigh.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 15:14:34 -0800

What the world needs now is more commercials God bless America. Saving the world, one commercial at a time. What the world needs now is me, baby!

By: Pericles

Pericles — Wed, 24 Dec 2003 01:04:02 -0800

Brilliant. I didn't understand the gloss on the Smith's ad "Only a U.K. marketer would endorse such a loser as a brand spokesman -- and let him explain sex explicitly to a 4-year-old.". The whole point is that it's no-bullshit beer. Is Ad Age an American magazine, hence their not getting the point?

By: Jubey

Jubey — Wed, 24 Dec 2003 01:33:50 -0800

The guy that did the anti drug brain gore ad? I'm about to interview with him for a job. Wish me luck.

By: Blue Stone

Blue Stone — Wed, 24 Dec 2003 03:32:51 -0800

CapitalistMasturbationFilter

By: skryche

skryche — Wed, 24 Dec 2003 07:03:06 -0800

"But its totally not work safe so be forewarned!" Huh. I thought that said "not totally work safe" and thought I'd take my chances. Oops.

By: neuroshred

neuroshred — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 06:13:49 -0800

The Cog ad reminds me of an art piece I saw on NYC public access in the late 1980s. The chain reactions went on for a half hour. I always wondered who was behind that piece - maybe he ended up in advertising.