October 28, 2009

Caution: Ad Men At Work

Just some good old billboards selling mostly decent products, most of which would never hurt you... like cigarettes. Also below, a glimpse into the inner-workings of an ad agency creating some of these.



























After seeing the next few billboards, a few questions were raised. Questions which could only be answered after watching a few episodes of Mad Men.

CLIENT: No, I mean, I love it, but...
AD MAN: But, what?
CLIENT: It's just that, ah, the face.
AD MAN: The Face?
CLIENT: Yes. I mean, don't you think he looks a little too...
AD MAN: Too what?
CLIENT: Excited?
AD MAN: Excited? What, you don't want people to be excited to use your product?
CLIENT: No, I mean, yes, but... don't you think it's a little...
AD MAN: No, I don't think. I did my thinking when I was doing your ads.
CLIENT: Right. I mean, they're great. But...
AD MAN: You should've stopped at great.
CLIENT: What?
AD MAN: You want to draw it? You want me to go back there and get you some pencils?
CLIENT: That's not necessary.
AD MAN: No, no it's not. Because I do what I do, not you. You do what you do, and although doing what you do is something I could do, doing what I do is more important than doing what you do. Do you... understand?
CLIENT: I think so.
AD MAN: (Lighting a cigarette) Do you believe in God, Mr. Client?
CLIENT: What? Of course I do.
AD MAN: Well let me tell you what I believe in. Me. That's right. I believe in me. And what I gave you, what my boys gave you... is a glimpse. A fleeting beautiful glimpse into the most sacred of all places... the soul of your customer. My boys back there, they're not artists. NO. They're fortune tellers. And oh yes, they have whispered your fortune. What they're showing you is the look of pure... unadulterated... euphoria. Bliss, Mr. Client. Bliss from using your product. I did that. Me. I made that possible. And I GAVE that to you. So before you go and question my work, just know that you're questioning something much greater than yourself. You are questioning me.
CLIENT: I see.
AD MAN: So... Mr. Client, what do you think of these?
CLIENT: I love 'em.