Filed under: Comment
And I thought that AUSTRALIS make-up ad I wrote about a while back was bad.
Seriously this type of thing makes me physically sick.
No, I’m not talking about the hotdog [though I’m sure that would have a similar effect] I’m talking about this kind of puerile, sexual-metaphor-laden, sorry excuse for an ad
Do they really think they’re being clever?
Do they really think this is the best way to sell a hotdog?
For fucks sake …
I bet the person behind it was a male.
Infact, I would bet the person behind it was some young Singaporean male whose only experience of sex has been when he’s alone in bed with only a sweaty sock for company.
Look I’m no prude, hell on the the cynic site we even say we love ‘bananas’ because woman find it impossible to eat one [if a man is watching] without feeling embarrassed … but we wouldn’t make a fucking ad about it, or at least not one that’s aimed at appealing to sexually immature idiots who get excited just riding the fucking bus.
And I find it somewhat ironic that the Singaporean Government would allow this piece of sexual-immaturity-shit to run in venues that attract the entire age spectrum of their population when then say words like “BUM” cannot be heard on television.
But then this is a country that used to have politicians publically state …
Photo: Straits Times Newspaper
Nice eh?
And let me tell you – as much as no one would say something like that in public again – there’s a hell of alot of people in the country who still feel that way, despite the fact the genius who built this country – Lee Kuan Yew – achieved much of it by exploring, borrowing, adapting and developing ideas that he learnt from his experiences visiting and working with other countries.
[So whereas Western prejudice tends to want people who DON’T come from their country out, many Singaporeans don’t want locals who’ve left to broaden their mind, experiences and talent, back]
I should point out that my anger behind this ad is not because of its pathetic sexual metaphor.
I think everyone knows I’m very much for freedom-of-speech and expression – so if someone really wants to do a piece-of-shit ad like the one above [or this], then good luck to them – my anger is that someone [and I’m talking agency / creative and client] thought this was the best way to flog some shitty hotdogs because not only does that undermine the value of the industry I work in/love, but it creates even more sexual typecasting in a country/region that is already adrift with gender stereotypes.
Sexuality and sensuality can be a great way to sell brands – just look at Lynx/Axe, Hagan Daaz, Wonderbra – but if the communication has nothing appealing or emotional or subtle or witty about it, then it’s nothing more than Ad Porn.
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how the fuck have you gone from blowjobs to singaporean foreign policy? its impressive in a really fucking shit way.
i know you hate this shit and the hotdog thing is “grade a” wank, but its not always as fucking nasty as you bitch about and its no way hypocritical coming from a man who used to make cash by doing the fucking sunday sport ads.
admit it, you only say this to impress the chicks. you should be the perv fucker in the lg ad
Comment by andy@cynic June 24, 2008 @ 7:31 amyeah, i’m impressed with the obvious link between hotdogs, blowjobs and singapore’s foreign policy too. are you sure you don’t want to be a politician?
Comment by lauren June 24, 2008 @ 7:37 amdon’t even start me on the ad…
That hotdog poster is awful it was probably done by someone who used to do ads for the building trade.
Comment by Pete June 24, 2008 @ 7:43 amLook a hot dog is fulfilling if you’re hungry. I don’t get the outrage unless its your prurient mind at play again 😉
Re LKY. Oxford educated. Practically a British import and if any of you want a stonking good read his book ‘From Third World to First’ is a revelation on how to build a country (albeit a small one) from the ground up.
Comment by Charles Frith June 24, 2008 @ 8:22 amcampbell wants to fuck lky so youre preaching to the converted chaz. he probably has scrapbooks full of the old bastards photos let alone his fucking books.
you like this ad? not getting any china love then eh? 🙂
Comment by andy@cynic June 24, 2008 @ 9:06 amI think the Singaporean government’s porn ban could be a reason why we get this sort of ‘suggestive’ advertising in a disproportionally high amount. At least it seems that way or is it just me?
While any Singaporean with internet access can consume the same amount of porn as Andy (at least in theory), I believe many still feel restricted by this law. And I think it’s got very little to do with whether they consume or would like to consume porn. They fact that they’re not meant to is what annoys a lot of people. To me, this ad is quite possibly an example of Singaporean rebellion – ‘government protest light’.
Comment by fredrik sarnblad June 24, 2008 @ 10:52 amnice one fredrik, fight the power!
I think the only problem with this is the imbalance of imagery out there – we just need a BK ad of a man blatantly going down on a cheeseburger (of course you would have to put it on its side)to right things
to also quote bill Hicks ‘had enough? I think you will know when I’ve had enough’
Comment by Mr McG June 24, 2008 @ 11:01 ami know what youre saying swede boy about governmental rebellion (not my porn use) but theres as much sex going on in singapore as there is in the us, its just there they do it via “experiences” rather than fucking ads
Comment by andy@cynic June 24, 2008 @ 11:22 amBugger me Andy – you might of said something intelligent there and I think you might have a point too. For once 🙂
Too be honest, I don’t think the hotdog bollocks is a statement of rebellion, it’s much more likely to be a statement of sexual immaturity because apart from the fact this is an isolated incident [which implies that rebellion is not a core attribute of the Singaporean psyche] it’s also in line with some of the gender stereotypes many Asian women say they need/want to overcome to have a happier and healthier relationship with their men.
Loads of reasons for this – some cultural, some political, some educational – but it creating a real shift in womens attitudes/expectations and behaviour – which is causing as much male confustion as when women wanted the ability to vote and burn their bras 🙂
[I shouldn’t have to point out that not ALL Asian women or men act/think this way – but as you’re all a bunch of pedantic buggers, I will just incase 🙂 ]
Comment by Rob June 24, 2008 @ 1:33 pm