Weekly Ad Round-Up: The Good, The Bad And The Quitbit

This week’s Friday round-up we’re looking at some serious issues: a strange take on death, a Sudanese man with an incredible story and the issue of consent in Canada.

The Good

The Western Sydney University, as a part of its rebrand, has launched an online and television campaign called “Unlimited”. The ad follows Deng Thiak Adut who was taken from his mother at the age of six, forced to become a child soldier, was shot, smuggled out of Sudan and then taught himself to read.

Adut was then rescued by the United Nations and settled in western Sydney in 1998, he now works as a refugee lawyer after graduating from Western Sydney University with a law degree. He volunteers his time with community groups, including the Parramatta Community Justice Clinic, and works with disadvantaged groups, especially refugees, on human rights issues.

The Bad

This morbid product promotion is a creepy addition to the wearable technology hype. The ‘quitbit’ is a fake product which predicts the exact moment that you will die, but it’s actually an advertisement for Mount Pleasant Group a Toronto funeral service.

“We wanted it to be different and fresh,” said Glen D’Souza, associate creative director at Union, the Toronto ad agency that created the campaign.

“It is a bit of a departure,” said Rick Cowan, vice-president of marketing for Mount Pleasant Group. “When we apply humour in our advertising, we always have to be mindful – just given the subject matter that we deal with – of not crossing a line and being perceived as offensive. Everyone has a different meter as to what becomes offensive, but we’re careful not to push the limit. This is very clever.”

Get Consent

The Canadian Women’s Foundation has launched its annual advertising campaign taking a rather lighthearted tone to a serious issue. ‘Get Consent’ shows how ridiculous it would be if people assumed they could do whatever they wanted once someone had said ‘yes’ once.

According to Diane Hill, the senior director, public engagement of SHE, of the Canadian Women’s Foundation magazine wrote in her blog: “The barber has an odd little smile on his face. (Is it smugness? Sadistic pleasure?) The waiter pouring gravy is relentless, ignoring the woman’s clear “Stop!” The heavy-metal-loving grandson is so focused on his own enjoyment that his gramma’s discomfort means nothing to him.

“When you respect someone, it’s a no-brainer to make sure they’re willing, whether we’re talking about haircuts, gravy, music—or sex.”

The ad will be running online, on out-of-home video screens, and promoted through social media posts and radio.

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