Friday, October 29, 2010

What public-service advertising is and isn't considered acceptable in America?

1. NYC's anti-soda ads are considered acceptable.

As that article suggests, the debate behind the scenes boiled down to "fear" ("'I think what people fear is getting fat'") vs. "science" ("'As we get into this exacting science, the idea of a sugary drink becoming fat is absurd'"). Guess which value won out?

2. But this German ad promoting condom use would probably not be considered acceptable in America.

The German text in the ad uses a double entendre to explain the visual joke: "Prevents short-sightedness."

I almost want to put a "NSFW" disclaimer because some people might consider the ad too graphic. But that's part of the problem.

3 comments:

LemmusLemmus said...

The link to the first ad could have used a Not Safe For Meal warning.

John Althouse Cohen said...

Good point. Sorry. There was no picture with the article when I posted it.

LemmusLemmus said...

I see. Don't worry: No stomach malfunction in this reader.