Ahh. Sweet harmony.

I just received the ad above from a sadvertising reader.

He's a fashionista - of course, he found the Marvel Comics-inspired color scheme compelling.  But me...I'm always drawn into the deep strategy.  Cuz I'm a thinking-kind-of-guy.   You know - I'm the one comparing labels in the condiment aisle, "Maybe its time to try Hunts Catsup over Heinz.  What could possibly go wrong?"

Anyway.

The headline, "In our family, we're all together on the wonderful..."

So.  There was a family meeting on the issue of how to heat the home?!  "Shut UP, Roger!  It's Danny's turn, now! (ah-hem)  Danny - your thoughts on going to Flameless Electric Home Heating?"

"Make Roger gimme my army men back!"

"Fine!  I try to teach democracy to this family and what do I get?!  You think I work this hard to put up with all of your...?!"

Ha ha.  Just kiddin'.  This was back in the days when families said Please, Thank You and Ma'am & Sir.  I bet the meeting went brilliantly and afterwards, mom made Jeno's pizza and everyone got a whole bottle of Coke®.   For real.

But I bet the kid on the far right ended up in Fashion Design in New York City.  Or San Francisco.

(Forty years later)

"Hal, do you think it was the Flameless Electric Home Heating that...you know, made Gary..."

"Either that or those damn drapes that your mother bought us."

The Secret® Stall

The scan above is for Secret® deodorant.  It'd been sitting on my desk for a month or two.  Today, I gave up hope of fully understanding the Creative behind it.

What I've been able to grasp, however is this:  Secret® deodorant is tying its product to a higher-minded concept of eliminating "mean."  The copy under the scratched-in headline is simple:  "Be nice behind someone's back."  A Facebook page has been set up to handle the Viral - "facebook.com/meanstinks"

Yes.  "Mean" stinks.  So does vandalism.  So does having to use small-town truck stop restrooms.

Anyway.  Here's the scenario - Kara B sits down to pee, looks up at the scratched metal and thinks, "Awwww.  That was sooo SWEET!"    Later, Kara B is sitting with a few other girls at the Truck Stop and she says, "Alright, which one of you wrote me the message in Stall 4?  Trixie?  Delight?  Desiree?  That was sooo SWEET!"

Desiree sheepishly raises her hand, the girls giggle, a big black Kenworth hisses to a halt and our angelic vandal gives a wink before trotting out the door to the parking lot.  For a Secret meeting...OH!  I GET IT NOW!

SECRET® is for GIRLS WHO HAVE SECRETS!!  (slaps forehead).

Well duh!

Men write their Secrets on bathroom stalls, too.

Group hug!