YumSugar

Pepsi Targets Controversy With Suicidal Calorie Campaign

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:30:01 -0800

Since debuting its latest series of advertisements, Pepsi Max might want to consider renaming itself Pepsi Maximum Controversy.

Pepsi Max, a one-calorie drink alternative to Pepsi and Diet Pepsi sodas, collaborated with agency BBDO Dusseldorf to release a new set of print ads that depict a single, lonesome calorie committing suicide, often in violent ways. They include scenes that involve hanging, a gunshot, poison, and slitting of the wrists. The tagline: "Pepsi Max. One very lonely calorie."

Since its reveal, this contentious campaign has already been picked apart by news sources, blogs, and message boards, many of which are encouraging Pepsi to pull the ads.

Do you think it should be pulled? Are these edgy ads that push the marketing envelope, or is it a tasteless, insensitive campaign that pokes fun at a grave subject?

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For the Love of the Goo: Creme Egg Suicide

YumSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:18:31 -0800

You guys better run to the store and pick up some Cadbury Creme Eggs while you still can. Apparently all the eggs really want to do is "get their goo out." So much so that they're committing suicide in order to do it.

A new ad campaign in England shows Cadbury creme eggs melting themselves down with hairdryers, squashing themselves with books, and slicing themselves with egg slicers. All in order to "get the goo out." So do them a favor and eat them up first.

If you want to see all of the suicidal creme eggs in action, just read more.

Biggest Headline of 2008: The Fall and Return of Robert Irvine

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:30:00 -0800

For Food Network star Robert Irvine, 2008 was dicier and more stressful than completing any challenge on Dinner: Impossible.

In February, news surfaced that the show's host had embellished his résumé. Many of Irvine's claims - that he was a KCVO Knight, awarded a castle by the Queen of England, attended the University of Leeds, and helped make the wedding cake for Prince Charles and Princess Diana - turned out to be made up.

The news, once it broke, seemed to be career suicide for Robert Irvine.

Food Network immediately distanced itself from Irvine, failing to renew his contract and replacing him as the host of the show with Next Iron Chef winner Michael Symon.

Last month, Food Network announced the near-impossible: It would be bringing the fallen Irvine back to host the show again. Many of you were excited about the turn of events, as you love Chef Symon but thought he was better suited for Iron Chefdom, anyway. New episodes with Irvine will debut in March 2009. Will you tune in to watch him again?

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Burger King's "Whopper Virgins" Film Causes Controversy

partysugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:00:23 -0800

As far as controversy goes, one would have thought Pepsi's Suicidal Calorie ads would be hard to top, but a new campaign from Burger King is generating just as much buzz. On a new website, Whoppervirgins.com, Burger King is showing footage of Thai villagers and Transylvanian farmers taking their first bite ever of a hamburger. The film, which was made by Stacy Peralta, the director of acclaimed documentaries like Riding Giants, is being dubbed the world's "purest taste test." But so far, the campaign created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky has received negative backlash from bloggers and even the advertising media. "These people would probably prefer schools and hospitals to prefab burgers," said Adweek's Barbara Lippert. Brian Morrissey of AdFreak called it "embarrassing and emblematic of how ignorant Americans still seem to the rest of the world." To check out a trailer of the ad, read more.

Do you agree with these remarks? Is this production funny, just plain stupid, or insensitive to these developing areas? Is it a good thing that these villagers are being introduced to America's fast food culture?

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