This is your idea? Really?

This may be old news at this point, and for that I apologize. But I just ran across this ad for Converse in a copy of the New York Times Spring men’s fashion issue I’ve had lying around for reference.

Here’s the thing. You’ve got a client like Converse, a classic brand. A cool factor that’s off the charts. You’ve got a New York Times fashion magazine as your canvas – and your very best idea is a photo of two people who (snicker, snicker) look like they are having stand-up sex in a public park with a headline that (giggle, snort) sounds like a dirty word. Whoa, dude. Like, totally awesome creative.

I imagine the creative team were all pretty pleased with themselves and thrilled that they “got away” with coming this close to showing and saying “fuck” in an ad.

This passes for an idea? I mean, I’ve been known to f***ing drop the f-bomb freely. It’s not that. It’s the stupid, cheap f***ing joke here that pisses me off. They had an opportunity to do something good and f***ing blew it.

Is the target for Converse a universe of people who will identify more strongly with the brand because of this Beavis-and-Butthead approach? Really?

Some years ago, Jeff Kidwell of the late, lamented AudioMaster started a monthly get-together of creative people called Last Tuesday. Sadly, it died, but one evening we were doing group concepting on a pro-bono campaign for a charity organization. One team came up with a headline that said “Hey career bitch, cough up $25.” When someone asked Mark Greenspun of Adworks what he thought, his response was along the lines of “it’s easy to just do something shocking.” That applies here.

Point is, if you have a client like Converse and the smartest thing you can come up with is “Get Chucked”, you need to get out of the business. And so should your CD. Obviously I wasn’t privy to the brief or any of the meetings, so maybe there is something here I don’t know, but I can’t imagine what it might be or why they went with this. Where were the clearer heads? Where were the adults?

I have no idea why the girl in the ad is spitting a stream of water. Use your imagination, I guess. (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, knowwhatImean?)