A few weeks ago I wrote about my favorite ad campaign and then I assessed its creativity using a creativity assessment tool I learned about in class. That sounds really official, but it was just something I did for fun. I’m not an art director, I actually want to be a strategist, but I did enjoy sharing my opinions on Give Extra Get Extra by BBDO. Since writing that post I’ve thought to myself and said: “Hey why don’t you do more of that?”  

I mean, is there anything more fun than talking about advertising? I know my friends, Rob, Claire and Jacob, would say no. Whenever we’re together that takes up the majority of our conversations.  

With that being said, I wanted to start a new segment of my blog and it shall be called ad talk … at least for now. 

Just a quick disclaimer, I am not here to critique advertisements, I just want to share my opinions on what I like about them and why I like them. The ads  I plan on sharing will be the kinds of ads that inspire me to work in the industry. The ones that have meaning, the ones that appear authentic in my eyes, and the ones that are interesting or just plain funny. 

Like the ads from Poo~Pourri’s #GirlsDoPoop campaign. 

I first saw this ad in NMTIFAMP, a class taught by Gary Kayye. Initially, the brand had a campaign called Girls Don’t Poop. It makes sense, the company is selling a spray that masks, you know, the smell of poop. What better way to do it than sell the product to girls by promoting the products number one feature. (Wow Never thought I’d be writing that word so many times as a college senior)

Girls Don’t Poop was really funny.  However, it did perpetuate a stigma.

After that campaign, Poo~Pourri made a 180-degree turn and created Girls Do Poop. A series of three ads that attempted to break the stigma. And one of them, in particular, had me ROFL-ing. It’s called The Meet The Family Sh*t. Basically, it’s a woman sitting on a toilet telling the story about the time she… ruined her boyfriend’s mother’s sheets.

So why do I like this ad? 

First, I like it because it’s truly hilarious and captivating, both of which are common characteristics of memorable advertisements. Second, it’s shocking, especially after their initial campaign.

Girls Don’t Poop was logical and while it was still funny, the concept was almost predictable. As I mentioned earlier, it makes sense to talk about masking the smell of something that some girls find embarrassing. It’s a whole other playing field to flip the switch and normalize the embarrassing thing, all while trying to promote the product that masks it.

Third, I love storytelling ads. In my opinion, they are the most effective. They allow the brand to explain themselves and build a relationship with their audience.  

The Meet The Family Sh*t is one big, authentic, story. The product aligns perfectly with the message. 

Chick-Fil-A, probably can’t make an advertisement attempting to change the stigma around girls using the bathroom.

Poo~Pourrii on the other hand, can. If I had to choose a dimension that is used in the creative advertising assessment to assess this ad I would choose Originality.  It’s unique, it strays from stereotypes, and it is original.