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Agency: BDDP & Fils, Paris
Found at: AdHunt

Get your ad here for 30 days, for a ridiculous price.

17 responded to this post

joseph said on January 29th, 2008

One of the least tasteful ways of advertising is comparing apples to oranges. And comparing lives that’s f’d up. And connecting Hiroshima to your brand or 911… with the toy planes.. I am bothered. And its also the execution making it 3d and artistically “light” your talking about some serious crap and the ad is making light of death visually.

Poor taste 1 / 5

Jason Hibbs said on January 29th, 2008

I think the comparison is fine.. if the water is a continual problem and nothings being done and it’s clearly a much larger issue than the comparatively few people who die from the freak tragedies.. it’s probably one of the best ways to put something into perspective using western events you can relate to.

It’s not poor taste it’s poor water and nobody cares.

gwg said on January 29th, 2008

I think the comparison is fine as it drives the point home. In the US, the 9/11 images wouldn’t work, but in the rest of the world it might be fine. However, a mushroom cloud and titanic sinking are common visual metaphors.

This is from Paris, so maybe something is lost in translation, but I’m not really sure exactly what the problem is. “Non Drinking Water” Does that mean dirty water is killing people who are drinking it or something else?

Plus, the domain is impossible as well.

joseph said on January 29th, 2008

“if the water is a continual problem and nothings being done and itâ€™s clearly a much larger issue than the comparatively few people who die from the freak tragedies..”

Apples to oranges.. but in that same statement you said is the base reason for my opinion of poor taste. By claiming that water is a larger issue.. your belittling the travesty’s. Why is that necessary? And I still dont know anything about why non drinking water is killing people unless I see the site.

Robbie said on January 29th, 2008

Harsh works. The lightness is refreshing, when flicking through a magazine or driving by a billboard this would defiantly catch my attention.

By comparing ‘apples to oranges’ you get a real sense of the problem, there isnt any witty line, which makes the advert even more effective I think. Just a big fact.

Ben said on January 29th, 2008

I’ve got no problem with the harshness, and indeed really like the art direction. It’s just the copy typo that’s killing me!

Tonci said on January 30th, 2008

The concept works just fine, but what is with the grammar?
I mean I know they are French, but “8 millions persons”?
Hire someone that knows proper english people and put it out on the Net.

jojo said on January 30th, 2008

@tonci: was just gonna say the same thing…
“8 millions persons” XD

Yulia said on January 30th, 2008

I like the art direction. Just don’t like the idea of hiroshima or the world trade center. poor taste. the concept isn’t that great. as a new yorker i am still a bit sensitive to 9/11 imagery. maybe this concept letnds itself to a less visual solution…. wow i cna’t believe i just said that. i am an art director.

joseph said on January 30th, 2008

I felt the same way. Its like comparing the casualties of ww2 to water. or the horrific genocides being committed in africa to water. It just isn’t right.

Geoff Liang said on January 31st, 2008

Isn’t it a little too soon and too insensitive to use 9/11?

mari said on February 1st, 2008

wellll… that gets the point across now doesn’t it… :/

sade said on February 1st, 2008

Perhaps it is a little insensitive, however the ad does make a point that people in developed countries don’t realise, and which is probably hard to make them realise because it is not a concern for them and probably never has been except when vacationing.
It is sort of like PETA tactics, well intentioned, but poorly executed.

Mark said on February 3rd, 2008

Even though it uses very controversial imagery, I think it is fine. It is trying to communicate the tragedy of the many deaths that can be prevented by access to clean water.

However, the English is confusing. I am assuming it means dirty water is killing 8 million people a year. I think they should have a glass of dirty water instead, to communicate the message without even needing words.