Shock advertising: on the verge of a foul
Recently, we talked about aggressive advertising and the use of sexual imagery in advertising designed to evoke vivid, memorable emotions in a person. A delicate balance “on the verge of decency” makes it possible for such advertising to be effective. But sometimes marketers accidentally or, more often, intentionally cross this line – this is how shock advertising (shock advertising) appears.
Shock is our way!
A distinctive feature of shock advertising is the use of sharp plots. Thanks to this, attention is paid to videos and images, and the advertising itself, thus, becomes effective.
The other side is that sharply vulgar and taboo topics cause a wave of public discontent.
The basis of shock type advertising is three pillars:
- shock content;
- humor;
- erotica with elements of pornography.
Shock content operates with excessive harshness or overtly taboo topics. Often religious or sexual.
It is worth noting here that in modern Western society, with its tolerance for everyone and everything, LGBT communities and BLM movements, the use of such a tool is fraught with negative consequences – shock advertising can be perceived as an insult to any minorities. And in states with the priority of traditional values, including Russia, it is also better to avoid a number of topics.
The comic elements in shock ads are created by using dark humor. However, this is not a universal tool – what is funny in one country can cause anger in another. The most striking example is the cartoons of a notorious French publication.
And a single language group of the audience is not an argument here. In the UK, the video with the track “Some Say the Devil Is Dead” playing in the background will not be appreciated, but in Ireland this will go with a bang.
But the main tool of shocking advertising is heavy erotica. Or light pornography – as you like. Transparent hints, jokes about it, full or partial exposure of the actors in the frame – all this attracts the attention of the audience.
Of course, there will be moralists who are dissatisfied with such advertising, but this reminds me of a quote from Scary Movie – “Tits rule the world!”.
And the use of all these several components at once increases the quality of shock advertising. So, in one material, eroticism and humor can be combined. Or – humor and shock content.
Shock ad against bad habits and natural fur
Strange as it may seem, social advertising can also be shocking. Examples are videos and posters about the refusal to use natural fur, in which blood splatters fly from under the fur coats of models on the podium.
The same goes for PornHub’s ‘Dirtiest Sex’, in which a couple tries to make love on a trash-filled beach.
Or a video calling for quitting smoking – a fan of one football team treats a fan of a club he hates with a cigarette. This is followed by the credits – “I offer my enemies only poison and poison.” By the way, the anti-smoking theme is one of the most popular in shocking social advertising.
This mysterious Asia
A separate story – a shocking advertisement in the Asian region. The quality of the work and thoughtfulness of the plots are respected. But the videos seem not so much funny as cruel – the difference in mentality affects. You can look here.
But the local target audience likes it – this is the main thing in advertising.
Death as an alternative to common sense
A separate topic is shock social advertising aimed at preventing the incidence of coronavirus.
For example, in Blagoveshchensk, in October of this year, public service announcements were placed on pillars calling for compliance with anti-covid rules. For ignoring the mask regime and social distance, residents of the Amur Region were threatened with a cemetery.
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In their perception of such social advertising, the Amur residents were divided almost equally. Most of the townspeople did not appreciate such a “triumph of creativity”. Thus, Evgeny Gamerman, an entrepreneur from the Annunciation, posted a photo of these advertising structures on his FB and wrote that “for such things, you should at least be fired.” “Advertising like the design of cigarette packs,” retorted Blagoveshchensk artist Nikolai Rybak, “with pictures that, by design, should scare a person.”
But – the main goal was achieved. This advertisement has not gone unnoticed.
In general, the COVID-19 topic in shock advertising is mainly touched upon in a humorous aspect. This is done, for the most part, in order to reduce the “degree of heat” of anxiety and excitement before the insidious virus. Video here.
The theme of death, in the context of “Go only this way, buy only this or die”, is very popular in shock advertising. For example, in the same Blagoveshchensk, a group of activists held a gloomy anti-abortion event – a walk with a baby coffin along the embankment.
Also, the motivator “Save a life!” often used to promote compliance with traffic rules. For example, in the USSR, there were posters on the roads “Driver, they are waiting for you at home!”. There are their analogues today.
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Today, in line with new problems and trends in the development of technology, the emphasis in the promotion of road safety measures is on its individual sides. For example, on the inadmissibility of simultaneously driving a car and “freezing” in gadgets.
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But the “theme of death” is present not only in social shock advertising.
One Scandinavian airline, in order to prove the reliability of its services, produced advertising leaflets with photographs of a prayer book and a coffin. The images were accompanied by explanatory text: “This may be needed by relatives of customers of other airlines.” But in this case, the “game with death” turned out to be sad. Literally the next day after the ad was released, one of the planes of this airline crashed.
Playing with feelings
It is worth noting that everyday objects and phenomena can act as a shock factor aimed at attracting attention. For example, a banal Khrushchev in an advertisement for a reputable airline:
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But – the position “Thrash is our everything!” is the main driving force behind shock advertising. As an example, this selection of the most interesting and catchy videos.
A selection of shocking ads is shown below:
