Profanity in advertising—is it REALLY needed in order to stand out in the all the marketing clutter? Are we becoming immune to it? A recent article on Talentzoo puts it this way:
…times change, and we’re slowly breaking down our cultural norms and resistance to expletives.
Consider the following ad:
For as long as I can remember, racy and even questionable advertising has been around — and to be honest, I’ve become desensitized. Do these ads bother me personally? Sadly, no. Most crack me up and are pretty clever. I remember them. I talk about them with my friends and co-workers. They’re driving word of mouth. They’re doing their job.
But I’m not a big fan of children viewing ads alluding to profanity and learning that swearing is not only acceptable but funny. The middle school bus is already one big f-bomb on wheels.
Is this type of advertising crossing the line?
What do you think?