Mock advertisement

Cultural institutions in Serbia have launched a campaign against a new public procurement law that requires them to employ or purchase through public tenders everything from orchestral directors to the buttons on their tuxedoes. As part of the campaign, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra has published a satirical ad on its Facebook page.

Rap for ad

Someone at Mountain Dew thought it would be a hip idea to let African-American rapper Tyler-The Creator direct an online ad for them. Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo, targets younger men with its neon colour and high caffeine content and sometimes attempts to have edgier ads.

In bad taste

McDonald’s has come under fire for a recent ad campaign which speaks about its Big Mac burger in the same breath as mental illness. The ad, which appeared on the Boston transport system in early April, showed a woman covering her face with her hand next to the slogan: “You’re Not Alone”.

Morality v reality

A television ad in Kenya led to a public outcry and a national debate over how to encourage condom use. The ad features two women who are gong about their daily routine. One of the women is having an extramarital affair. The second advises her to use a condom to prevent spread of sexually transmitted infections like HIV.

Taken to tusk

Google came under fire at the recently concluded international wildlife meet in Bangkok. Conservation groups accused the Internet giant of helping fuel a dramatic surge in ivory demand in Asia that is killing African elephants at record levels.

What gas

Believe it or not, Coca-Cola has launched an anti-obesity ad on US TV. The two-minute ad aired for the first time on January 16 depicts healthy-looking people, many carrying Coke bottles, and peddles the high-sugar product as something that can be consumed responsibly.

The fag end

The British government’s department of health is on a mission to dissuade smokers. In mid-January, it will launch a series of hard-hitting advertisements featuring people smoking cigarettes with a tumour growing from the end.

Ads term gutkha ban unfair

THE photographed ad on this page is one of the many ads that has been appearing in leading print and electronic media of the country since September. Issued by the gutkha industry, the ads term the ban on the chewing tobacco unfair and question why the government has not banned cigarette.

News snippets

>> Google, Facebook, Twitter and AOL are joining forces to keep Web surfers safe from ads that serve up malware or scams. They have announced the formation of the Ads Integrity Alliance, which will be led by Maxim Weinstein, executive director of Stop Badware, a non-profit focused on protecting consumers from sites that lead to viruses, spyware and other malware.

Climate denier’s ally

An advertisement aimed at countering a controversial billboard on climate change could not find a place in Chicago because it was rejected by an advertising biggie, which has near-monopoly in the business of placing billboards in the city. The outdoor advertising wing of Clear Channel rejected the digital billboard proposed by Forecast the Facts, a group that connects extreme weather to climate change.