06/08/2004
Advertising To Die For
I saw this mentioned on a couple other sites, but hadn't seen a photo that really did it justice. In a city where just about everywhere you look there's an advertisement for something, it's refreshing when the occasional flash of brilliance shows up.
This 8-story three-dimensional ad for the upcoming season of Six Feet Under translates the dark humor of the series by enacting a "real life" drama in the death of poor Mike Henderson. His metal gondola apparently collapsed as he painted the mural on the side of this building, sending him plummeting to the ground below, leaving a long streak of red paint in his wake. The viewer's momentary shock is quickly replaced by comic recognition, particularly for those familiar with the show's trademark opening death scenes. Now I'm really looking forward to the season opener this Sunday.
Posted 3:01 AM EST by Andy Towle in Art & Design | Permalink
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Brilliant! So much better than the "trampoline" ads which have no concept to them whatsoever... Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: M@ | Jun 8, 2004 6:32:52 AM
i would have loved to have seen a body dangling from the scaffolding, but i'm just morbid that way.
Posted by: bmw | Jun 8, 2004 9:52:53 AM
brilliance
Posted by: eunae | Jun 8, 2004 2:15:55 PM
The first thought that came to mind when I saw this in LA: ok, so I bet Im gonna see an ad at a bus stop with the glass all cracked and soiled in blood and yellow police tape around it.... that would have been coooool.
Posted by: Matt | Jun 8, 2004 2:55:56 PM
The "trampoline" ads went with the tag "every day above ground is a good one," ...hence the concept that escaped M@.
Posted by: George Stoll | Jun 8, 2004 4:44:02 PM
The "trampoline" ads went with the tag "every day above ground is a good one," ...hence the concept that escaped M@.
Posted by: George | Jun 8, 2004 4:45:03 PM
Thank god you explained it. The add went over my head or perhaps it has been a long day and I need to go to bed.
Posted by: Heavy Cream | Jun 8, 2004 11:53:04 PM
Why don't we have cool ads like that in the South? All we have are those "Jesus Saves" billboards...
Posted by: Kenny | Jun 9, 2004 12:34:17 AM
Dear George: It did not illude me, thank you. I do this everyday.
The "above ground" ads are not a concept but a gimmic. Taking a tagline and forcing a visual language to support it does not a concept make. It barely dovetails with the show -only in the most superficial and one-dimensional way. A concept is construct that supports a multi-leveled delivery and response... A gimmic is a shortcut to said end, resulting in less meaning.
Surely you can see the difference between something as saccharine as those ads and something as conceptual and multi-leveled as this billboard.
But thank you for your concern, if not a tad condescending in my opinion *(which I'm sure was not your intent)
Posted by: M@ | Jun 9, 2004 12:29:40 PM
Love it!!! The death scenes at the beginning of the show are most excellent. It would only be better if the billboard was actually for Fishers' Funeral Home!
Posted by: Mark | Jun 9, 2004 12:35:01 PM
OK...that's just flat out brilliant!
Posted by: Corin | Jun 9, 2004 1:35:09 PM
That was amazing!!!! Thank you for posting that pic. That ad was pure genius! I love the show and I can't wait to watch it!
Posted by: wcb | Jun 9, 2004 1:54:09 PM