What Stinks? Oh Yeah . . . .

I remember back in ad school there was sort of an internal debate within the advertising community about whether hard alcohol makers should be allowed to advertise their product just like beer and wine producers could. Of course back then I was all for it. I mean, why not? Alcohol is alcohol. It's a perfectly legal product.

Now, after seeing what's happening on the television, I've had a change of heart. "Why?" you ask, breathlessly waiting to see what could change a onetime copywriter wanna-be's mind? Because their ads suck.

Seriously. I have never seen such crappy advertising until the liquor companies started advertising. I hate them almost as much as those stupid Yoplait light commercials. "Ready to Tanqueray?" Not any more. Though, those ads don't annoy me as much as the damned Bailey's commercials. Or those damn Disornorio (yeah, I know the spelling is wrong). Both are trying their damnedest to sell hip, urban culture. The Baily's ones are worse though. They keep doing all these cutesy little things that make their consumers look like raging alchies that can't let the last drop of booze go to waste. Plus, they're just annoying. The people are supposed to be beautiful, though the women are a little too Bohemian WASPy for me and the men are either metrosexual or gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But they really don't put the women in the best light and make the men look like cackling, wanna-be hipsters.

Then the Bacardi and Cola ads- don't get me started. Though I admit I like them better than those fucking Bailey's ads. But c'mon, do they really want to go that way?

I will give Jack Daniels a thumbs up though. They've continued the concept of their print ads into their TV spots. They just emphasize the history and pride that goes into making the product. The not trying to be hip makes them hip and the ads work. I'm more of a Jim Beam fan myself, but those ads resonate pretty damn good. Enough that I come away with a more positive image.

What it boils down to is these ad agencies really need to re-think what the hell they're doing with these shitty ads. They don't work. I would love to see what the creative briefs said for them. In my opinion, and this coming from a guy who doesn't even really do that stuff, they need to take a page from the folks who advertise for the breweries- it's not bad to use humor. But only use it if it's funny.

Or if it involves scantily clad women.