Smart Car Ad Campaign Uses Fragility to Sell Durability
Katie Cordrey — November 6, 2009 — Autos
References: adsoftheworld & scaryideas
“Tougher than it Looks. Smart” is the tagline for Smart Car printed posters from BBDO, New York. Cutaway images of a marshmallow, an egg, and a balloon expose tough internal components to give the message that though a thing may look soft or fragile, it can be tough.
The print ads have resulted in reactions ranging from harsh criticism to awestruck praise from online pundits. The “Tougher than it Looks” phrase is an interesting choice since it can imply that the Smart Car is tougher than it looks, or that it is tougher than it looks to be smart.
The print ads have resulted in reactions ranging from harsh criticism to awestruck praise from online pundits. The “Tougher than it Looks” phrase is an interesting choice since it can imply that the Smart Car is tougher than it looks, or that it is tougher than it looks to be smart.
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