The other Dubi K. sent in a link to an Israeli website advertising an air conditioner. Over on the left, next to the featured air conditioner, was a woman who kept glancing down at her chest. If you looked above her there was a thermostat. According to Dubi,
On the left side, the copy reads (in Hebrew) “choose a picture and see
how cold she is”. The viewer can manipulate the “thermostat” to harden
the model’s nipples, in this ad for an air conditioner. An Israeli
blogger wrote about this ad that we are sorely missing a male
counterpart where the model’s balls are seen shrinking in the cold…
Within a very short time of my posting it, the link was taken down so only a couple of people got to see it. I have been unable to find another link to the actual website where you can, um, manipulate the thermostat yourself, but here’s a screenshot (found here) of the section with the woman, with the temperature at coldest to her nipples show through her shirt:
The thumbnails above her head were different outfits you could click on to see her in. Why it would be more interesting to see her nipples see through one white shirt than another, I don’t know. I did find it unlikely that her nipples would show through just as much in a black shirt than a white one, but what do I know?
Thanks, Dubi K.!
NEW: According to Dubi K., it turns out the ad was taken down after a day due to protests in Israel. Here is a statement from the CEO (translated from the original Hebrew, which Dubi found here):
It’s hard to believe, but it’s a sad fact that the public discourse in Israel 2008 is highly affected by extremist and violent minorities that disrupt our lives…
In the current market situation advertisers have three options: to rely on a substantial competitive advantage [god forbid! DK], to invest tonnes of money in overloaded media – or to create visibility through a media idea. When we discuss sex and advertising, things have to be meticulously examined through the magnifying lens of relevancy: a car driving in the street and a man seeing it is aroused to erection – that’s irrelevant to the experience of driving a car, and therefore should not be done [anyone familiar with such an ad? DK]. Our campaign is very relevant to the use experience of air-conditioners. Of course our campaign is sexual and sexist, but can you say that [the Israeli equivalents of “America’s Next Top Model” and “Survivor”-DK] and other trash in broadcast television – or images smeared across major newspapers and mainstream legitimate websites – are less lewd? I have decided I will not be holier than them. And if one website or another decides to censor us – I giggle inside at the hypocrisy, but respect their choice.
I like that he just comes out and admits his product has no real competitive advantage over other products, so they can’t rely on that marketing tactic. Also note the conflation of people protesting their ad to “extremist and violent minorities,” which I’m betting in Israeli society would carry a lot of overtones. Thanks for the follow-up, DK!
