Drive a Vespa—no social stigma attached

This is a great one that goes all the way back to 1965! Three real priests from Glendale, Ohio got around town on their scooters. Says the Vespa ad: “You could hardly call them wild ones. But you could say that they’re wildly practical.” Nobody will get the wrong idea about you, and they certainly will not “scoot up and ask if you want to drag for beers.” In fact, you can drive a Vespa and “maintain your dignity.” Hmmm…Vespa, vespers. Click here to view the large version.

The Xerox brothers 30 years ago

In 1976, Xerox launched a unique and highly successful ad campaign for their duplicators. This “monk” appeared in many of them, and became the “face” of the campaign. These fellas appeared on T-shirts and other promotional items, too. The concept was absolutely inspired. See the full 2-page spread.

No blessing in Italy for Red Bull commercial

Cbgrace alerted us to this “brew” haha. It seems that Red Bull drink was advertised in a TV commercial (seen here on YouTube) recently in a high-energy version of the nativity story that introduces a fourth wise man. According to a Reuters story, Father Marco Damanti from Sicily has convinced the company to pull its commercial from Italian television, denouncing the spot as disrespectful and blasphemous.

“The image of the sacred family has been represented in a sacrilegious way,” Father Damanti told Corriere della Sera. “Whatever the ironic intentions of Red Bull, the advert pokes fun at the nativity, and at Christian sensitivity.”

The priest also objected to the company’s slogan, “Red Bull gives you wings,” said by angels in the animated advert.

Take a look, and tell us what you think of it.

Little Miss Sunbeam

Here’s one of America’s favorite brand images, Little Miss Sunbeam. Sunbeam White Bread was first marketed in Philadelphia, PA in 1942, and began to be baked all over the U.S. after the end of World War II. The billboard (LARGE VERSION) just went up this week in Urbana, IL in anticipation of Christmas. The art looks amazingly reminiscent of the 40s, and may be an exact replica of an actual billboard from those days. Ellen Segner originated the image of Little Miss Sunbeam, and according to the Web site of home company Quality Bakers of America, the artist produced more than 30 paintings of her for corporate advertising. Although not explicitly denominational, the theme is definitely Christian, with its large, bright star in the sky connoting the birth of Jesus. The text couldn’t be any more appropriate for a bread company.

Lights. Cameras. Christmas! Absolut-ly.

Since 1981, Absolut vodka has been imported into the U.S. from Sweden. Probably inspired by the unusual and proprietary bottle shape, designers and photographers have been creating some pretty imaginative posters advertising Absolut. A good number of them have incorporated religious themes in general and Christmas themes in particular. Absolut Stirring, as in “not a creature was…,” was published in 1994, and Absolut Ritual (What family hasn’t made untangling the Christmas tree lights a family ritual?) hit the market in 2005. View the enlarged version here. If you have any holiday-related Absolut posters from the last 25 years, send them in!

Virgin Mobile: Cell phone contracts not kosher

Virgin Mobile uses some Jewish symbolism to sell cell phone service. The main image is of a rabbi or a Jewish man wearing a prayer shawl, a tallis, and reading a presumably holy book. The headline reads: “Cell phone contracts. Avoid them like shellfish.” Of course, shellfish are not kosher, and are not to be eaten by Jews who follow the dietary laws known as kashrut. I’ll have to look into this, but the Virgin Mobile logo at the bottom of the page sports a halo. I’m not sure if this is a regular part of the logo, or if it is being used here only. What do you think? Is this funny or is it demeaning? I have a feeling that the Jewish man pictured here is a stock photo, but I don’t know that for sure either. Check out the larger version here.

Can plum brandy be Jewish?

This is a product of the Czech Republic. The brandy is kosher, but does that mean that it should be “labeled” with a Star of David? There is a recognized label for kosher products, and it’s a “K” inside a circle. If you aren’t Jewish, what would you take this to mean? The label on the bottle does not indicate that it is kosher. Do you feel that this is a misappropriation of a religious symbol or is this okay? Get a better look at this product from the enlarged version of the image. Comments?

Is Jennifer O’Neill a Sinner?

Here’s an example to get the discussion going. Jennifer O’Neill posed for this ad in 1972. The headline is a play on words, alluding to users of My Sin cologne being “Sinners.” If you look closely, Ms. O’Neill is nude under her velvet jacket. On her Web site, she states that about 14 or 15 years later, she was saved, and began her own evangelistic ministry mostly by writing books. How does this ad square with what she is doing these days? Is this type of ad off limits for an evangelical Protestant? Is there any reason why Ms. O’Neill should be embarrassed by this ad? Would this ad be likely to increase sales of My Sin cologne?