
Fleggaard Commercial
Fleggaard is a Danish Discount Retailer
You have never seen skydivers that look like this
Parachute jumping topless women - the best commercial ever made?
Does sex sell or distract from your campaign message? Controversy is spinning
over a brave online video campaign featuring dozens of topless sexy chicks
parachute jumping to form a sky message "Siemens washing machine only 4999" or
about $900.
by Sasha Puhova
The ad belongs to a Danish advertiser Fleggaard- a small chain of supermarkets
on the German - Danish border that expanded to a webshop about a year ago. The
text at the end of the commercial reads "Lige over grænsen" ("Just over the
border") - an irony, a play of words as the shops are on the German side close
to the border. Just as their sales pitch, the ad itself takes it to the other
side of the conventional borders and norms of advertising. The Danes have done
it again and placed Denmark as pioneers of taking it a step further.
The online video is part of a larger campaign shown on the Danish television
where the central figure of the commercial is surrounded by the sexy beauties
cleaning his office. Meanwhile he is telling the audience about his new
commercial that is not suitable for television, directing people to see the
video online.
Michael Arrington, one of the most influential people on the internet as claimed
by the Forbes and Wired magazines, put it this way - "quite simply the best
commercial ever made". Others viciously disagree. The ad has been called
offensive and brainless by a female blogger on bitchbuzz while another male
blogger added that such "sexist ads cheapen men as well as women."
A Danish marketing specialist Lars Pynt Andersen, who wrote his PhD on
development of Danish TV-advertising, says that using sex in commercials can be
a two-edged sword. It has to flow with the rest of the content or it will
distract and ruin your message.
According to Fleggaard's marketing chef Nanna Harder, Fleggard was trying to
reach the 700.000 individualistic men who are interested in over-the-border
trading and online electronic goods. The popularity of the ad is hard to dispute
as it now has been viewed all across the globe reaching hundreds of thousands
more. Fleggaard.dk now attracts some 30.000-40.000 people per day instead of the
usual 2.000 to 10.000.
Judge for yourself whether it's demeaning or brilliant. Be aware though that it
is strictly not office material.