Ad of the week – Poo-Pourri

by Stratton Craig

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‘Poo-pourri’ is the title of a new odour-masking spray for women, and it has your public toilet phobia covered. According to this product girls don’t poop, they ‘Poo-Pourri’. Their hilariously tongue-in-cheek advert gathered over 12 million views within the first month of its release, showing small companies can run with the big dogs if they use the right words.
Directed by Joel Ackerman, the ad uses blatant contradiction to brilliantly highlight the taboo of female toilet habits. The beautiful actress, presented in full Stepford Wife get-up, turns out to be quite the potty mouth. You see her perching on a toilet in different situations – the work loos, the boyfriend’s apartment, a sophisticated party – and she tells us about her revolting bowel movements with a perfect smile on her flawless face.
The disparity between images and words taps into a well-kept secret of female existence. With clever puns and wonderfully graphic language, this ad proves once again that honesty is the best policy. It’s rude without being crude. The words flows like poetry despite its sordid subject matter; ‘I just birthed a creamy behemoth from my cavernous bowels.’ The wonderful puns such as to ‘pinch a loaf’ and ‘cut a rope’ are sweetly worded, girl-guide synonyms for that-which-cannot-be-named. Much like the masking process of the Poo-Pourri product, the flowery, ornate language covers the filthiness below.
With scent ranges named Deja-Poo and Trap-A-Crap, Poo-Pourri really is a breath of (aromatically scented) fresh air. It’s a little bit of mischief in an adult world and appeals to the child inside all of us. The advert closes with the tagline ‘Our business is to make it smell like your business never happened.’ And it’s a strong business at that, with 4.5 million happy customers since the ad’s release.
What do you think of the advert? Have you seen any controversial ads you want to share with us? Tweet us @strattoncraig or leave a comment below with your thoughts.

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