Plaid for those causal dinners…

A few months ago I got a call from an agent with a concern for an ad I had just created and sent out over the email database. It was an ad displaying our tours to the Middle East – I used an image of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, largest mosque in Morocco, third largest in the world:

“You used a mosque in your ad…”

“Yes,” I say.

“I think some agents might take offense using a religious building in an ad.”

I sigh a little, die a little inside and say thank you, I will take that into consideration. Click goes the phone.

Today a manager wanted me to create a press release for a new hire with expressed desire to use a picture of the new guy on an elephant during his trip to Africa. Thing is, the elephant was in a state of full rigidity. That is to say, the pachyderm had a 5th leg. The new guy, oblivious to the arousal of his ride, is smiling like it’s Disney World.

“I can’t use this picture!” I say to the manager.

“Why? Everyone knows elephants have penises!” She was 90% serious. I think. “Come on! Elephants don’t have a fly and pants to zip up into. People should be use to that stuff.” Nope. She was 100% serious.

“They have trunks,” I offer. Ba-dam damp.*

So to recap usable marketing materials: The world’s third largest mosque = not acceptable, a honking large elephant cock = Sure thing!

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*I cropped the picture to show only the new guy and the big smiling head of the elephant.