If you thought CareerBuilder’s Superbowl ad caused a ruckus following the company’s ludicrous decision to fire their ad agency based on feedback from a USA Today consumer poll, think about what the reaction would be in the U.S. to this ad that ran in Germany. The large billboard from a major German job board was placed over a commuter tunnel in Hamburg. The caption reads: “There are better ways to make a career.”
If you’ve ever seen the British TV commercial awards or watch a decent amount of TV in Europe, you know how tame U.S. advertising is in comparison. Whether it’s the result of America’s Puritan heritage or something else, it’s amazing how little advertisers get away with here, especially compared to what actually does end up getting put into movies and video games. It’s too bad. I’d rather watch an hour of good European TV commercials than an hour of most U.S. television programming.