Alas, it was too good to be true, no sooner did they impress me then down came the ads after some of the big name brands - whose packaging was creatively used to create the ads - raised a stink with the City of Toronto and got the campaign pulled due to trademark infringement concerns.
The campaign slogan was, “Littering says a lot about you” and featured discarded packaging arranged to spell out what it is all of us really think of what those litterbugs out there really are.
The combinations included a Reese’s Pieces box and a bottle of Gatorade put together to spell “Pig”; a bag of Lay’s potato chips and a Krazy Glue package arranged to spell “Lazy”; a package of Fun-Dip and a Drumstick wrapper put together to spell "Dipstick" ; a Du Maurie cigarette packet and Red Bull can arranged to spell "Dumb"; Alka-Seltzer and Goldfish crackers saying “Selfish”; and a pack of Sweet'N Low and Lifesavers put together to say “Low Life.”
I think these brands need to think about corporate responsibility and since they are (no matter how inadvertently) part of the problem, also need to be part of the solution. They claim to support anti-littering initiatives but actions speak louder then words - I for one can assure them that these ads are not going to affect my love for Reece's Pieces or Lay's chips!
Since the ads have been pulled off of transit, I'm going to do my bit to make sure the word gets out there - I would make my own ad if I could think of what two products would spell Asshole... which is what I think of the person who keeps throwing their cigarette butts on my lawn - newsflash you jerk, butts are litter too!
I was so happy to see that this advertising was the work of Toronto, so proud! It is simple yet powerful.
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