Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Lions and peacocks and needles OH MY!

My reader Jaime sent me some amazing pictures last week. She says they were in a brochure mailed to her pharmacy, from a vaccine company.

First we have this happy-looking lion, with hypodermic needles poking from his mane:
 

 




















Next we have this equally chipper peacock, with more syringes sticking out:























I personally find these kind of strange. I mean, they look like something from a children's book written by heroin junkies. Or ads for a REALLY off-Broadway "Lion King" production:


Scar: "Hey Simba, you want to share needles?"

Simba: "No, Uncle! The future king of Pride Rock knows better! Kids, remember to never share needles!"


I have NO CLUE what the artist was trying to say:

"Order our vaccines: They'll be delivered by friendly animals with uncapped needles pointing in random directions!"

"Our vaccines are super-hygienic. At least, as hygienic as they can be after being glued to wild animals."

"We take your health seriously. Our advertising, not-so-much."

"This was failed 1969 album cover artwork, and we bought the rights."

"Our ads make more sense after you've self-injected the syringe."

"Cute animals! Sharp objects! Bring the whole family!"

Thank you, Jamie!
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23 comments:

  1. MikeMay 30, 2012 at 8:04 AM

    Maybe the porcupine wanted too much money to pose?

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  2. mostly cajunMay 30, 2012 at 8:31 AM

    Those art majors have to pay off their student loans somehow.

    MC

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  3. pharmacy chickMay 30, 2012 at 9:46 AM

    Drug companies/Pharmacies must hire the lamest marketing firms. I mean honestly....this is retarded...as is most of the ads I read in the journals and most of the commercials I see on TV. I should start " stupid ad of the week" on pharmacy chick..I'd have a ton of material..

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  4. PackerMay 30, 2012 at 9:52 AM

    @Mike, I too was going make the plunge to take a shot at the porcupine, but it seemed like a long way to go to make a point.

    Did not want to over think it, like Grumpy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mad JackMay 30, 2012 at 10:52 AM

    Well... I suppose that since the drug dealer is pushing vaccines and since children are first in line to be vaccinated, and since kids go mental the very instant the nurse pulls a needle on them - maybe this is some kind of appeal to the children.

    See kids? Mister Lion isn't afraid of needles! Now drop your knickers and stop making that awful racket.

    I don't know. This is all I can think of.

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  6. Jenny McCarthyMay 30, 2012 at 11:02 AM

    Ha! Everyone accuses me of being a dumb bimbo who somehow thinks that having posed in "Playboy" gives me the authority to make pronouncements on scientific and medical matters I clearly can't even spell, much less understand! But this totally supports my point about vaccines and autism!

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  7. LilyMay 30, 2012 at 11:12 AM

    It's easier to find a hungry illustrator for childrens books than medical ones.

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  8. AnonymousMay 30, 2012 at 11:19 AM

    The peacock is clever, if weird. The lion is down right horrifying. Why is it smiling like that?

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  9. AnonymousMay 30, 2012 at 1:03 PM

    I’m no expert on hypodermic needles, but is the selling point that the syringes are different colors? Perhaps this is what the marketers are trying to draw attention to. It makes sense with the peakcock, but not the smiling lion. Perhaps instead of the lion, they should have used a chameleon, or make a photo of the needles sticking out of a crayon box. Would color coding syringes to drugs reduce errors?

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  10. AnonymousMay 30, 2012 at 1:58 PM

    Lions? Peacocks?
    What's next: Stallions? Bulls?
    Maybe there isn't a male-chauvinistic subtext here,
    OTOH those very odd pictures do suggest a rather ridiculous glorification/fascination with pricks...

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  11. MargaretMay 30, 2012 at 3:46 PM

    I wish I could 'like' some of these comments.

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  12. arzt4empfaengerMay 30, 2012 at 4:12 PM

    I think the artist used needles to... enhance his creativity. *shifty eyes* There is no other explanation.

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  13. SarahMay 30, 2012 at 8:23 PM

    As my Dad always pointed out, "They did their job. You're thinking about that company, aren't you?"

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  14. MorrisMay 30, 2012 at 8:27 PM

    Dunno about anything else, that lion just plain looks (very) high... heh

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  15. lynda thomas shellMay 30, 2012 at 10:01 PM

    Packer you are 3 funny!!

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  16. AnonymousMay 30, 2012 at 10:37 PM

    OK, it's all weird and weirder, but we are thinking about vaccines now aren't we?

    That lion is smiling because he just ate the pharm rep for lunch (who, might we add, was NOT covered with uncapped hypodermic needles), or maybe it was the artist.

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  17. AnonymousMay 31, 2012 at 5:42 AM

    Well what do you expect them to put on the ads? Screaming toddlers and harassed nurses?

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  18. Library-GryffonMay 31, 2012 at 12:52 PM

    The peacock's tail actually looks more like it should be a hedgehog; look at the angles of the "quills" and they imply a more spherical underlying object than 2D fan shaped one.

    As for the point of the ads? No clue.

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousMay 31, 2012 at 5:18 PM

    To the person who asked about the color coding, the colors indicate the size of the needle.

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  20. AnonymousMay 31, 2012 at 10:45 PM

    Well, I like them, and I think they are trying to convey that the vaccine company makes lots of different vaccines.

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  21. AnonymousJune 5, 2012 at 1:48 PM

    considering vaccine preventable illness on the upswing, anything that might make someone consider having administration to their child of whooping cough or polio vaccinations, etc... i am all for the ad campaign that works in increasing vaccinations....

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  22. AnonymousJune 7, 2012 at 8:54 PM

    If you don't hold still for you shots kiddies, Mr. Lion will EAT you

    ReplyDelete

So wadda you think?