How much is TOO much?

When I talk about advertising, you can hear the enthusiasm in my voice and feel the passion emanating. I absolutely LOVE this field and I can ramble for hours about effective campaigns and memorable ads. Some of these ads make you wonder what world creatives are from and how they made their way to Earth. What excites me the most is when an ad radiates simplicity, intelligence and wit. But of course, there are those campaigns that make you ashamed to be associated with advertising.

Fear in advertising can be effective if it is REALISTIC. Let's say you're producing a commercial for State Farm. Displaying a car crash due to texting while driving works because it's probably happened to ourselves or someone we know. This Watch Around Water ad is horrific. How many people return to this pool after seeing an ad of a boy drowning? Consumers (especially moms) don't know how long it will be there and more than likely wouldn't want to take the risk of having their kids witness this. If it were me going to this pool, I'd be freaked out. No thanks, I'll go somewhere else.

-Arielle