Naked and angry: 86-year-old's protest ad

Last year, an Italian campaign against anorexia showed just how jarring nudity can be. (The ads even made it to the Elite 8 of our Freakiest Ad Moments of 2007 contest.) But now the honor for Most Awkward and Yet Profound Nudity goes to the Dutch Socialist Party for its 60-second spot criticizing changes to the nation’s homecare policy. The ad features an 86-year-old woman completely disrobing while she explains the policy change. A quick summary of the message: Previously, if you were elderly in the Netherlands, you could have one personal helper whom you got to know and trust. To cut costs, the government opted to rotate in different helpers instead of always giving you the same one. “A stranger is helping me with washing myself now,” the woman says in the protest ad, “and the next time it’ll be another stranger.” Why not, she wonders, just undress in public? Big thanks to Marc at Osocio for highlighting this spot and posting a translation.

—Posted by David Griner

February 4, 2008 in Freaky, Griner | Permalink