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E.D. advertiser thrilled with 'bonk' headline
The Advanced Medical Institute, an Australian company that specializes in erectile-dysfunction treatment, is hoping to smooth things over with the country's ad censors by changing its billboard headlines from "Want longer-lasting sex?" to "Bonk longer!" The earlier line was deemed unacceptable for a billboard because it might cause children to ask their parents what sex is. The replacement line is genius, AMI believes, because kids are less likely to care what "bonk" means—and even if they do, the parents can just lie about it. Says a spokesman: "I think that people who understand the word 'bonk' understand it, and the ones who don't, don't. ... I don't think [kids] would ask about the word 'bonk' as they would about 'sex,' and if they do, parents are free to just gloss over it and say it's nothing important." |
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November 10, 2008 in Australia, Controversy, E.D., Nudd | Permalink |
Comments
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Because God forbid parents have to talk to their kids about sex!
Posted by: Annabelle | Nov 10, 2008 11:50:55 AM
Did Draft Australia come up with this?
Posted by: Howard | Nov 10, 2008 11:53:55 AM
Here's the thing. Bonk is a much cooler, hip term. The younger crowd will better connect with this headline and those who are older and want to be younger. I think it's a stronger headline than the first.
In terms of getting a clear from the Australian government for this headline, I don't think it's going to happen. If you use the kid factor as the reason in the kids will ask parents what sex is, even more kids will be asking parents what bonk is. Look at these two headlines, which do you think will cause more people to ask about the meaning: "Want longer-lasting sex?" versus "Bonk longer!" Clearly, more people will be asking the meaning of "bonk" (because it's slang) than asking about the meaning of "sex".
Finally the company says that parents can just lie to their children about the meaning of the word bonk. If this was the answer to the problem, then why would not parents just lie to their children about the meaning of the word sex?
Therefore, I do not believe that the Australian government will be any more receptive to the headline "Bonk longer!" than they were to the headline "Want longer-lasting sex?"
I think this company has a rather shallow marketing department because they seem to think that they can only sell with the word sex, or a slang word for sex, in their headline. Sex sells, but it is not the only emotional trigger that causes people to buy. Weight loss is a multi-billion dollar per year industry. For example, they could use something like, "Lose Weight and Feel Great, No I Mean Feel Really Great!" With the idea that you will be having sex for so long that you'll burn twice the number of calories as you normally would. So curiosity would get people to call the number to find out what justifies such an amazing headline to where you can lose weight and feel great, no really great, at the same time. My point being is that there are many different human emotions to try and ping in your headlines.
Posted by: Lance Jepsen Author of Internet Marketing | Nov 10, 2008 12:45:23 PM
Why do we underestimate kids and their ability to figure things out? Nonetheless - it's a clever iteration.
Posted by: Allan | Nov 10, 2008 4:46:43 PM
I can't imagine a more horrifying scenario than children asking their parents what sex is. Thank God for you, Australian ad censors. Thank God.
Posted by: Bapper | Nov 11, 2008 11:11:06 AM
I thought it was "Boink". "Bonk" has a completely different meaning in the bicycling world.
bonk v. To run out of energy or grow exhausted on a ride. "I bonked so early it was embarrassing."
Posted by: Steve | Nov 11, 2008 2:59:53 PM
As an athlete, I too have a different image in my mind when seeing this tag line. I don't really want to bonk, not even for a short time.
But sex, hey that is a different story. :-)
Posted by: Herbert | Nov 12, 2008 9:07:20 AM
