Yecch! Folger's Coffee Made From Sewer Water

Yecch! Blecch! Ewwwww!

Folgers has placed photos of cups of coffee on vinyl covers on top of steaming manholes in New York City. Copy around the coffee cups says "Hey, City That Never Sleeps. Wake Up."

Manhole covers keep people from falling into sewers and other smelly, and not infrequently, gross things under the streets.

Frankly, the idea of sewer steam rising from a cup of coffee makes me want to switch to tea.

via adrants

While at it, switch all the way to green tea, that's a lot healthier :-)

LOL - that's hilarious.

At first I thought this was a clever way to harness an existing, every-day visual as a new advertising medium (of sorts)...

But I agree you're quite correct that very smelly vapours often waft out of sewer grates. And since smell is probably the most powerful memory triggers we have, it makes sense (no pun intended) that people may connect Folgers coffee with the smell of sewer gas.

However I still think it's a very effective ad for viewers at a distance or in an enclosed passing vehicle (ie. bus riders), etc and at least Folgers is thinking a little out of the box, which I'm always happy to see. :)

Great catch!

-Steve the bobblehead guy

Adrants also featured a trash can that looks like a coffee cup. Another coffee ad campaign connected to garbage. Hmmm, a trend?
http://tinyurl.com/of48f

Ya know what, BL?

I have to take issue with your call on this one. (And, I'm a tea drinker!)

It's a brilliant concept. It would work for most any product that is hot and served round. What an income producer.

Frankly, I don't think consumers are on your level of dissecting the message. They are just seeing the visual. This one works for me.

Here's the deal: For the past several years major market supermarkets (not the small isle ones in New York, but the 30,000+ sq foot models) have had lay-down adhesive sales units on their floors. They promote everything from produce to meat to theatre tickets.

While I don't walk across an ad for a head of lettuce and run to the produce counter, I sure see a lot of shoppers who do. Odd, but it must work on a grand scale for the programs to continue month after month.

On the ICKY front... nobody has to touch this visual. Just think of how many folks in NYC actually put their hands on a newspaper rack or a subway turnstyle or a office door. Now, that's an issue far worse than seeing an image in the middle of the road.

OK, just my 2-cents worth. Sorry for the late post on this, but I've been out of town.

Now when are you coming to Baltimore? Perhaps we can brand a crab or something!!! ;->