March 6, 2012

Dirty Sexy Plumbers...

Check out this commercial for Liquid Plumr, the well known chemical drain opener from Clorox, apparently a company filled with bad spellers (uh, Plumr?).

This product has been around since the 1960s; so looks like it's a stodgy old brand that probably wants to seem a bit more contemporary. This ad may just do that....



I am all for creative freedom, and fun commercials and sexy commercials... but I'm not sure if that sexiness applies to household cleaning products. This isn't quite David Beckham selling underwear; does it seem like the product matches the ad style? And is there a vulgarity meter on these things?

In this ad, Liquid Plumr introduces a new product, a snake that goes deep into drains to clear blockages. Cue the innuendo-laden sexy plumbers: I’m here to snake your drain. I’m here to flush your pipe. Then cue the Barry White-esque voiceover referencing a looooong snake and encouraging the plumbers to finish off the rest.

Eww.... a Liquid Plumr threesome.

The “Double Impact” is an obvious reference to several sex acts, and it’s received a mixed welcome on social media. Some comments I saw slammed this as sexist. I don't agree with that, I just think it's class-less. Is this woman harbouring a secret fantasy to be sexually ravaged by plumbers? And is that necessarily sexist? Is it insulting, or just dirty fun?

It's vulgar, and semi-clever, and it works... this ad got us talking about Liquid Plumr. And it went viral, getting more than a million online viewings last week. This was fuelled by the publicity from the ad being slammed by the conservative activist group One Million Moms, the Ellen-hating moms who slammed JC Penney for hiring her.

Hey if One Million Moms hates this ad, then Liquid Plumr must be doing something right!