Global Warming warning ads gets us in Deep Water in Badland.

Ah. I often argue that the media being identical doesn't mean that the idea is identical. Here on the other hand, what differs seems to be only the art directors choice of painting the city skyline as seen from above, vs on the sides of the pool. I don't care if they're intentional copies of each other, I'm more interested in which execution do you think is better?

First up, HSBC's Swimming pool for globalwarmingsolutions.co.in

It reminded me quite a bit of DDB Malaysia "waterworld" ambient underwater poster back in 2007.

(full views inside)

This version, for HSBC was created by Ogilvy & Mather in Mumbai, Hindistan (India)
Credits - EYY/ECD: Piyush Pandey • YY/CD: Rajiv Rao • SY/AD/RY/CW: Shirin Johari


Not sure when, exactly, the HSBC one was released I've only seen it 2008 so if one wants to assume it's from 2008 that seems rather likely. Again, which execution do you think is better? I actually prefer the HSBC one, seems to be more dramatic looking when you swim over it. Conveys the idea better. Your thoughts?
(and to the creatives who get cranky when their stuff ends up in Badland.... you know there's a million piles of advertising dung produced each day that I could be putting up here until the cows come home - I tend to only pick on ads that are actually good enough to truly stand out. It's a backward compliment indeed.)

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purplesimon's picture

The HSBC one is definitely better. The other one is trying too hard with the copy line and kills the idea, not to mention the fact that the image is not as arresting on the side of the pool.

Dabitch's picture

Yeah, you're right about the line. Both ideas are good but the above-angle execution takes it from good to ossom.

TDD's picture

I like the HSBC view. I think that would made a good ad for a flight school, or a great promotion for a new super-hero film. Too bad it got used the way it did. What happened to truth in advertising?

joelapompe's picture

I also prefer the HSBC one. Anyway congratulations for finding these two identical concepts... it's very interresting to compare as usual. By the way I've just added to my site 2 quite similar "underwater" movies and I invite you to compare them too.
Happy New Year to all the Badland readers and see you soon on http://www.joelapompe.net