Agreed. Whether it's art or an ad it still needs a fucking idea behind it. otherwise it's a wank.

It's weird that with the exception of "standing tall," it's essentially still a product shot two years in a row and yet this time it gets backlash.

I still think it's all case specific and how you do it. A lot of brands tweeted out their respects today-some did it well, without feeling like they're trying to sell shit. Yes they're still brands but they're American Brands. Some did it in a much more respectful way. This could just be me, but at think point it's not much different than saying "This goes out to our troops on Memorial Day." It just depends on how you do it and the intention. But i don't think at this point it's still "off limits." it just needs to be thought out. Remember too the target market. White Castle and Dunkin Donuts are heartland brands. I would assume the people who actually frequent these places are okay with it. It's just the snarky assholes on buzzfeed who don't get there that want to tell everyone how to behave.

Today we remember September 11th, a day that will forever live on in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/GPGOLmpJrB— Dunkin' (@dunkindonuts) September 11, 2013

We’re taking the time to honor today and remember those that we lost. pic.twitter.com/ptvUGs5XD0— White Castle (@WhiteCastle) September 11, 2013

First off, the review isn't hateful. At all. It's appreciative and honest. It is a nice art piece, but guerrilla-style art has been around for decades so even as "art" it's a familiar execution. Sorry but that's truth.

There is a lot of potential to it, and it could have been a decent ad if your group had put a bit more thought into how to turn it into an ad.

For instance, everyone knows the way to make this kind of art is at night when no one is looking. It would have been far more compelling to show how people reacted to it instead of you sneaking around the city at night. That was your whole purpose, right? Where are the reactions?
The point is to show the outcome, not the "making-of."

Right now it feels like a student ad: it's an "art piece," there's no deep insight or motivation beyond it, and there's no client attached to it either. Plus your media is clearly something made to be provocative, but not real.

Without a client attached it feels a bit lazy, like you couldn't be arsed to make it seem real. That's just an honest opinion.

If you want us to pat you on the back, we can do that, but just know that a pat on the back won't get you hired, and a million social media shares might not either. A book full of amazing ads will. I suspect you know this and just had a knee jerk reaction. And that's cool. We've all been there.

Just shake it off, and send us some more work. Maybe some actual ads would be nice.

Devil's in the details, but it's the details they always leave out that matter most. I worked on airline accounts before. Airlines like to live in their own little worlds and not have any interference.

For instance, we don't see dear traveler being cattle-prodded through Heathrow, and arriving to his flight barely on time, sweaty and angry. They ignore completely the indifferent service one receives from more than half the flight attendants. And they certainly don't bring up the fact they tend to lose baggage, furhter enraging the consumer. They only concentrate on the experience inside the cabin because it's all they control. But even that is a slight of hand.

Because if you notice, apparently the only time a passenger has a good time in the cabin is when he's either A. stuffing sweets in his mouth whilst watching a movie or B. Unconscious. That tells me everything I really need to know.