"The first debuted in late September, when Friend, an AI company billed as a portable "companion," ran a $1 million print campaign featuring a variety of servile messages like, "I'll never leave dirty dishes in the sink." The campaign received massive criticism, to the point that the MTA was forced to continuously remove Friend's vandalized ads. In an interview with Fast Company, Friend CEO Avi Schiffman said he "expected that would happen," and, in fact, he designed the ads with white space to invite graffiti."
"Now, another controversial print ad campaign has joined the fray. The new ads are paid for by Nucleus Genomics, a genetic health company specializing in genetic testing, IVF services, and embryo screening. The company's ads include phrases like, "Height is 80% genetic," "IQ is 50% genetic," "Have your best baby," and "These babies have great genes." Shock value marketing is as old as advertising itself."
Two provocative print ad campaigns recently appeared in the NYC subway system within months of each other. Friend, an AI-branded "companion," ran a $1 million campaign featuring servile promises and deliberately designed ads with white space to invite graffiti, prompting repeated removal of vandalized posters. Nucleus Genomics placed ads asserting strong genetic determinants for traits like height and IQ and suggesting engineered "better" babies. Both campaigns leverage shock value and outrage to generate attention, reflecting a trend of translating social-media-era rage-bait tactics into physical advertising to convert backlash into publicity.
Read at Fast Company
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