Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Impure intentions paved the road

Have you caught the Hornitos Tequila television commercials? I’ve seen three and each are quite captivating and tantalizing. Euro RSCG Chicago launched the campaign a year ago with two 15 second spots (embedded at the end of this blog) that skirt the line of decency, right where libidinous young males reside.

The newest commercial titled “Brotherly Love”, plays on the fantasy of twins switching places. In this case, the brother doesn’t know, and neither does the girlfriend, apparently.


Whose intentions aren’t pure here?

Sassy. Sexy. Sinister. Sordid. Suggestive. Add your adjectives here: ____________________________________________________________.

Here’s another one: provocative! Her sweet, romantic giggle coupled with the opening line fires the imagination. Has Mike been a naughty boy? Is he being a bit frisky? Whatever it is, she appears to like it. The evening seems full of promise. You can see it in her eyes and her saucy little gate.

Next comes the twist. Mike’s cell phone rings and a dirty truth is revealed; Mike isn’t Mike, he’s Mike’s identical twin brother, Dave, and Dave has designs on his twin’s girl, April, who is none the wiser.

Yes, it’s irreverent and disrespectful to the intelligence of the woman, but acknowledging that spoils the fantasy, so we don’t go there. Why would we? We’re dealing with the gratification of young men’s libidos and egos here. That’s a higher cause! And Hornitos wants to take you there, guys.

Cougar feeds a more uncomfortable fantasy for many, chasing skirts old enough to be your mother, or your friend’s mother:

Hitting on your best friend’s mom. Wow.

Doris, the husky-voiced bartender, leaving a voicemail with Doug’s boss so he can play late into the night with a couple of young dames, is a rather tame fantasy. Doug takes a glimpse at his feminine quarry and considers himself lucky, but based on the girls’ behavior, it’s not apparent he has a shot at winning anything more than a few games of billiards. Or does he?

You sound like a husky, Doris, so sick as a dog is an apt description.

Sauza, a Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. brand, and the makers of Hornitos Tequila, pushes the envelope of good taste with these commercials, to be sure, but don’t most edgy and memorable ads? The beauty and brilliance is how they tease and titillate without going over the line. Hornitos merely suggests; we fill in the blanks with our own (impure?) notions of what happened or will come next. That’s inspired.

Purer than your intentions. Now that’s a tagline, and for many of us, probably closer to the truth than we’d care to admit.

Sidebar: Please drink responsibly (but understand that Hornitos Tequila is not responsible for your impure intentions).