This is a very weird campaign from Belgian agency Ogilvy. It’s very arty-farty and I think it stresses the bizarre identity of the product pretty well. Exit Urban Shoes isn’t just ‘your ordinary shoe’. Exit is ‘the shoe with personality’, extravagant, remarkable and with a very high degree of ‘look at what I’m wearing. The campaign below might look edgy, but I think it has every intention to be so, since it’s a perfect extension of the brand image. Enjoy!
Copy: “They find a way out”
Site: exit & c°
Agency: Ogilvy (be)
Account Team: Axelle de Terwangne
Creative Director: Phil van Duynen
Creation: Phil van Duynen
Photographer: Christophe Gilbert
Retouching: Yannick Lecoq
Media: Magazines
toni rantavinson
December 21, 2007 at 11:21 pm
hmmm…and torturing a doberman pinscher sells shoes HOW???
i truly hope that image was photo-shopped, or PETA will be crawling right up your metaphorical asses.
really, i don’t get the dog image. i REALLY would love to hear what you were thinking.
look forward to hearing from you
trv
Barbara Finley-Shea
December 29, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Some of these photos depict abuse of a dog, murder
and brutality to other people. For the copy to say, “They will find a way out,” seems to say that they’re on their own with no one to help or rescue.
If the message of the ad is supposed to be that wearing
Exit Urban shoes/boots will in some way aid their
escape from a dangerous situation, the photo of the
dead/abused tied up dog makes no sense, because the
dog isn’t wearing the shoes or boots. That photo is
particularly offensive because the dog is completely
vulnerable with no resources for aid.
cathytx
January 3, 2008 at 7:11 am
You people are as bad as the animal abuser in the world.How can you even put a doberman tied up like this in an add.You really have some serious issues and by doing this you are only glorifying wut so many of us are trying to prevent in the world!!!There is no place for this idea of cruelty anywhere and this add smells of cruelty!!!
Mariana
January 3, 2008 at 7:31 am
It is revolting and shocking to see a savvy European company use an advertising image that depicts animal torture in this heinous and grotesque way.
In a world filled with potentially beautiful images, I find it mystifying that the powers that be at Ogilvy and Exit Urban Shoes gave the green light to this sadistic and unforgivable act of animal abuse. Shame on you for glorifying cruelty and the abuse of a helpless animal!
May your sales plummet, your names be tarnished and may Animal Rights Groups ‘hound’ you endlessly until you issue an official apology and donate financially to campaign that fights animal abuse!!
Kathy Chadwell
January 3, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I see boycott written all over this.
Just ask avon or P&G (who are giants compared to you)
Crumbled to animals rights boycotts.
Lisa
January 3, 2008 at 2:00 pm
What the hell are you all thinking using animal cruelty to sell your shoes??? You all need a good, swift kick in the head for that!!!
PissedOff
January 3, 2008 at 2:33 pm
You call this art? A poor dog tied up in the snow? How many bad acid trips have you had that you consider this creativity? This ad campaign is digusting and it would cause me and millons of others not to buy these damn shoes(especially if they are made of leather or suede).You should be sued for animal abuse. Who ever wrote this ad, photographed this ad, is an immature person who doesn’t deserve to earn one cent from it. Ditto for Exit Urban shoes. Exit is right-this company should EXIT from the planet universe……screw both of you man………..
PissedOff
January 3, 2008 at 2:36 pm
You call this art? A poor dog tied up in the snow? How many bad acid trips have you had that you consider this creativity? This ad campaign is digusting and it would cause me and millons of others not to buy these damn shoes(especially if they are made of leather or suede).You should be sued for animal abuse. Who ever wrote this ad, photographed this ad, is an immature person who doesn’t deserve to earn one cent from it. Ditto for Exit Urban shoes. Exit is right-this company should EXIT from the universe……screw both of you man………..
Monica
January 3, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I have to say that I really despise the picture with the abused dog. NEVER will i buy a product that encourages animal cruelty. I wonder what they were thinking with this campaign…The picture is horrible and very offensive.
Diana Abkin
January 3, 2008 at 5:16 pm
You gotta be kidding me with the dog advertisement?!?!?! All of them are horrific looking. Not sure if you think by giving people nightmares you’ll sell shoes? However, the one with the dog is just unconscionable. I urge you to please take that off. I heard through my networking base about it and thousands are outraged. The media will be all over you. And trust me, not all publicity is good publicity. Many people will make sure of that.
Please rethink this and do the right thing.
Thank you,
Diana
katherine brown (EarthChyld)
January 3, 2008 at 5:57 pm
wow! did you recruit violent, abusive, and generally SICK people to come up with these ads?? if so, they did a GREAT job!! next time i decide to abuse, exploit, harm, or violate an animal or person, i’ll be SURE to buy YOUR shoes so i can commit the crime IN STYLE!!
WHAT were you ‘people’ thinking???
Protector of the Animals
January 3, 2008 at 6:00 pm
You should be ashamed of yourself displaying a pic of cruelty to animals! Are you aware of the death, pain and bloodshed of these precious animals or do you have no heart! Word is spreading now across the US to thousands of animal lovers via Myspace, who will boycott your business, tell people you do business with and anyone else you are involved with of the cruelty to animals that you support!
Amy D. Fleiss
January 3, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Maybe I’m completely missing the point? Please tell me what it is that YOUR ad is intending to convey? I can vaguely see faces behind bars…then a tortured dog, left to die (or dead,) in the snow. Please explain to me how this WILL sell your shoes. In fact, I think the contrary.
Many, many people…including ME…will NEVER buy your products again. I am appalled and disgusted by your ideas, collaboration and disregard for animal welfare. Please HELP me understand your reasoning behind this ad. I have a graduate degree and work closely w/ the psychological community and am at a loss…
James Turner
January 3, 2008 at 6:34 pm
A tied up Doberman is an obvious choice to use as an advertisment image for selling a shoe…. IF your a narcissistic, evil moron!
AS YOU MOST CERTAINLY ARE!!!
Nikki Everett
January 3, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I am disgusted at your “dog tied up” ad. You endorse animal abuse?!
I have posted this photo on my MySpace page so rest assured my morally-conscious animal loving friends will be writing to you as well.
I have also sent this photo to the ASPCA, the Humane Society, and PETA.
If you really don’t understand why this wrong, I pity you.
Marti Baker
January 3, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Has the human race really sunk so low? This is absolutely dispicable. They say there is no such thing as bad publicity. Don’t believe it. There is such a thing as bad karma and you have got yourself some of that now.
Kendall
January 3, 2008 at 8:26 pm
I recently saw your new ‘advertisement’ for boots that featured a dog that is hog-tied in the snow. Seriously….. WHO thought that this was a GOOD idea? I am not sure what kind of market your trying to reach, but your obviously a company that promotes animal cruelty. Which is a really STUPID idea, considering that most progressive people are concious individuals that DON’T support anything to do with animal cruelty. Millions of people are being contacted through the internet right now to boycott your company and the company who created this advertisement. I hope your blatant disregard for the lives of animals causes your company to go bankrupt – even better maybe one day you will be the ones that are hog-tied and left in the snow.
You just lost A LOT of potential investors, endorsers, and consumers.
I hope you have a really shitty day.
Susan
January 3, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Trying to figure out what kind of psychopath thinks an abused animal is advertising. Can you assist? Seriously people that is sad as are some of the other ads. I buy a LOT of shoes, just not theirs!
Clue, in America we love our dogs and do not exploit them with bizarre advertising.
Have a nice day-Dog lover and Sane person
Christina
January 3, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Um, yeah, that dog image is really not doing anything for me except making my stomach turn.
“This is a very weird campaign from Belgian agency Ogilvy. It’s very arty-farty and I think it stresses the bizarre identity of the product pretty well. Exit Urban Shoes isn’t just ‘your ordinary shoe’. Exit is ‘the shoe with personality”
Artsy Fartsy, no, a little disturbing, yeah. You just killed any interest I had in the brand.It makes me wonder if the leather from the shoes came off the dog. Gross.
Kristal Jarrell
January 3, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I can honestly say I don’t get most of these pics…..but the one with the dog is just sad. I have a doberman and it sickes me to look at this cruel depiction. I also really do hope the pic is photoshopped or doctored and you really didn’t do that just for a picture.
Coolz0r
January 4, 2008 at 12:31 am
OK, Let me write a little word here. I don’t work for Ogilvy, I didn’t made the ads. I posted them here because it’s a campaign that ran in my country. Don’t shoot the messenger. I agree with almost everything written above, I’m the proud owner of a lovely black Labrador myself for the past 8 years and hopefully many more to come. But when I see stuff like this appearing in the magazines I just post it because I think it’s interesting to discuss the moral borderline of advertising, and sometimes – as proven above – it might become a little spicy. So please stop addressing me personally as the one that did this to the dog. As mentioned in the credits, the agency and creatives are from Ogilvy. If you have personal issues, feel free to contact them through their website. (Ogilvy.be) Other than that, of course any comments are welcome to be shared, and as you see, none have been censored. Your opinion is valued. That’s the reason why I post the ads.
Stacy P. Zeidman
January 4, 2008 at 12:48 am
I am deeply disturbed by the image of the doberman tied up. Why on earth would anyone see this as being ethical or humane to promote a product?
Is marketing creativity suffering that much, that a company must use a dog tied to advertise? I am utterly disgusted by this image and I believe that this company has failed miserably, when it comes to choosing their marketing staff and attempting to use a “creative idea,” to catch the general populations’, interest.
I hope this mistake is not made in the future. Even if this is photo-chopped, the message you are sending across is not too intelligent. Many people will take this the wrong way because sadly, so much of our society does not have minds for themselves.
I suggest your company does something about this.
April Sylvie
January 4, 2008 at 2:09 am
I don’t get the add with the tied up dog in it?
your mama!
January 4, 2008 at 2:12 am
You sick sick mother fucker!
You must really have nothing better to do with your time than to post some shit like this.
KARMA IS A BITCH! …………BITCH!!!!!
Fuck your mother!!!!!
SEriously SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Coolz0r
January 4, 2008 at 2:20 am
Yes, and a happy 2008 to you too !
April Fitch
January 4, 2008 at 4:02 am
What the hell were you thinking? Violence and animal abuse to sell your shoes? I hope you never sell another pair……and I hope your company goes under. Youre a bunch of assholes!
your mama!
January 4, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I’m still surprised your site is up!
I believe their must be something seriously wrong with your brain!
I also believe that you are doing this out of pure boredom, and evilness.
Perhaps you should show the “fucked up” creator of this advertisement all these postings.
Maybe they will get a fucking clue that this is wrong in America, and that Americans will not buy products that will abuse or torture animals and that will use a tortured animal to help sell the product.
I’m sure the boycotting process has already begun for you and your shitty company.
I have never been so upset at someone I never even met. But you have gopt to be the dumbest broad out there.
Truely God Bless you, your gonna need it!!!!!!!!!!
your mama!
January 4, 2008 at 3:22 pm
SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME
SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME
SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME
SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME
SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME
SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME
Coolz0r
January 4, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Hi Mommy,
Glad you found your way back here. Thanks for your sincere wishes, but again: I have no company. I post stuff like this so people like you know that other people make this sort of stuff and actually get paid for it. So if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even know which company to be mad at.
And if you check the date, this post is actually online for over a year… So I’m surprized you are surprized that I’m still online. ;-)
KmS
January 5, 2008 at 10:45 pm
This is disgusting. Why would you promote animal abuse like this. Who’s your lead idea creator? Michael Vick?
Jana Lane
January 7, 2008 at 12:05 am
OH MY DEAR GOD!!!! I am so disgusted by your ad with the tortured dog! SHAME ON the company who made the ad and the company who allowed it to be used to sell thier product. I WILL REMEMBER YOUR COMPANY’S NAMES AND NEVER NEVER EVER DO BUSINESS WITH THEM!!!!
Milli
January 10, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I would like to know what is the idea behind the tied up doberman??? What is the message supposed to be? Animal cruelty is all I see, I really do not understand. I welcome your reply.
JF
January 10, 2008 at 10:37 pm
This may have generated publicity, but it was all the wrong kind. There is no amusement value in photos depicting a tortured animal. Just another poor reflection on the country of Belgium which seems to show more and more of its sadistic values regarding animals on an international basis. Hopefully, this was the anchor that sunk the ships for both the company and ad agency.
Angry!
January 11, 2008 at 3:34 am
I think posting a HOGTIED DOBERMAN PINSCHER IS FUCKING DISCUSTING. why would you do that? honestly? you want me to hog tie your friends and family too? how would you feel about that? i don’t think it was very ethical to do this! I’m with the other comments, PETA will be at your ass before you know it! you are sick, this site is sick and ill-minded! dogs are part of our family just like children,siblings cousins, whoever, and i don’t think you’d like us tying up your family now would you, like i said before!?!?
ALF
January 11, 2008 at 5:06 pm
yeah the doberman tied up is pretty silly. it is only a drawing but still where is your mind at? this is the shit people do to animals and then end up cutting humans heads off when they grow up. hopefully the ALF sees this and sends you some candy.
U suck
January 13, 2008 at 3:59 pm
What the fuck are you thinking?
You are just disgusting! WE need to stop animal cruelty and not use it to sell your shoes! Go and get a life!
now you have lots of mails to read! If I were you i will reconsider it
DobesRus
January 13, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I can NOT believe you would show a picture of a DEAD doberman! Did YOU people KILL it.I fail to understand why you would think this is a good way to promote your product! I can NOT believe NO ONE who looks at this picutre can see the doberman is dead!I feel you should be invesigated and brought up on charges!There has to be doberman clubs out were these people are and they should be raising HELL! I am a member of the club in the US.YOU ARE SICK DEPRAVED PEOPLE APPEALING TO PSYCOPATHS!
Oh boy
January 14, 2008 at 12:00 am
Yikes – talk about shooting the messenger!
Hello people, this site has NOTHING to do with the shoes or the agency. If anything, you should be thanking the blogger for making this ad available for you to see – I doubt it’s even running anymore since it’s from over a year ago. If it offends you, then contact the people who were actually behind it.
Ogilvy is a very large, very respected agency. While the ad with the dog may be in bad taste, I seriously doubt any animals were hurt during it’s creation. The tag line on the ad is “They’ll Find the Way Out.” Whoever “they” is has obviously just gotten past the ferocious guard dog. Does the ad work? Personally, I don’t get it, but then I doubt that I’m part of the demographic that Exit shoes was going after in the first place. . .
Coolz0r
January 14, 2008 at 3:09 pm
@ Oh Boy – thanks.
K Mills
January 16, 2008 at 4:06 pm
SHAME SHAME SHAME
Kathryn
January 17, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Im waiting to see why no one has contacted pita on you people you should be ashamed of yourselves. next you will be showing people eating other people or eating dogs and shit. what type of mentality did it take to make a picture of this nature. i hope you fired whomever did this.
Leslie
January 18, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I had never heard of your shoes until comments about the heinous picture of the doberman surfaced all over every animal rescue board I am on. Needless to say, your products will never be on my “to get” list. Companies need to learn kindness to animals sells, cruelty to animals will bankrupt you.
Coolz0r
January 18, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Aha, so that’s where all these commenters who don’t read the article come from. For the last time: THEY ARE NOT ‘MY SHOES’, NOT ‘MY COMPANY’ and it’s NOT MY DOG! I just post this so you know it’s been released. This is a marketing blog. I show ads. That’s what I do. I show them so you know they’re out there. If you have problems with it, the contact data of the company that made them are listed below the article. Feel free to contact them, but please point your accusing fingers elsewhere…
Andy
January 21, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Coolz0r,
Yes, it appears you’ve been vilified for something that you had nothing to do with.
Here’s a link to one person blaming you:
http://tinyurl.com/3ayan4
I’m not sure if there are others, there almost certainly are now. I also have no idea how to find out who first made the mistake. At this point any rational comments that don’t blame you are so far down the line that nobody is going to read them before commenting.
If you can, I’d suggest editing your original blog post to distance yourself from the shoe company and ad agency. As it stands it’s ambiguous enough to leave room for error. If you can’t, then you might just have to ride it out.
Andy
January 21, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Here’s another link to a story that appears to point the finger at you:
http://www.care2.com/news/member/332149438/592074
I can’t find any more via google.
Marie
January 21, 2008 at 7:44 pm
The ad is despicable, no doubt. I already emailed the company and the ad agency to express my disgust. And I am glad that it is being publicized so that those of us who are animal rescue people can take action (thank you CoolzOr). As a person who values all life, I cannot help but wistfully long for the day that there is this much outrage expressed for tiny babies who are cut to pieces in utero. This much energy can and should be expressed for the most helpless among us who are being slaughtered every day – unborn human beings.
Coolz0r
January 21, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Thanks Andy, really appreciate it!
Susan
January 22, 2008 at 7:43 pm
I must be too much of a redneck/hayseed/rube to get it. How does murder, animal abuse, various forms of mistreatment equal cool, urban, edgy?
I see on their website (Ogilvy) they do ads for Nestle and Mattel.
Hmm, I think I smell a letter campaign.
Bridgett
January 22, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Not gonna shoot the messenger.
These ads by Ogilvy seems to hit all the morally depraved, illegal and perverted parts of society. Torture, pornography and sadism just to sell shoes.
Nice.
Jan
January 23, 2008 at 7:14 pm
CoolzOr: of course you are just the Venue and not the ad agency. You did state up top that we should go ahead and “enjoy” this “arty-farty” brand extension. Guess we didn’t think it was as clever as you did when you posted it here for discussion and forwarded it to your blogger friends.
But yeah, thanx for posting this. Exit is taken aback that this story is getting around the internet.
Oh Boy: The ad was pulled early on. I believe it ran in Elle and Marie-Claire Belgium. Kind of a mainstream venue for doggie snuff and porn, yes? Apologies were sent out at the time and according to an Exit spokesperson, the highly-respected, award-winning (etc.) agency was fired. Too bad Exit didn’t have the sense to fire the Ogilvy clowns before the ads went to print. Their shoe designs aren’t particularly unique, BTW.