Be a Hero

Be a Hero was produced by BBDO, a multinational advertising agency that has earned a flood of honors over the years, many of which belie a quirky sense of humor. The three print ads from their Movember campaign in 2014 are great examples.

Each one stars an improbable everyman as the protagonist of a racy romance novel or cheesy direct-to-video film. Each of the atypical male heroes is accompanied by a lovely young lady.

To go along with this advertising, BBDO made a short video called Josh. Another heroic cliché appears in the film: a fireman rescuing a helpless kitten from a tree.

But, in a swarthy baritone, our conventional hero reminds us that not all heroes wear capes (or suspenders). The camera swings out to reveal Josh, who has a spotty mustache that is extremely immature. Josh's girlfriend doesn't like the look, but she can't help herself when a comparison is made between Josh and any battle-scarred military hero.

The messaging here employs an age-old marketing strategy: sex sells. Movember's comic approach to manhood fits in wonderfully with beautiful women crooning over common men. The video also emphasizes a key concept from the Movember campaign: that anybody and everyone can be a hero.