Ad for air purifier shows microobes marching into gaping nostrils

“Bacteria”, a creative campaign created by M&C Saatchi for a new series of high density Plasmacluster ion generator air purifiers, in time for the peak influenza season.

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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cory

Beautiful. Almost makes me want to get infected. (Maybe this was not the intent.) No swine-shaped particles?
Kieran O’Neill

Lol – it kinda neglects to represent just how hostile the mucous inside that nose is to all those bacteria marching in. If even one of such a (relatively) tiny horde survived, it would be miraculously lucky.
forgeweld

Isn’t it the end of the influenza season? Is this some southern hemisphere thing?
Anonymous

I want to see the MAD Fold-In version.
mikerbaker

Reminds me of d’Holbachi-Yoko.
Anonymous

Microoooooobes
merreborn

Cute ad. Too bad it’s selling useless crap no one actually needs with unrealistic fearmongering.
Stefan Jones

Yeah. Fearmongering.

They could do another version showing pollen particles on the march. You know what pollen is? Tree sperm.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Oh, is that what’s in Ent draughts?
AntiCelebrity-net

1. It’s a nice image
2. I don’t believe how far marketing goes for essentially air fresheners- as if consumers have subscribed enough to this to make it an industry.
papercup mixmaster

Two things – I kind of love this image. The little details are great, from the scattered articles of clothing and carry-ons to the gnarly trees. Second, just want to agree on the useless crap/fearmongering comments above.
sammich

see, now i’m seeing the microbes marching ino the empty eye sockets of a zombie elephant…
WalterBillington

Bottom right blue and pink – it’s W.

I, for some reason, buy into this kill the bugs thing. I’d like these to be installed on aircraft, particularly. Don’t they work? I’m naive, not an air-con technician, but zapping bugs sounds good. And washing hands, a lot.

I love the Mad fold-out comment. Fab.
Felix Mitchell

Damn zombie elephant!

My first thought was, why does the nose look so poorly drawn compred to everything else? I get that it can’t be all gridley and detailed because it’s meant to be MY nose, and no-one wants to be told they have ugly nostrils. But still.
And the cheeks look ridiculous – how chubby would you have to be for them to look like that from below?
Anonymous

Viruses are too small to be caught by this device. It only works for dust and pollen.
wolfiesma

It reminds me of the electrical Main Street Parade at Disneyland… pretty magical.
Javier Candeira

Am I the only one who, when seeing those nostrils and cheeks on the horizon, is reminded of Al Jaffee’s Fold-Ins for MAD Magazine?
Antinous / Moderator

Hieronymus Balloon?