Hakuhodo ECD stands by controversial Thai ads reflecting hidden filth in society

The ads were developed by Hakuhodo Asia-Pacific. ECD Woon Siew Hoh said the tagline sums up the concept of the campaign. While everyone knows what a multi-purpose floor cleaner can do, the idea of this campaign goes deeper than just the surface.

“It is about giving filth, in whatever form, no place to hide,” he told Campaign Asia-Pacific.

The series of print ads consists of three versions. One depicting child prostitution shows a schoolgirl and a businessman standing next to a bed, while the reflection on the floor reveals that the man is paying the schoolgirl (above, click for larger version).

Thailand is known for its sex trade, with UNICEF estimating that 1 million children are forced into prostitution in Asia every year.

Some comments on social media complain that the ad is tasteless and that brands should stay away from the topic of child prostitution, but Woon noted that these things exist in every society. “We took great care to make sure that the ads were not overtly graphic," he said. "You can only catch a glimpse of what’s really going when you look closely at the reflections on the clean floor.” 

Another version shows two men exchanging bribe money under the table, while the last poster reveals a loaded gun taped under a dining table in a Chinese restaurant, all of which can be seen through the reflection on a clean floor.

(Click either image below to see a larger version)

“The different settings that we have chosen are usually very dirty,” Woon said. “Take the Chinese restaurant, for instance. Floors are usually greasy. But a lot more goes on there than meets the eye. The sparkling clean floor makes sure that nothing can be hidden. And it is filth from the underbelly of society that is revealed in the clean floor."