Is this the worst ad of the year? I ask, in all seriousness. Because rarely in the annals of modern advertising has such a poorly-made ad, for such a big brand, been the recipient of such a huge global media budget. The campaign has been haunting me across various international airports for weeks. I stand transfixed, fascinated by its strange ineptitude, and bemused by why it was made so badly.

The whole premise is shaky. Three celebrities with nothing in common, or any apparent link to the fragrance, gather in an artificial, confined space. Michael Porter once told us that strategy is choice. Well, not if you’re selling Hugo Boss parfum. Someone clearly thought they could tick every box by having a Hollywood star, Latino musician and Brazilian soccer player all jammed up together like th

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