[1]
These Ad Council spots from Grey, addressing mental-health problems, are well intentioned, and no can argue that the loving support of friends goes a long way toward helping folks get well. Still, the behaviors on display here are odd all around. In the spot below, a slacker type shaves his buddy's back, and the two discuss waxing. Sure, it's probably a fun Saturday night, but it's not what most people mean by having their friend's back. A second clip, posted after the jump [2], shows a guy picking up his pal and twirling him around above his head, very fast, in amazingly acrobatic fashion. That'd make anyone feel a little off! To its credit, at least the campaign doesn't suggest that the guys start acting like girls [3]. That only works for cancer, not anxiety or depression. Though shaving each other’s legs probably would bring those two even closer together.
—Posted by David Gianatasio