Saatchi & Saatchi New York launched a series of new “Stain Maker” spots for Tide which goes for the cuteness factor with a group of young children explaining recipes for things like “Mudpies.”
“So you make mud and stick dirt and put it in a bucket,” begins a boy in the aforementioned 30-second spot, going on to explain the rest of the recipe. “Mud pies?” questions text at the conclusion of the spot, followed by the tagline “it’s got to be Tide.” If this spot has you wondering “Wait, but how do you make mud, Tide!? How do you make mud!?” you can calm down, Saatchi has you covered. Another spot features the recipe: “Take like buckets of water and pour it in one spot and you make mud.” A third ad, “Meatballs” features the same boy from “Mudpies” explaining that he likes to keep meatballs in his pockets.
While the ads have an undeniable cuteness factor and a natural lead-in to the tagline, they also leave a bit to be desired when taken as a whole. The most clear example being the need for both the “Mud” and “Mudpies” spots (prior joke aside), rather than coming up with another idea for a stain-causing item. We’re pretty sure any parent could give you at least a half dozen suggestions.