Exotica flower shop

20 March, 2009

by Sonia

Let your human resources breathe. Exotica Corporate plants.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if people were actually trees? Family Guy once had an episode where there was a man who thought he was a tree trapped in a man’s body so he replanted himself. It was very amusing. Especially the part where he refers to his girlfriend, who is a tree.

Also, the other nerd in me can’t help but think to the Ents and Treebeard in Lord of the Rings. Life is suddenly so much slower and less ‘drama’ filled because everything is just slow and nothing is done in haste. One can’t help but consider the incredible inefficiency of an office that may be run in such a way.

The only explanation I have for the people dressed in 70’s or 80’s clothing with psychadelic wall paper and afro disco hair is that it’s Hippie cool. Also, I think it adds to the effect of the advertisement. The point, I assume is to emphasise the drab and dullness of an office in order to encourage employers to fill their work space with corporate plants. It’s a strange idea. I know my office is filled with plants (and I mean literally FILLED) and I’m not sure if this helps me breathe or just makes me feel a little oppressed and like a litte bit of a fake. Come on, this office is in the middle of the city and I can actually hear the cars on the street below. I’m not going to be fooled into thinking that I’m in a jungle. But green is a nicer colour than egg shell white and the ability of a plant to live in such circumstances must surely be an indicator that these circumstances are still liveable and conducive to life, right?

Maybe that’s the premise of this advertisement. These corporate plants are like the canaries in the mine. If the canary dies, run for your life. If it lives, then you’ll live too. And so, one must go out an buy plants or else their human will die.

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett
Creative Directors: Bechara Mouzannar, Chermine Assadian
Art Directors: Manal Naji, Joumana Ibrahim
Copywriters: Amin Kurani, Alex Kent
Illustrator: Mark Calina
Photographer: Jihad Hojeily
Published: February 2009