fuck this ad

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First of all, this whole campaign, which has been going on for, what, a year or two?—drives me crazy.  The original ones were, you'd have two pairs of photos, like of broccoli and some chocolate cake, and the first pair would be labeled "Delicious" and "Disgusting," say, and the second pair would be labeled "Disgusting" and "Delicious" (and the idea was that some people like chocolate cake and not broccoli and other people like broccoli and not chocolate cake), and then it would be like, "Whatever your point of view, we're the bank for you."

Ah, hell—here's an example:

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Anyway I've loved/loathed/loved-to-loathe those ads because of their transparently despicable and totally meaningless pandering.  The ads really ought to go, "Do you prefer dogs or cats?  We don't give a shit.  Give us money!"

But those ones were like a triumph compared to this new one, which adds craven to the list of unflattering modifiers.  Unless I totally misunderstand, you've got that inflatable rat, the one unions in N.Y. put up in front of buildings and businesses they're protesting, and this time you've got three of the same thing instead of two pairs, and there's still that kind of cutesy, meaningless sentiment—"Different values make the world a richer place"—except this time, every one of the three labels is something positive.  So what are the opposing points of view, exactly?  What are the different values that enrich us all?

Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty pro-rat in this case, but I can't help but imagine that some ad guy floated the idea of a, like, "free speech, disturbing the peace" version of the ad that actually did set up a difference of opinion, and then they were like, "No, that's too controversial," but then instead of just scrapping the idea, they said, "Well, we could do a totally half-assed version, with no point and no teeth..."

To be fair, the campaign is so ridiculous to begin with that they were probably right: it doesn't make any difference.  The real effect of the dog–cat ad is to show pictures of dogs and cats; similarly, the real point of this ad is for HSBC to endear itself to New Yorkers by making us go, "Hey, I recognize that rat!  HSBC really understands me and my concerns!  I should give them money!"  I have nothing more to say about this, really, except for an at-this-point-little-more-than-obligatory fuck you to HSBC.