Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners placed some faux personal ads in the New York, Philadelphia and Chicago sections of Craigslist's popular "Missed Connections" department on behalf of crystal jeweler Swarovski.
One ad reads: "Love that you're the kind of girl that scrolls through the Missed Connections and knows your smile gets attention. You're definitely our kind of girl. We think confidence like that deserves something sparkly. Something maybe like a Swarovski Stardust Bracelet? Maybe we have one for you. Send us a message and maybe we can make this sparkle yours."
Check out six of the listings here:
• Cute Dress Girl at Franklin Mortgage - m4w
• Black tshirt ordering latte at La Colombe - m4w (Center City)
• East Village Milk Bar Blonde with Bday Truffles - m4w (East Village)
• Blonde bartender LES, great smile - m4w (Lower East Side)
• Last friday in Old City, white sweater - m4w (Old City)
• Bright red lips w/wrist tattoo at big star - m4w
This approach is restrained compared to TiVo's lusty romp through Missed Connections last year. And it's probably more sincere than much of the section's typical fare, as a few respondents will actually receive Swarovski bracelets as part of the promotion.
"We hope we'll pleasantly surprise some curiously intrigued women on Missed Connections," says agency chief creative officer Steve Red, "and that they'll sparkle a little bit more the next time they catch someone's eye."
This much is crystal clear: In a world where everything's an ad, sometimes even ads come disguised as other ads.