Photo by Jonathan Goldsbie.
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Kudos to Torontoist, who’ve been looking into what the mysterious ads for “Obay” (which I wrote about in this entry) are all about. According to their article, The Ones That Mother Gives You, although it would be more fun if Scientology (whose anti-psychology/psychiatry stance is well-known) were behind them, they’re most likely paid for by Ontario colleges. My thanks to Torontoist editor-in-chief David Topping for giving me the heads-up!
21 replies on “More About Those “Obay” Ads”
I have seen the ads here in London Ontario. I contacted the London Transit Commission and they informed me that “Lamar Advertising” produced them. Lamar is based in Louisiana and they have an office here in London as well. I have since contacted them by phone and email inquiring who contracted Lamar to produce these silly ads. Should I find out more, I will post.
What the heck is this for.. i cant figure it out. my friends and i are just wondering…
No need to wonder, simply take Obay regularly for that smiley, vacant feeling.
I saw the ad above then i was on my way home from school today. at first i thought it was an anti-med ad. so i guess i was right.. i kind of like the message it gives. however i dont believe it is being displayed properly. there was a middle aged women in the bus shelter with me, she had two younger children how misbehaved. she thought this was a real pill she could give her children. thus proving who ever is behaind this ad did not pick a good place for it. i am a uni. student who has to take teh bus. how ever most of the people i see on the bus are not educated enough to understand the ad.
It’s obviously a “teaser” a campaign. And it’s obviously working. I’m sure that all will be revealed in due time.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a national campaign using transit to tease us into anticipation.
Hope the reveal is worth it.
just a heads up, Lamar Advertising is a media supplier…basically a creative advertising agency came up with the concept and made the ads and Lamar is simply the company through which the London Transit advertising space is bought and sold. They probably printed the posters but have nothing to do with actually creating the advertising. I’ve been seeing these all over the TTC here in Toronto and wondering the same thing…I work in advertising myself, so I’m going to try to get to the bottom of who’s behind these…kudos to you for wanting to know more and dig deeper by calling the LTC!!
They are for Ontario Colleges.
i must hand it to them tho congrats on such a wonderful campainge look at the hype it is creating. like i, myself have told quite a few people about it just because i was so perplexed. i looked on google for quite a while doing a number of differnt searches with no avail. its better then any ad i have ever seen just because it forced upon word of mouth and got londoner and people from toronto geniuly intrested into what they hell is going on. so again props
Are you people actually that naive to believe this ad is for Ontario Colleges? Why doesnt anyone contact the big drug companies Phzer or Merk, and ask them. I think the we are living in the age of who gives a shit what Im selling and how Im selling it. Wake the #$%^ up brain dead retards! This is only the beginning! And for all retard university students who write on here with bad grammar, stay in school. Or take a writing course!
Patrick,
It is Pfizer, and I hope your bomb shelter is well-stocked.
haha…seriously…calm down buddy.
After reading some of the comments I can’t help wondering, whatever happened to good spelling and grammar?
Some people are just getting too worked up over this.
This seems very much like a two part campaign that supports free thinking and self direction. Remember all those TV shows where a father wants his son to become a doctor Just like him? Yeah, thats what these adds seem to be about.
Torontoist has confirmed that this is indeed a campaign run by “Ontario Colleges.” This is not a real drug; the conspiracy theorists can feel free to relax for a while.
P.S. In regards to attacking people’s spelling and grammar I will say this…
Speling mistakes occur on occaision, they don’t invalidate a person’s response. Also, grammar over the net is often much different than in proper English. This is often done to properly convey tone and emotion in a small chunk of text. See above for the way I intentionally capitalized the word “Just” mid-sentence.
Sometimes even the smallest flaw in grammar can be intentional and using the “fact” that someone has bad spelling or grammar, contrary to what some believe, does not further your argument or suddenly present an argument for you.
I’ve seen the posters as well….I like them, they make me smile, I would like to know who makes them cus I want on LOL. I think what this is, is just someones way of saying society just keeps coming out with pill for every and anything…what’s next kinda thing.I like them, it make me think of how as a parent we sometimes don’t allow our kids to think and do things for themselves as much as we could.
advertising prescription drugs is not legal in canada
Easy Patrick, I gather you know just as much about these ads as anyone else here. I am also convinced that it is the big drug companies. However, calling other brain dead retards is not an effective way to get your point across. Its people like you who give critics like us a bad name. Its hard enough for us “conspiracy theorists” (as they like to say) to be heard. We dont need people like you giving us an even worse reputation. Sounds to me like you just took a 4th year sociology course or something and now you think you know everything. Please excuse any grammar
I’m now wondering if this is just a “test” of who actually reads, questions, and pays ANY attention at all to an ad BLATANTLY endorsing mind control. The point is made quite well if there is just apathy surrounding this ‘campaign’.
YEA I SAW THIS AD FOR THE FIRST TIME TWO DAYS AGO. i REALLY HOPE ITS JOKE. im sure it is a joke cause its absolutly ridiculouse. and its kinda sad to see people who have out-of-control kids and honestly think this is a way out. but its gotta be a joke.if its not its absolutly sick!
And NOW….the mystery IS over!!!!!!!!! 🙁
SEE ontariocolleges.ca
It seems that the Ontario Colleges have some money to burn with frivolous and retarded advertising.
[…] the first phase of the campaign, the mysterious “Obay” ads (which I covered here, here and […]
Yes, we WERE naive enough to think that the ads are for Ontario Colleges…
…because they totally are.
Calm down.
Stop yelling, guy named Patrick.