Running an ad at the side of the bus is a brilliant idea, even though the 'ad-buses' are causing sales-pitch version of diarrhea all over Taipei (or over any large cities). The benefits are too tempting even for those opposing the overabundance of advertisement because it taints the landscape of Taiwan. I think no one is complaining such stuff at this moment. Here are the benefits:

• Large. Very large. As in the above example, you may even put the entire body of models LARGER than their actual dimensions.
• The ad goes to the customer, not the other way around.
• Top-notch location (to interrupt busy customers by blocking their view)

Let's get into the details about this advertisement. It is a Playboy-brand perfume aimed at single men trying to get into women's pants. It is situated during a foreplay, which is, technically, a part of sex. On the side of a public bus, running on public streets, carrying anybody from age 0 to 100. Nevertheless, the whole premise is very familiar to us Taipei dwellers. It took me 5 seconds or more to realize what's wrong with this ad. Not because I was busy gazing at the model or looking for any store information or having a flashback about the 'I was almost there' moments.

The reason this ad does not feel (too) out of place and is not meeting any street protest is because PG-13 content is everywhere in Taipei. It is in the most-circulated newspaper, the Taiwanese version of The Sun (or Fox News). My Chinese teacher will raise her eyebrows when I call Apply Daily a newspaper, but well, es la vida. (Their web address is tw.nextmedia. What a self-fulfilling prophecy.) Each time I buy dailies at a 7-11 ( = as many as going to the bathroom), a semi-nude photo on the stacked magazine right beside the cash register welcomes me with a big smile. (But X-rated content is banned countrywide. I think they should limit the regions where adult content can be viewed, and "legalize" X-rated stuff. It is my personal opinion, but not coming from my personal reasons.)

The catch copy of that perfume ad is "press to play". Someone needs to drag the copywriter out to the streets of Taipei and make him understand what it feels like to have a cold chill running your back in the middle of summer. The whole point of a perfume is to make your partner (or target, whatever) feel "hot", isn't it?