# Bitter Brand Illustrations Sadvertising Explores What Brands Would be Like if Sad By Meghan Young | Published 2015-05-28 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sadvertising References: [designtaxi](http://designtaxi.com/news/376185/Sadvertising-What-Brands-Would-Look-Like-If-They-Were-Sad/) & [twitter](https://twitter.com/hashtag/sadvertising) The Sadvertising series is in line with previously seen honest logo designs. It explores the idea that people don't just post happy and empowering thoughts and feelings on social networks -- and so shouldn't brands. Of course, since brand don't participate in sadvertising, graphic designer Adam J. Kurtz decided to take the matter in his own hands. He took requests on [Twitter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/about-silk) and illustrated seven logos with added commentary context. For instance, [Coca-Cola](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/break-from-artificial) reads, "Everything sux, enjoy a tasty beverage" while [Penguin](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/penguin-x-moebe-book-stand) reads, "Help I have a cramp from maintaining my position as an industry leader since 1935." As enlightening as the Sadvertising is hilarious, people will appreciate the realistic nature behind each doodle. Kurtz observes, "Our feeds aren’t all happy. People are always complaining, putting negative energy out (especially in a humorous way, like @sosadtoday, one of my Twitter favorites). I thought it would be funny to throw some sad brands into the mix. After all, honesty is about a full range of emotion.” ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.6/10 - Popularity: 97% | Activity: 93% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Sadvertising:** Creating advertising that explores the realistic and sometimes sad aspects of life, resonating with consumers on a deeper level. - **Honest Logo Designs:** Illustrating logos with added commentary that provides a more authentic and relatable representation of brands. - **Negative Energy on Social Media:** Acknowledging that social media platforms are not always filled with happy content and embracing the humor in negative expressions. ### Who This Affects Most - **Advertising and Marketing:** Opportunity for agencies to create campaigns that tap into consumers' emotions by being more raw and authentic. - **Graphic Design and Illustration:** Demand for artists who can create illustrations that challenge traditional branding practices and evoke emotional connections. - **Social Media:** Platforms could embrace the realistic portrayal of emotions and provide a space for users to express negativity in a lighthearted and relatable way. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Lazy Cereal Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-cereal.md) - [Emotion-Driven Cider Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/angry-orchards-latest-campaign.md) - [Parody Soda Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/break-from-artificial.md) - [Drug-Themed April Fool's Gags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/innocean-berlin.md) - [Candid Furniture Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/life-is-not-an-ikea-catalog.md) - [Unexpectedly-Amusing Treats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/liquid-death-misfortune-cookies.md) - [Tongue-In-Cheek Soda Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tastes-better-campaign.md) - [Uplifting Energetic Soda Rebrandings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/7up.md) - [Marketer-Targeted Cereal Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/out-of-home-campaign.md)