# Shock Advertising? That's not a surprise for Virgin Mobile. By Greg Ponesse | Published 2005-12-29 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shock-advertising-thats-not-a-surprise-for-virgin-inc References: [adweek.blogs](http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2005/12/thats_a_wrap_fo.html) There's nothing wrong with [holiday wrapping paper](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/its-not-the-thought-that-counts) that shows horny angels kissing and fondling one another. Unless you're [Virgin Mobile Canada](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/not-a-sock-shop), and you're handing it out to children at movie theaters. All you get then is angry parents muttering things like, “Somebody had to have their head screwed on wrong to put out a promo like that at a [family theatre](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/childrens-holiday-campaign).” **Implications** - Some companies like to take a controversial approach in order to really grab people's attention. While it may not be effective with the older crowd, it certainly sits well with the younger generation who are looking for something more alternative and dangerous. Companies targeting youth will continue to adapt shock advertising as a way to attract young rebels. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.4/10 - Popularity: 98% | Activity: 87% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Shocking Advertising:** Companies targeting youth will continue to adapt shock advertising as a way to attract young rebels. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Youth Marketing:** Companies targeting youth will continue to adapt shock advertising as a way to attract young rebels. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Naughty Holiday Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/diesels-xxxmas.md) - [Solution-Oriented Holiday Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solutionoriented-holiday-ad.md) - [Creative Ad Responses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kiehls-response.md) - [Creative Gift Wrap](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clash-royale.md) - [Nightmarish Mobile Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cellphone-bill.md) - [Humorous Mens Fragrance Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/axe-campaign.md) - [Horror-Themed Phone Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/join-the-flip-side.md) - [Marketer-Targeted Cereal Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/out-of-home-campaign.md) - [Flame-Grilled Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flame-grilled-billboard.md)