That is not hyperbole. I’m being serious. There is a very high bar to cross for the title of “World’s Most Messed Up Hospital Ads,” and these commercials seem to do just that. Congratulations!
Note: This article contains content that some readers might find objectionable.
South Korea’s Pyunkang Hospital is, as tipster Sang points out, an Eastern medicine clinic that specializes in atopy, sinus infection, and asthma. Their ads are sometimes run at movie theaters in South Korea and appear online. They’re infamous.
To bring you up to speed, so you know what kind of ads these are and what kind of humor we are dealing with, here is an English version of a Pyunkang Hospital ad:
A few years back, the hospital did cartoon style ads on the subway.
[Photo: Ginis]
[Photo: AnythingTip]
Rather unusual, no? But, this isn’t the most effed Pyunkang Hospital commercial by any stretch.
Even, snot rockets aside, this isn’t that bad.
So, what’s all the fuss about? It’s for this ad, which is being called “vulgar” and “disgusting.” According to Livedoor News*, some in South Korea wondered if it was even okay to show something as suggestive as this:
It sure is easy to see why this spot has been heavily criticized online in South Korea. But why this sort of imagery is being used for a hospital, less so.
*The Livedoor News article also reports that the ad is for MERS prevention, but that appears to be incorrect, especially as the end of the ad explicitly states, “atopy, rhinitis, asthma” and the hospital’s name like with all the other ads from over the years.
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