Something Is Wrong - APM | Clapboard Ad Archive

APM’s 2019 campaign Something Is Wrong, crafted by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, confronts the pervasive issue of brand piracy in Germany’s public interest sector through an inventive and unsettling metaphor that replaces counterfeit products with disguised dogs, a creative choice that exemplifies what Clapboard’s taxonomy identifies as FORMAT#3—Symbolize the Problem. This approach eschews direct exposition in favor of visual analogy, using the incongruity of dogs masquerading as genuine goods to embody the disappointment, diminished functionality, and potential health hazards consumers face when duped by fakes. The campaign’s flagship film, Rapunzel Fail, leverages this symbolic storytelling to illustrate how counterfeit items fail to deliver on expectations, subtly underscoring the risks inherent in purchasing unauthorized replicas without resorting to overt didacticism. By framing the problem through a social experiment lens, the campaign taps into emotional authenticity and viewer curiosity, encouraging audiences to question the integrity of products they encounter in the marketplace. Distributed primarily via social media channels including YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, the series of four films broadens the dialogue around product authenticity while fostering consumer vigilance and brand protection awareness. The production’s cinematic quality, supported by the expertise of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, enhances its credibility and engagement potential, ensuring the message resonates beyond mere public service announcements. APM positions itself not only as an advocate against counterfeiting but also as a thought leader championing consumer safety and brand integrity in a market increasingly vulnerable to deceptive imitations. The campaign earns 63/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. This campaign matters because it demonstrates how public interest advertising can transcend conventional warnings by using metaphorical storytelling to make the abstract dangers of counterfeit goods immediate and emotionally impactful, which signals a strategic evolution in how social issues are communicated through creative film.