I begin this post by exclaiming Leave Jennifer Aniston Alone a la Chris Crocker circa 2007. And I say it with 100% seriousness. I will admit I previously questioned her sponsorship choices because of this horrendous and unrelatable Emirates Airlines commercial, but Jennifer Aniston — as a woman in 2018 — deserves more respect.

I saw this print ad in a magazine while waiting for an appointment this week and my Who Approved This!? radars went off aggressively. To me, it seems like Jen is always defined by her relationships (with Brad, Vince, John and more recently, Justin) and this ad makes it seem like she don’t need no man, she has smartwater! No, she don’t need no man because it’s 2018, and she’s one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses. Also, it’s really weird that she’d be walking down a red carpet with a giant bottle of water. Have you seen those bad boys? They’re huge!

The “power couple” copy irked me because it implies that Jen can’t succeed on her own. It seems tone-deaf in a time when women are fighting hard to get the same respect as their male counterparts, and we are finally starting to get somewhere with the Women’s Movement. This ad takes Jen, and women, a step back.

Jen deserves recognition for things other than her boyfriends, breakups and children she doesn’t have. Who Approved This!? (Jen, say it wasn’t you??)

If you follow Meghan Mullally and Nick Offerman on any social media, you know they’re just two freaks who absolutely adore each other. They’re so open about how much they love each other that it is almost refreshing to see. This Sling TV ad plays up their… sexual chemistry… (omg, ew, sorry) and ~desire~ to watch TV with another couple. I just love how the maître d’ has to interject. Twice! Meghan and Nick are the perfect pair (or dare I say power couple???) to pull off double entendre. I approve!

The season finale of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia took an artistic twist this year with Mac’s dance. Without getting into every detail of the season and character arc, I just want to praise the risk-taking and creative direction the show took. I thought this scene was beautiful, poignant and daring; and I never would have expected to cry from genuine emotion (rather than laughter) during a show like Sunny. They pulled off this change of direction exquisitely and I hope they get the recognition they deserve.

DISCUSSION
Can you think of any advertisers that took a big risk and pulled it off?