Total Recall ads recall Limitless
The London Underground adverts for the Total Recall remake are pretty cool. A photo of two bikini-clad ladies on a yacht is accompanied by the caption: “Tell us your dream. We’ll make it real.”
Being a sci-fi film, such promises aren’t going to be delivered quite as stated and so the adverts carry a faux health warning: “Side effects may include sleeplessness, headaches, memory loss, paranoia, delusions, schizophrenia, and possible death.”
But wait a moment; this all seems alarmingly familiar. No, I’m not going to compare this to all of the real products that may well cause such health issues, because last year’s Limitless was advertised in the exact same fashion.
At first glance, the Limitless advert had no obvious connection to the product it was promoting. Even at second glance you might not have spotted Bradley Cooper. But when it finally grabbed your attention enough to read the text, you would’ve realised it was a film.
“Accessing 100% of your brain is now possible with The Clear Pill,” it boasted in a bland typeface. “Unlock your potential. Become the perfect version of yourself.” And it too contained its own fake health warning: “Side effects will include paralysis, psychosis, amnesia, extreme sexual appetite, brain damage, irreversible coma, homicidal blackouts and sudden death. Ask your doctor if the clear pill is right for you.”
Designed to look like a standard advert for a health product, and both wittier and more extremely worded, I make this a clear win for Limitless.
