There’s a Hole in That Doughnut Theory

Advertiser: Interstate Bakeries

Agency: Campbell Mithun Esty, Minneapolis

Challenge: Boost consumers’ appetite for Dolly Madison doughnuts not as a breakfast food but as a snack.

The Ad: In a television commercial, a doughnut-munching Gen-Xer effortlessly walks up a vertical cliff without a rope, as a nearby mountain climber struggles to reach the peak. When the mountain climber finally reaches the top, the doughnut-eating dude greets him, “Hey, I know you.”

Comment: Doughnuts as a high-energy food? Sorry, that’s a tough one to swallow. $+