Exotic Cakes
The What
Exotic Cakes – “Bad Cakes, Made By Good Bakers”:
How do you market a mom-and-pop cake shop that makes X-rated cakes, without getting banned? That was the deliciously tricky brief. The challenge: communicate that Exotic Cakes might look naughty, but they taste damn good. Our answer? A cheeky, print-only campaign built on tasteful kink and clever restraint.
The How
With no budget for digital, we flipped the script. Instead of showing explicit cakes, we sexualized the baking tools. A rolling pin got a spiked collar. A colander laced up like a corset. A whisk turned into a boa-draped whip. Every print ad suggested S&M without crossing the line, leaving just enough to the imagination.
The Why
We knew shock value wouldn’t land if it wasn’t clever. So we leaned into subtle seduction, letting the innuendo do the heavy lifting. The tagline “Bad Cakes, Made By Good Bakers” struck the perfect balance between naughty and nice, capturing attention and respect in equal measure.
Why I Love It
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This campaign was pure creative alchemy. Small budget, taboo subject, big results, including a Silver at the New York Festivals.
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We made kink tasteful, humor elevated, and helped a small shop bake its way into pop culture with nothing but print and bold imagination.
