94 years ago, liar H.K. McCann launched his NYC ad agency with the slogan "Truth Well Told." That was a big fat lie. Advertising copywriter Copyranter brings you instances of advertising lies and the lying liars who sell them.

Last week, 11,000 ad people and 33,000 ironic t-shirts clogged Cannes to witness the awarding lion statuettes symbolic of "courageous" work. The Very Important Dove "Evolution" video garnered both the top film and cyber awards. But what about print, the dying medium? The winning ad was from a New York agency. And I don't hate it!

Click to enlarge.

Above is the best ad from the winning campaign for Ultra Tide Stain Remover, by Saatchi & Saatchi, New York. (A second ad featured a handful of ninjas representing a soy sauce stain.). I had not seen the ad before this, so I'm assuming it was a double-page spread execution, or a poster. The overwhelmed group of red-uniformed football players is a pretty damn cool trick. And I admit, reluctantly, that I wouldn't mind having this campaign in my portfolio.

Now, does it sell Tide? Fuck if I know, nor—like the judges at Cannes—do I care.

In an AdAge article about the campaign, judge Julian Watt, executive creative director, Network BBDO, Johannesburg, South Africa had these inspirational words for the losers: "Go home, and don't ever say you can't do great work for a difficult [brand]."

Hey Julian baby, a little heads up from down here in the trenches—a laundry detergent ain't a difficult assignment. A urine analysis machine is, though.

Previously: Virgin Mobile's 'You Rule' Ads A Huge Failure