In Kids’ Clay World, Religion is Fun and Klansmen are Romantics

becks-Blackisbeautyfull.jpg

At left is a print piece called “Black is Beautyfull,” in which a grinning clay Klansman offers a meager bouquet of flowers to a simpering black chick with a ‘fro.

In a variant, “Fun Religion,” a Muslim and a Jew surrender to the call of John Travolta, circa 1977.

The ads are taglined “Let the kids build a better world” and are for Becks Plastillin modeling clay by agency Scholz+Frenz/Hamburg. Scary Ideas says that Becks is among Europe’s biggest modeling claymakers but is little-known among parents because of foul-smelling rivals like Hasbro’s Play-Doh. (And possibly a certain uncompromising beer.)

We loved Play-Doh as kids, but remain unconvinced it’s good for much of anything besides making lopsided balls.

Have you ever tried building with Play-Doh? It’s next to impossible. Left out for a few hours, it’s totally ruined and you can never play with it again. For some reason though, even after it’s dry and worthless it still manages to stink.

Picture of Steve Hall

Steve Hall

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