Guss Pickles and BK 7 Incher ads - Has subtlety really died?

While it seems that yes okay the German Sprite 'BJ ad' was in fact a fake, and was pulled from every possible source within hours of the blogs going crazy for it, some brands out there still choose to go down the route of 'suggestive' content. Here are a couple of recent examples which are about as subtle as the Diesel XXX Party Viral released for their 30th birthday last year.



Pic 1 - Guss Pickles advert



Pic 2 - BK 7 Incher advert


So is subtlety really dead, or do some brands generally think that people these days are too busy to 'get it' when they put together an advert of risque innuendo and cunning imagery/ wordplay. Personally I think it's a case of good old attention grabbing, which is fine, but I do think there is a time and a place for it (selling a pickle emporium in a way which looks like a cut scene from the Incredible Hulk not being one of them).