Invasive Advertising

So here I am in a public restroom, struggling with my coat, purse, and gloves, trying not to drag my scarf in the toilet, which I'm sure houses an entire galaxy of germs. I finally manage to wrap the scarf halfway around the top of my head, get my purse hung haphazardly on the wiggling hook inside the door, manage to get myself somewhat seated and- I make eye contact with some tanned young man.
No, there's not a co-ed bathroom at the Mexican restaurant. Instead, there's an advertisement for someone's travel agency. The guy who runs it obviously decided it would help increase his business if potential customers can spot him walking down the street. Or peeking into their bathroom stalls.

Now, being in retail myself for many years, I can thoroughly appreciate a good advertising opportunity when it comes around. Bathroom advertising, my friend, is not good. Sure, they tell you that you've got a captive audience. What better to do than read some text while relieving oneself? Far better than making conversation with the person in the next stall. But, are you really going to develop lasting business relationships with people who are frantically scrambling for toilet paper.
I don't think I could ever look that tanned young man in the eyes and tell him about my interest in a trip to Madagascar. Not after he watched me go to the bathroom. His pleasantly smiling face invaded my personal space, you see, causing me discomfort and insecurity. When one has a slightly embarrassed memory of an establishment, it is not necessarily an association that will trigger a desire to conduct business there.
On the flipside, there is an ad agency in Brazil that has come up with this exceedingly clever and much less invasive bathroom ad idea. This grabs the target market while they are perusing themselves in the mirror, washing hands, doing altogether less personal hygiene routines.
Some of you have seen, by now, this Clearasil pimple cleanser campaign. Utterly brilliant, it manages to get a message across by teetering on the fence between embarrassing and hilarious.

Our lives are being constantly bombarded by advertisements, some in the most intimate and offensive ways. I understand that corporations need to find ways to maximize their outreach to a target market, but the constant barrage of mental dross leaves a person feeling ragged, violated, and overwhelmed at the end of the day. As a businesswoman, I will do my best not to assail my current and future customers with invasive marketing techniques. I know that my work is good enough to carry my name into the world. And I'd rather be there in person to hand someone the toilet paper.