Pardon me … do you have any sophistication? Grey Poupon wants to know as it returns to mass-market advertising for the first time in 15 years—with a campaign from Crispin Porter + Bogusky themed "Spread good taste." A major part of the initial work is a Facebook campaign that allows only "classy" people to like the brand's Facebook page. "Fans of the brand are asked to apply for membership to the Society on the Grey Poupon Facebook page, where an algorithm will then determine whether or not they 'cut the mustard,' " the brand says. As always with these things, the algorithm is murky—and surely more than a little fallible. But it's the thought that counts. The brand says the algorithm "will search and judge users' profiles based on their proper use of grammar, art taste, restaurant check-ins, books read and movie selections, to name a few. If the algorithm detects poor taste in music or TXT speak, for example, they could be rejected for membership. Those who do not qualify in the upper percentile will have their 'like' deleted, and be asked to refine their profile before trying again." The brand is also now hosting its website entirely on Pinterest, to "spread good taste to the masses with Pinterest boards that range from refined recipes to tasteful tips on enjoying the finer aspects of life." It's a fun idea overall, even if it borders on parody. (It would be all but impossible to sell sophisticated mustard with a straight face these days.) I used the app and was deemed to have 87 percent good taste, which is enough for membership—and probably would have scored higher had I not gone and liked this.
Also: Check out this hilarious Grey Poupon story from 2008, illustrating the dangers of using its classic catchphrase flippantly.