Ad of the Week: Oat Cult’s porridge orgy is amusing and disturbing

Oat Cult’s debut ad – which riffed bleakly on folk horror motifs – apparently tested “woefully” on System1’s ranking methodology.

But the brand has doubled down with its new ad, which remains deeply distinctive in a category usually dominated by messaging about health, satiety and warmth.

Instead, starkly beautiful black & white photography transports us to Friuli, in what is now Italy, in 1539. A small child searches for his lost dog… which is claimed by a pulsating hole in the ground. In return, it belches up rich deposits of porridge.

“Tiramisu,” he murmurs, running off to alert his elders. We’re soon party to a disturbing, rather graphic orgy of spurting oats and morally dubious sacrifices… in contrast to the present day, where of course no offerings need be made for a bowl of ‘overnight’ goodness.

It’s bold, it’s amusing… and its creators might benefit from some serious Freudian analysis. It should also ensure Oat Cult’s last ad isn’t bottom of the System1 chart any more.