I can't believe it's not Einstein

So, imagine you're a prestigious university. You have to choose between telling a story about your ties to Albert Einstein, or telling a story about your ties to Smart Balance butter. Which do you choose?

Well, if you're Brandeis University, you choose both.

Here's the rationale from Brandeis spokeswoman Lorna Miles, as reported in the Boston Herald:

“We want to inspire students to ask questions and amuse them a little bit,” she says. “But it’s not going to please everybody.”

Now it's absolutely true that when you're striving to differentiate, you shouldn't try to please everyone. But there's a big difference between not pleasing everyone and doing something so convoluted that no one will like it.

You don't have to be Einstein to realize that this gem from Brandeis's "Smart from the Start" branding campaign is dead on arrival.

Hat tip: AdFreak