"I think it would be hypocritical if people were treating this as very formal and officious and dignified. It's not. People all over the country, they gather and they eat and they drink and they have a big party."

Perhaps. But Youngren argued that there's a way to do advertisements that are fun or provocative, without violating people.

"There's a way to do it right," he said. "I've both participated in and admired edgier campaigns. But you have to have your audience in mind. The product or service you're advertising has to lend itself to a more aggressive, push-the-envelope message. And you have to be careful that you're in the best context to exhibit the message."

Greg Schirf, president of Utah Brewers Cooperative and managing partner of Wasatch Beers, said there is a fine line between edgy and too edgy. Schirf may be Utah's edgiest advertiser, with his beer brands (St. Provo Girl and Polygamy Porter) and ad campaigns (which included the "Nice Cans" ad).

"There's never a lot of value in offending anybody," Schirf said. "Though some people may find this hard to believe, we try to exercise caution and err on the side of good taste."

Schirf said the company goes through an extensive research process, employing focus groups and soliciting lots of feedback, before it launches an ad.

"Our biggest objective, as a small company, is to get people thinking and talking about our ads but to do it in a way that's not pejorative," he said.

The bottom line, according to Youngren, is that good advertising is good because it is smart — it can be clever, it can parody, it can shock and push people's buttons. But, he said, it isn't base or tasteless.

"For anyone who tries to sell a product or service, the bottom line is that you're trying to get other people to go out and buy the product or service," he said. "If you're offending people right off the bat, you're not doing your job."

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Contributing: Los Angeles Daily News

E-mail: jnii@desnews.com