Worst TV adverts of the moment

The Clarks ad on uk tv that is trying far too hard to be wistfully twee with a catchy indie song a-la the sonybravia or tmobile ads. It Fails.

>The new Skechers advert. Sweet christ

OTM. Both of these ads (ie. mens and womens ranges) are of a quality that could be knocked up by three drunks with a camcorder in an afternoon. Given the size of the Skechers brand it boggles me that their marketing have actually okayed them. Also, those skechers are *hideous*.

That Tesco ad is a satire on ridiculous product placements in dramas.

So, I vote it OK.

aren't the Skechers ads meant to be deliberately/ironically naff? i haven't seen the latest ones tho

Fair enough, but do they have to be on all the time? So she's lost the folder with all the kids' photos? So as the kids were born before the advent of the digital camera, this means she must have digitised the originals and then BURNT THEM. Evil bitch.

no wai she had a cannon ion 640x480 greyscale and all.

The new one where he drops his trousers and she ignores him and carries on talking to her friend on the phone is the oddest yet.

The Bianca Jackson Five will be the year's biggest selling single.

Sketechers need to go back to being advertised by Christina Aguilera in PVC.

the energy drink commercial that promises "zero sugar." zero is a number; it is not grammatically the same as "no." it's like saying "two sugar."

signed,
one pedant

Somerfield!

one is also a number. You can say "one sugar" right?

if you're in a greasy spoon!

Irrationality annoyed by the advert for the film "21", bit where they says "Taken from the true story." ... uhhhhhhhhhh, are you going to end that sentence? ... so... like, the true story.... what true story?... the true story?... the only one ever?... or the only one that has mattered in the lives of millions in the past few years, that I am some kind of inadequate for not being familiar with?... that true story?... The True Story?

oh you know, *that* true story - a man goes to vegas and wins money on black jack. oh *that* one.

and Cadbury's have annoyed me yet again with their new 'oh look we're being clever and not referring to our product, OH BUT LOOK THE SKY IS PURPLE' airport racing advert.

but the trouble is, the advert itself is very very boring.

(Queen song is the only redeeming feature)

After seeing Highlander again recently I would like to see more adverts & movies featuring "Princes of the Universe". Best film beginning EVER

What a boring choice of song.

I was hoping for "The Lone Ranger" by Quantum Jump.

Any advert with Samuel L. Jackson in it is annoying

Also fed up hearing Judi Dench selling stuff

An old gripe, but Tesco "Every little helps" catchphrase: every little WHAT helps WHOM???

"Money" and "Tesco" of course.

Dairy Milk ad is a hit with me purely for the AIRPORT VEHICLES ARE AWESOME angle

i went out and bought several this morning

one is also a number. You can say "one sugar" right?

If you treat 'sugar' as a countable noun (where it's short for 'one spoonful of sugar' or 'one lump of sugar') then they should really be saying "Zero sugars".

u bought several airport vehicles this morning?

Also hate "... why go compare somewhere else?" I wouldn't "go compare" anywhere, thank you very much.

All Direct Line Insurance slo-mo Zabriskie Point ripoff ads.

the energy drink commercial that promises "zero sugar." zero is a number; it is not grammatically the same as "no." it's like saying "two sugar."

signed,
one pedant

We need a zero tolerance policy against this kind of thing.

isnt that an FDA thing, where they can say "zero," but not "no"?

like its a small enough amount to technically qualify as "zero," like with trans fats

All Direct Line Insurance slo-mo Zabriskie Point ripoff ads.

Yes, horribly pretentious and grating.

I love the EastEnders Bianca Jackson Five ad/promo, but everytime I watch it I'm heart-broken when Phil fails to add a 'tell me that you love me' (or somesuch) when he walks past. It's just as the music pauses for a split second and would have ruled so much.

Personally I'm heartbroken that Phil fails to open fire with his Kalashnikov on the lot of them when he walks past but that's just me.

I would take even Sheila's Wheels over Biancacophonix. Mercy.

Ever so slightly off-topic (esp as I haven't seen it advertised), but Cadburys Flake Dipped would appear to be the exact same product as Cadburys Twirl. After emailing Cadburys to ask if this was the case, this is the totally enlightening response:
----
Cadbury Flake Dipped has been launched in response to requests from
Flake consumers for a form of their favourite bar that they could
enjoy whenever and wherever they are. The Flake Dipped product was
designed to meet their needs, with a light and delicate centre that
crumbles with every bite. Flake consumers are commonly female, 18-50,
who are looking for an indulgent treat.

Cadbury Twirl was launched in 1987. Its densely compacted centre and
twin-fingered format suit its role as a chocolate energy hit. It has
its own set of loyal consumers, who are often young males, under 30,
who are typically looking for a product that gives them the energy to
keep going through the day.

Extensive consumer research was undertaken to investigate the role of
these chocolate products, and this demonstrated that the two products
appeal to two different types of consumers and each of these is
looking for a different chocolate experience. Many consumers are
aware that both these products exist, but few regularly buy both.

Cadbury is committed to offering consumers a choice of products, and
both Twirl and Flake Dipped products will continue to be available
from a wide range of retailers.

We do value feedback and comments from our consumers and I have
passed your comments onto the Flake Brand Manager for his information.
------

Eh?

haha

I'll never understand the gender-based marketing of chocolate.

It's like Sheila's Wheels.

They want to attract women car drivers, as they have been seen to be both the most careful drivers, and more likely not to claim on insurance for smaller accidents.

But they aren't allowed to only accept female applications, that'd be sexist.

So, they make a product that is unattractive to boy racers.

Respect to Cadbury's for being so candid.

You should read David Foster Wallace's short story about confectionery market research.

I wonder if the person who responded with the email talks like that in real life?

Clearly they see language as a tool.

But they aren't allowed to only accept female applications, that'd be sexist

They aren't? What about Diamond and other insurers where that was an explicit condition of their cover?

Well, OK I was assuming...

But the ads don't exactly say "only girls", in fact they suggest that an okker in a pink dress could pass muster...

Mark how does this model translate to chocolate tho?

Well, to attract women, make something that appeals 'exclusively' to women, and vice versa. Men get attracted to 'masculine' chocolate, and vice versa. Whereas both men and women don't get as attracted together to 'neuter' chocolate.

Well, you asked.

We now need to apply genders to Britains fave chocolate products.

Malteasers - Female
Snickers - Male

etc

The VW ad that has the guy using his keyless remote to scare a couple away from the car he's already bought is my latest hate-on ad.

WTF with all these ads where the main message is "people who buy/use this product are repulsive jackasses?"

Crunchie, female
Toffee Crisp, male (and a scruffy one at that)

WTF with all these ads where the main message is "people who buy/use this product are repulsive jackasses?"

Think there's a simple demographic answer to this one.

hooray