h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I hate the ad for 'Use your head, become a teacher' that's showing in the UK.

It seems to imply to me that the only smart people around are teachers, and everyone else is thick and stuck in a job they hate.

It's patronising to everyone else in the world! To me, if this is what my fellow teachers would be like they could stick it.

I never wanted to be a teacher anyway...

we've hated that one for a long time, I think it is a measure of how much I hate it is that it took about 10 showings before I could remember what it was it was advertising.

But lucky we don't (yet) have political ads in the UK - what are they like elsewhere - we've seen USA ones, but do political parties have TV adverts elsewhere in the world?

CHawke

I saw an advert earlier I actually liked and enjoyed watching. It was about a kid who had been run over and was watching all his family and friends. A bit 'ghosty' but good stuff.

What product was this advertising?

RF

The joy of life. The tormentation of having an abundant young life cruely plucked from the wonders of living.

I think.

There is one I really loathe, it's for PI helpline with that fat man with the stupid mustache and really dodgy eyebrows. When he trys to be all sympathetic I just want to reach through the screen and rip his eyes out, the evil, morality-deficient, money-grabbing piece of scum. (This may seem a little harsh but I really despise personal injury lawyers)

The one that I'm having problems with is the "First Alternative" the sister company to esure, The advert features Micheal Winner and a blond actress - now the problem is that my celebrity recognition is very bad, but in this case I am sure the woman is a known face, but have been assured by Mrs CH that she is an unknown.

Anyone out there recognise her?

Cheers

CHawke

Haven't read the backlog of this thread, but has anyone mentioned the various tv commercials in the States that introduce new pharmaceuticals, suggesting that you ask your doctor whether the drug is right for you, without giving any hint of what malady the drug is meant to treat? If you sat down to intentionally advertise to hypodchondriacs, these are the kinds of commercials you would write. Not just one product but several. Off the top of my head, I know Crestor and Nexium have run ads like that, probably many others.

Does the UK have more reasonable standards for advertising pharmaceuticals?

Yes. You can advertise "over-the-counter" products (painkillers like branded aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen; branded antihistamines, remedies for thrush, heartburn, diarrhoea etc.) There is no TV advertising for prescription medecines.

RF

Some time ago I complained about an advertisement for M&S (I think) low calorie ready meals, where a woman who *didn't* need to lose weight went on about how good they were in helping her to lose weight. There's another, similar ad that does the same thing. It's the one for SlimFast Ready Meals. I'm not saying the woman in the ad is as thin as a rake, but she doesn't *need* to lose weight. Using women like this in ads like these is *not* good for women generally. It has no effect on me, but I'm sure there are women out there who are a reasonable weight and shape but become convinced they need to lose weight after seeing slim women advertising low calorie meals.

I suppose the advertisers believe that an overweight woman in these ads would leave the viewers wondering how good the product really is if the woman still looks like that. Mind you, I'm not convinced that these products are any good anyway. What the heck do SlimFast mean about the steady release of energy from their Ready Meals?

There's an ad running at the moment for the Renault Formula 1 team.

***WHY???***

It's not like you can pop down the shops and buy one, is it? What is the purpose of this advert?

RF

It always makes me laugh when adverts show the 'science department' of products. They are always staffed by very good looking people, all wearing white lab coats, and all wearing glasses.

Ah yes, scientists from central casting! There was a company that spoofed this once on their ads (for kitchen electrical products, I seem to remember, where all the boffins for the company had abnormally large foreheads because their brains were so big! I think it was for Tefal? (There you go, product recognition after 15 years!)

The annoying pseudo-science that is used to promote women's anti-wrinkle creams...don't get me started!

Women and science, its bound to go wrong.

The bit I always find funny about thos skin cream ads is they completely white out the face with light and then challenge you to spot wrinkles when you can barely make out the shape of their face

Researcher PSG

Is *that* how they do it?

I really hate the "Spirito di Punto" Fiat ads. Advertisinglandboyfriend and advertisinglandgirlfriend having an argument about driving whilst driving away from an erupting volcano. Stopping in the middle of the road and saying "well, *you* drive then". Deeply annoying.

RF

There was a science sendup one for Ariel some years ago, wasn't there? it had Paul Merton, possibly, and some 'pouting lovely' and a scientist falling over in the background after slipping on one of those stick and ball models. And identical twins, one of whom aged tragically because she did not use the soap.
I'm not looking forward to more educational Ronald McDonald appearances.

I really don't understand the current 'talk to Frank' advert where a mum sits down to talk to her son about drugs and is promptly hauled off by the police. We are told you can talk to frank, surely it would be ideal if families felt comfortable and able to discuss issues amoungst themselves? There is a comment that 'drugs are illegal, talking about them isn't, talk to Frank' which is a very garbled message, on the one hand the pictures suggest talking within your family is bad, the first part of the comment contradicts this then reinforces it by saying you should talk to someone else about drugs.

Why are govt campaigns always so rubbish?

Hi Kelli,

I think it's meant to be ironic; you wouldn't expect to be raided by the police just for talking about drugs to your family so why don't you do it? It gets confusing because it's also advertising the 'Frank' helpline where you can get advice on how to deal with the subject.

On a similar note; why are people suddenly being arrested (in a Piriton ad) for having hayfever?

F

Hi Fathom *waves*

I'm sure it is meant to be ironic, I just don't think it is very clear in getting the message across. I think I'd feel happier if they put more emphasis on the fact that you can and should discuss issues like drugs - not necessarily only with 'Frank'. It just sends a very mixed message IMO.

Still, as I am old enough to find my own info and not old enough to have kids dealing with these issues then maybe it don't like this ad because it isn't aimed at me