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

That bloody Shreddies ad is back, I hate that with a passion, not because it suscribes to the theory that knitting is a hobby for old ladies only but it also keeps up old theory's that all Nanna's are batty old ladies. My Nan was out everyday either doing her shopping, at bingo, at the derby and joan club or with the WVS. She swore like a trooper and could still fetch my dad a clip round the ear in her 80's, she finally had to go into a home at 92 after a fall, but she's still as strong and still swearing like a trooper

There are a number of ads on TV that annoy me at the moment:

1. The one for SwiftCover to take care of your valuable documents. They have an aging has-been (Iggy-Pop, but I had to check that) telling you that paying SwiftCover to take care of your documents allows you to have a life. I have a better idea - put the documents somewhere safe and secure, save the money and still have a life.

2. Nivea SOS hand lotion. It starts with a pretty woman admiring how lovely her *right* hand looks - note the plain ring on the third finger. This then becomes her left hand - note the identical ring on the third finger. Great continuity (I don't think!)

3. Some colour-catching sheets you put in the washing machine to prevent colours running from one item into another. (Can't remember the name, sorry.) It's not the product I object to - they probably work. It's the fact that the manufacturer can't be bothered to make the ad in English. It's so obviously dubbed from a foreign language that I won't buy the product on principle.

eat up, we`ll knit more.......

Seriously, have the ad men taken a look out there, there are a lot more young(er) knitters out there than your average batty Nanna, and if you look at a Shreddie, it's more crochet than knitting and the needles they use are FAR too big.

You can tell I'm a knitter can't you

... Oh ever so slightly.

"<>

I think it's a similar tactic to that used by DFS, et al: assume people are stupid and make the numbers sound smaller."

In theory true.

But aren't there psychology studies that show if you gave people the choice of:

a) flight lasting 3hrs90
b) flight lasting 4hrs30

that people will tend towards option a, even though the two are the same?

Well the advertising people probably know full well that they have fudged the numbers, it just annoys me that they do.

I'm a little concerned about how long it's taking to get to Mallorca. BA gets there in around 2½ hours.

RF

Yes I was wondering about that. I flew to the Canaries quicker than they appear to be getting to to the Western Med.

I might be remembering the destinations wrong. Besides, they weren´t flying from the UK.

Fluffylump: Believe it or not there are people out there that have knitted a Shreddie just to prove a point

I haven't seen an advert that warrants a comment lately since they are all
just pants.
Mind you if I see one more DFS advert I think I will gouge out my eyes and
pour molten lead in my ears.

Well, the chances of seeing Land Of Leather adverts has been drastically reduced: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?850_jobs_at_risk_as_store_calls_in_administrators&in_article_id=472750&in_page_id=34

RF

The new More Than ads are beginning to get on my wick now, the 70's, Barry White stuff is embarrassing to say the least

I want a knitted shreddie now!

it's easier to crochet one actually

Ok, there are a few new sinners on the cards.

The Sun advert using a Depeche Mode track. Seems the alternates of the 80's are now the sell-outs of the 00's.

And those idiots advertising the 25th anniversary re-release of "Now Thats What I Call Music 1". Utter twats. You don't need to use 1, it was the 1st, we know it was the 1st because it didnt have a number, the one after it was 2 so it was obvious. Even the idiot journalist on Channel 5 made the same mistake. Seems you need to have no knowledge to be a Channel 5 reporter then?

<<"<>

I think it's a similar tactic to that used by DFS, et al: assume people are stupid and make the numbers sound smaller."

In theory true.

But aren't there psychology studies that show if you gave people the choice of:

a) flight lasting 3hrs90
b) flight lasting 4hrs30

that people will tend towards option a, even though the two are the same?>>

I'm not sure what you're getting at with your "in theory... but...", you've just made the same point I did except with an example.

You said "assume people are stupid" ... I'm saying that while that seems true, I don't think it is actually stupidity.

I think that it's 'inbuilt' psychology that causes even the most level-headed people to still lean towards the smaller number.

Talking of getting it wrong ... "Even the idiot journalist on Channel 5 made the same mistake. Seems you need to have no knowledge to be a Channel 5 reporter then?" ... Channel 5 rebranded as Five in 2002!

As for "Now 1" (or whatever it is) ... there's one big problem ... while the majority of the tracks are listenable, I really can't imagine wanting to hear them more than once ...