Adverts that irritate and entertain

[woah]

If you live here in Sheffield you'll know that that First advert is about as realistic as pigs flying. Unless you live on a high frequency route expect a clapped out non-DDA bus, some of them up to 15/16 years old, turning up late in a cloud of smoke, and cooling fan running so loud that you'd expect the engine is melting! Even on the better routes which have more modern buses, you'll not find friendly service.

Stagecoach are generally better round this end with modern buses (we've just recieved some gimmicky but very nice Hybrid buses) but to be honest all these major bus companies are generally bad as each other, where one succeeds the other fails!

[Chris]

In a similar vein, the Halifax adverts do my nut in too. What is it with companies at the moment slaughtering good classics with their army of staff/actors?

Some of the songs are rather ironic - "I'll be there" - err, only if you're credit worthy or fit our profile!?

I'm sure those that are about to lose their house when having a mortgage from said bank will fail to be amused by the irony. So much for "I'll be there", but our bailiffs will...

[bilky asko]

If you live here in Sheffield you'll know that that First advert is about as realistic as pigs flying. Unless you live on a high frequency route expect a clapped out non-DDA bus, some of them up to 15/16 years old, turning up late in a cloud of smoke, and cooling fan running so loud that you'd expect the engine is melting! Even on the better routes which have more modern buses, you'll not find friendly service.

Stagecoach are generally better round this end with modern buses (we've just recieved some gimmicky but very nice Hybrid buses) but to be honest all these major bus companies are generally bad as each other, where one succeeds the other fails!

Stagecoach in Hull is a bit variable, but 99% of the buses on the shitely-named Frequento routes are only a couple of years old. For some reason, tickets are strewn everywhere as well.

EYMS is much better - drivers that aren't behind plastic shielding, drivers that don't rev to 20,000rpm for a movement of 30 yards, and comfortable and clean seats.

[Sput]

I see that the Nokia Windows Phone is already being advertised on the telly, and their advert makes use of the "word" "FUNNER".

Ugh.

[lukey]

I'm not really sure why MS (and their friends) seem to be surprised that WP7 is gaining little share when they completely refuse to actually market it on its own merits. As much as people may lambast Apple for their lack of transparency, at least they spend their 30 seconds showing people using their phone to, you know, do stuff.

WP7 actually has some decent selling points, and yet no-one will ever have a reason to find out about them. It's baffling.

[nidave]

I'm not really sure why MS (and their friends) seem to be surprised that WP7 is gaining little share when they completely refuse to actually market it on its own merits. As much as people may lambast Apple for their lack of transparency, at least they spend their 30 seconds showing people using their phone to, you know, do stuff.

WP7 actually has some decent selling points, and yet no-one will ever have a reason to find out about them. It's baffling.

MS have given HTC and Nokia a lot of money to advertise WP7 - They need to have a good campaign. Its been very lacking so far... I really liked the "I'm a pc and Windows 7 was my idea" ads.. it was parodied to death which I think shows its in peoples mind and will be remembered for a long time.

How may people know what you are talking about when you mention "its not just a carrot, its a supper orange, juicy succulent carrot." (or something like that)

[lukey]

The thing is, the whole 'I'm a PC' campaign was a bit of brand building to instil some confidence in the NORMAL PEOPLE who had heard Vista was shit and didn't know what to do with their pooter. I doubt though that they'd be rushing down to PC World to pick up a boxed copy of W7 - they'd still end up getting it with whatever PC they bought next.

I'm not sure that WP7 can sail by on any sort of high-concept campaign however, even if a lot of money's been thrown at it (as Nokia clearly are doing). The mobile market is insanely competitive, and fragmented, and especially a bugger for the likes of HTC who have a million Android phones all incrementally different from each other to market. This should, for Nokia, be pretty easy. They have the money to let the message penetrate that they have something different - there's no single stand-out WP7 phone to be up against so it's actually a chance to sell the platform, and perhaps that's the problem - despite being effectively bailed out by MS, I can understand their reticence about pushing someone else's OS more than their own device, having been so used to cornering both before.

There is a certain demographic of people I talk to who have *no idea* that WP even exists. Whatever message there apparently is, isn't getting through.

[woah]

Amazon knows brand names very well..

[scottishtv]

As if gravy paste isn't disgusting enough, how about having a congealed cow 'dancing' on your dinner table?



The 'I like the way you Moo' pun just tops off the awfulness.

For some reason this ad is on high frequency on the MTV channels, the obvious outlets for roast dinner cooking gravy lovers.

[Alexia]

I'm no veggie, but I'm not a big fan of animated animals advocating the consumption of their relatives.

[Sput]

That's why the laughing cow is so sinister when you think about it.