UK TV Adverts

[Mrgeebus]

I don't watch a lot of live TV, but when I do I've noticed a trend towards adverts really leaning into the cringe factor.

This, for example. Who does that convince to use their services?

Or this. "Jen?" (looks around, pauses), "for your birthday" (looks around, pauses), "let's go" (looks around, pauses), "GLAMPIIIINGGGGG". All in a way that does not resemble real life communication at all, and followed by a "comedy" montage of shitcunts falling on their arse in the mud, stepping in mud, and having frizzy hair.

I get that commercials are soulless desolate shite, but I could understand the psychology of selling that was being used. These seem more designed to say "our product is shite and only cunts will use it... COME ON DOWN".

Anyway, I've got clouds to shout at.

[Fambo Number Mive]

I think it's to make the product as memorable as possible. If an ad is really weird and annoying its probably more likely to stay in people's minds.

[sovietrussia]

I think it's to make the product as memorable as possible. If an ad is really weird and annoying its probably more likely to stay in people's minds.

Spot on.  The idea being that the average punter is more likely to select something on the criterion of remembering the ad compared to competitors' less memorable (or non-existent) ads.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Radio ads are the most irritating for me, especially the ones where the terms and conditions are read really quickly at the end. It's annoying how brands get even more publicity in the media when ads are banned as well.

[BlodwynPig]

Why Ambassador, with this gubbins, you are really spoiling us.

[idunnosomename]

The "better get a Travelodge" is such a transparent attempt to get a phrase into the common lexicon, like "should've gone to Specsavers".

I saw a billboard for it that was "dad turned your old room into a GYM?". And just thought it was obnoxious. Oh great I have to visit my parents but theres nowhere to sleep so I need to pay you 100 quid for a bed for a night? Fuck off!

The other Tv ad which is possibly more obnoxious. It has a view of student life thats about as contemporary or accurate as Homer's insistence what '90s college is like.

Again, animal puppet delivers the slogan.

[Blumf]

The other Tv ad which is possibly more obnoxious. It has a view of student life thats about as contemporary or accurate as Homer's insistence what '90s college is like.

The thing to remember is that adverts are primarily selling themselves to 50-somethings in upper managment who commission the ads. Whether the ad actually sells anything to the consumer is secondary.

Once you view them through that lense, they start to make a lot more sense.

[idunnosomename]

these ads could easily have been made in the late 90s btw. big AROMATIC SPICES????! energy

[dontpaintyourteeth]

nice try but come on as if you wouldn't look for a premier inn first

[Blumf]

these ads could easily have been made in the late 90s btw. big AROMATIC SPICES????! energy

And what were 50-somethings up to in the 90s?

Ads targeted at people having a mid-life crisis, wishing thier uni days were back.

Does the ad sell to the customers? Who cares? The director of marketing signed the cheque!

[Uncle TechTip]

And what were 50-somethings up to in the 90s?

Ads targeted at people having a mid-life crisis, wishing thier uni days were back.

Does the ad sell to the customers? Who cares? The director of marketing signed the cheque!

Come on, that might hold for an individual campaign but the best ones are those that draw custom. Should've gone to Specsavers turned the couple who own it into millionaires. The business model was probably most important but making them the default place to go to for glasses was a very important second.

[Proactive]

Mere exposure effect innit.

[Lemming]

Radio ads are the most irritating for me, especially the ones where the terms and conditions are read really quickly at the end. It's annoying how brands get even more publicity in the media when ads are banned as well.

Radio ads are psychological torture because there always seems to be a set of about ten in rotation at any given time, which repeat fucking endlessly, sometimes the same one twice per ad break. They also seem to be written in a parallel universe where everything is even shitter than it is in reality.

There's one going around now where some chirpy bastard is lecturing the listener about giving up the priority seat on the bus if a disabled person walks on. Entirely reasonable message of course but fucking hell the guy's tone is so passive-aggressive and hectoring. "Let's pop out of our shells once in a while! Remember, it's everyone's journey!" It's accompanied with some brain-rotting acoustic background music too. I'm literally just sat at my desk with a drink, why am I being sneered at and talked down to by a disembodied voice. I never even sit in the pissing priority seat.

[jamiefairlie]

I don't watch a lot of live TV, but when I do I've noticed a trend towards adverts really leaning into the cringe factor.

This, for example. Who does that convince to use their services?

I wonder how many of those people later killed themselves and left a shame soaked letter, like that woman from the Shake n Vac advert did.

[Fambo Number Mive]

I suppose most people in adverts can't afford to turn down the work, but you do wonder if people who star in gambling, long haul holiday and car ads ever feel a little embarassed.

Must be annoying when you're having a rest in front of the TV and the advert you starred in comes on.

[Yussef Dent]

I suppose most people in adverts can't afford to turn down the work, but you do wonder if people who star in gambling, long haul holiday and car ads ever feel a little embarassed.

Must be annoying when you're having a rest in front of the TV and the advert you starred in comes on.

Lloyd Griffith did an ad for Ladbrokes and has expressed his regret on doing it a few times. He later fronted a documentary called Can You Beat The Bookies, a good watch which featured the bizarre world of courtsiding (people who go to tennis tournaments in far flung places of the globe, and look for umpires who are a bit slow at inputting the scores into their tablet. They relay the outcome of points via a voicecall on Facebook Messenger (the fastest software to make calls) before it reaches the betting site, which they can make hundreds of thousands of pounds from). He said even after doing the documentary which showed the gambling industry in a very negative light, he still received offers to do betting ads.

I occasionally see someone I went to school with pop up on adverts, quite funny seeing him on one for Screwfix using power tools as if he was a tradesman, which he certainly bloody well isn't.

I think I've mentioned it on here before but one thing that jars with me about radio ads is how they don't use the star of the TV ads for them, but a soundalike to save money. Vodafone radio ads weren't Idris Elba's voice, EE radio ads aren't Kevin Bacon's, Cinch radio ads aren't Rylan (there is a TV ad which has him in for a millisecond which isn't his voice as well).