Monday, July 19, 2010

Adwatch: I"m Just Cheese Life and style

It has to be Heinz ad

Well, hello, Word of Mouth, it"s been a while, but after a resting Yuletide roaming underneath the mistletoe with James Nesbitt (who wouldn"t?) and gorging on Sainsbury"s smoked salmon (who wasn"t?) Adwatch is back. Yes, it"s time once some-more to gnaw over the nation"s TV food advertising, spitting out the gristle as we go.

But, what"s this? Adwatch is confused. For, carrying consulted the records / YouTube, it is overcome by a bizarre equanimity. Rather than wishing to flow a bucket of bile on Shoreditch, Adwatch is suffused with comfortable - OK, temperate - feelings towards adland.

The reason? Sensing the discontented mood of the nation, the promotion "creatives" are unexpected favoring a some-more homespun, honest proceed to offered us stuff. To whit, "It Has To Be Heinz".

Now, if, as a food brand, you are going to loudly and publicly creed that you"re fondly woven in to the fabric of British life, it had improved ring true. It frequency does. Despite McDonald"s "Just Passing By" schmaltz, it stays loathed by a poignant minority of people. Likewise, Cathedral City. Well-crafted as the Pete Postlethwaite "A Slice Of Britain" ads are, it overplays the hand. Cathedral City might be the nation"s greatest offered branded cheese, but that doesn"t have it an iconic product. People who unequivocally caring about cheese will buy an workman cheddar. Everyone else buys whatever"s on suggest in the supermarket. As for those people who can"t live but Cathedral City ... well, have you ever met one?

Heinz, however, is a opposite matter. Just ask the University of Sussex"s Mindlab International, that at the back of in Oct resolved that, according to their "Comfort Index", beans-on-toast (1st) and chopped tomatoes soup (joint 2nd) are between Britain"s tip five joy foods. It"s propitious that they charted so rarely - after Heinz had commissioned the investigate - but, frankly, it usually reliable what we already know. It"s similar to Heinz ketchup: is there a less argumentative food product? Only a pretended simpleton with far as well most time on their hands (ie a chef) would have their own.

Fittingly, the "It Has To Be Heinz" ad plays on likewise incontrovertible truths. Yes, a chair necessity is unavoidable at Christmas. Yes, men are genetically automatic to rally around barbecues. Yes, your improved half will always, but fail, and to the outrageous and sour rancour of contributors to this blog - who ensure their food some-more closely than their own young kids - scrape your food, after observant they didn"t wish any. The bastards.

Morgan"s Spiced rum ad

This remarkable enterprise to show Britain as it is - flawed, somewhat ridiculous, happy to giggle at itself - is a bit of a thesis at the moment. I don"t rate Morgan"s chances of persuading British men to splash rum. However, their "Modern Adventurer" ad is a immeasurable alleviation on the common attempts to sell intoxicating beverage to men, ie funky, civil "guys", carrying funky, civil fun in a neutrally funky, civil bar. The conceit, that blokes forever mythologise their nights out, is clever, and deftly rendered and might nonetheless modify a couple of cultured drunks.

Aunt Bessies ad

If the Morgan"s ad chances the arm by kindly derisive the aim market, this Aunt Bessie"s ad is officious confrontational. They might not be celebration of the mass it in the opening shot, but we all know who those curtain-twitching old crones are meant to be, don"t we? Daily Mail readers. Who else would be so vicious of a operative mum? Frozen Yorkshire puddings are an aspersion to God of march - Adwatch would rather gnaw a slipper - but nonetheless, we"re right at the back of the new feminist Aunt Bessie.

McVities ad

Meanwhile, McVitie"s new ads (and who doesn"t similar to a McVitie"s digestive?) that all fool around similar to excerpts from Coronation Street - usually with wheat stalks rather than Norris and Rita - are the theme of peaceful entertainment at Adwatch Towers. The sub-Billy Liar / Elliot one, where the plain-spoken father is troubled by his son"s airy-fairy wholemeal ambitions, is quite good. However, nothing are as undisguised shining as this, done for les dunkers opposite the Channel.

Cheese strings ad.

"We don"t know to cook, but we have great biscuits." Adwatch loves that line. Although if it"s a catchphrase you"re after, Adwatch - with the full and outspoken subsidy of the editor, Susan Smillie - is putting the income on Cheesestrings. The people at the back of the ad might be unhappy that their joke on complicated airfield security / immigration mental disorder will go ignored and cheese snobs will despair, but "I"m usually cheese" will shortly be the catch-all avowal of ignorance from stadium to boardroom.

John Terry? He"s usually cheese. Bernie Madoff? He"s usually cheese. Tony Blair? He"s usually cheese. See? You"re feeling improved about them already, aren"t you? But what about Heinz: is it unequivocally the nation"s prime food label? Should that French McVities ad be eliminated to UK TV? And what food catchphrases have found traction in your house? No h8terz, plz ... I"m usually cheese.

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