(Burger) King of the Patronisers

 
Grrrr. I have been just itching to get on my keyboard and give this advert the thrashing it needs - McDonalds’ latest patronising piece of screen drivel. Arrrghhh! This one bugs the sh*t out of me. McDonalds’ ads seem to raise the bar in being irritating and patronising.

This one opens on a council estate juxtaposing the life of a lone elderly white man* with a young black teen who both live on the estate. Starting with the opening bars of the “yute’s” drum and bassy tune contrasted with the old boy’s jazzy big band sound, we see the young man’s trousers hanging off the edge of his bum revealing his pants, as the old man’s  shown securing his high-waisters in place with braces. This tedious and predictable juxtaposition goes on for a while, with a feeling that it is trying to fool the viewers into thinking thinking are we heading into Harry Brown territory (salt of earth old man type terrorised by young gang), or at the very  least demonstrate a cultural gulf and incomprehension between the two men. Then, lo and behold, in their local Maccy D’s in the shadow of the estate the two men’s eyes lock and they connect in a “Aw. We’re not so different after all” moment as they notice they are both tipping their chips into the burger box. “We’ve all got MacDonald’s in common” is the irritating tagline. Arrrrghhhhh!!!!! Why, oh, why is this so irritating and patronising? Is it the corporate rendition of youth culture and old fashioned values? Is it the glib message:  Maccy D’s the ultimate leveller? Whatever it is, it reaches a new all-time low. It could be used as mental torture at Guantanamo. It’s like the advertisers are those idiot aliens from the Argos ads trying to pretend they are just like us, one of us,  and trying to pull off a convincing yet ultimately pathetic illusion.

*Just as a side gripe, the man they have chosen to be the old duffer looks about 2- 3 decades too young for the clothing and music era they seem to want him to illustrate – in other words a sixty something inhabiting an octogenarian World War two vet’s world.

A little credit

Please excuse the delayed reaction, but one advert that DFWMF has been meaning to comment on for a while is 

TalkTalk 'model Britain' by CHI & Partners.  Every now and then an advert comes along that, whilst maybe not breathtaking or earth shattering in its take on trying to sell us goods, is just darn sweet. And this advert is a case in point. So here's a little credit due to this ad's miniature world. Set on a wintry British eve in a model village which comes to life, it  follows the journeys home of average (miniature) Britons who then curl up with their loved ones by the cosy glow of the tv.  With the addition of the decidedly so uncool it's cool soundtrack of John Denver's Annie's song, this advert has the cosy factor like a cup of hot chocolate or a buttery piece of toast. I’ve always loved model villages, dollhouses and all things teeny tiny so it’s no surprise that this ad struck a chord with me, however, I think this ad has fairly universal appeal. Whilst on the teeny weeny front I was quite thrilled to discover this ad was filmed at Bekonscot model Village – a favourite childhood (and adulthood, if I’m being honest) destination.

I even thought that the mixed race couple was rather sweet and almost progressive in an age when despite its normality it’s still fairly rare to see a mixed race couple on Tv. Though this clearly still doesn’t please everyone, as one online commentator swiped that no doubt the mixed race coupling of the ad was “a white woman’s ideal” and bemoaned the absence of a black female. Well, in a brief snapshot they've done quite well to represent different cultures and Britons on the whole here.   But I guess you can’t please everyone! Where's the gay couple? ( Out on the town? They only stay in for the Great British Bake Off ) The lesbians?  (Out at an antenatal class?) The eastern european immigrants? (Out at the second of their 3 jobs?)  What else can we have a dig about here? Well, I suppose it’s pretty middle-classed in its representation of “model” Britain. Sure, the black guy looks like he lives in potentially a council tower block, there’s a street sweeper and a fisherman, but on the whole it’s a very middle-class Britain represented.  I guess it would lose the cosy factor by showing desolate local high streets with a multitude of closed down independent shops punctuated by thriving bookies, their desperate clientele puffing on fags outside, whilst their debt broken families at home stare at the empty space where the tv once was,  menacing looking sink estates, or park benches full of drunk homeless Eastern Europeans. Then again, that rather sounds like a model village I'd like to go and see! 

 

  

Soaring Above the Commission

This advert 'Just Another Day' for the Post Office is really well shot and edited, but the crown jewels, the element that turns something bordering on ordinary into something sublime, is the music. A beautiful, haunting piece created by Soundtree Music specially for the advert. This music is so moving and powerful, turning the mundane into the majestic, you could almost forget it was someone trying to sell us something for a moment, and bask in the poignancy of our every day lives. Kudos to all those involved at Soundtree; a truly powerful piece

When the Seduction Falls Flat

We know that adverts are supposed to seduce and present a glamorous and unreal version of our reality but sometimes the enticing set-up they have so beautifully put together falls apart when it comes to the product they are trying to pass off as fitting this beauteous scenario.  Our suspension of disbelief is totally destroyed by the arrival of a crappy product. Like watching a prima ballerina give her crotch a good scratch in the middle of Swan Lake.

The case in point here is this lovely scenario...Twilight at a beautiful coastal crofter’s cottage. This is the sort of romantic rural escape that so many of us dream of; all olde worlde simplicity and hand crafted furniture. A phone call signals unexpected guests. We glimpse a faithful family mutt sticking its head out of a car’s window as the car wends its way along the rugged landscape. The cottage inhabitants prepare to make the visitors welcome with an impromptu feast. Rugs and wool blankets are grabbed, a rustic table is held aloft and carried outside and a fire is lit, as a night time alfresco feast is prepared to be served in the chilly night air. How welcoming.  How enticing.  You want to be there. And what delights can we expect at this sumptuous and romantic feast...?

A nice, watery bowl of canned soup.

Now, I have nothing against Baxter’s soup; they’ve got me through many a lunch time.  They have a wholesome appeal and are a relatively healthy and low calorie choice, but if I’d slogged hours in the car to join friends at their charming cottage and delightful night-time picnic I’d be pretty disappointed to receive a watery bowl of tinned soup. Ooh, they push the boat out with a whole tin each! Tightwads. Won’t be staying with them again.