Ad Break #17 Ridiculous 5G Graham

First Choice- “Ridiculous”

You know how on holiday you sometimes see Queen Cleopatra feeding prawns to a dummy that looks just like her? Well, it is now represented in a great new ad from holiday company First Choice. Part of TUI, they were previously known for offering all- inclusive deals covering all costs including meals and drinks but have now repositioned themselves as a low-cost holiday provider. The ad focusses on that low price and starts conventionally with a sunbed reclining couple commenting on how cheap their holiday was. “It’s ridiculous!” says the wife. Cue a succession of `ridiculous` sequences.  A boy blows a blast of sound from a conch causing doves to fly outwards; a man rises out of the swimming pool playing a drum kit made of water melons. A woman dressed as Cleopatra feeds prawns to a ventriloquist’s dummy version of herself while something is carried by a parrot in the background. A merman is shot out of a cannon; and two sumo wrestlers have a pillow fight while suspended in mid -air by helium balloons. All this takes place against the introduction to the old Tight Fit version of `The Lion Sleeps Tonight` It’s my new favourite ad!

The advert was directed by Djawid Hakimyar through Partizan and its creators Sophie Taylor and George Robb at VMLY&R `explained` how this set of bizarre images came about: “We went away, ate many cheeses, and dreamed up the idea: ‘Ridiculous deals need ridiculous adverts. Cleopatra used to be the Queen of Ancient Egypt so we thought there would be big PR value in getting her involved. Once she signed up, the merman, sumo wrestler and man made entirely of hair were literally biting our hands off to be in the ad. The music was key, too. We wanted something emotional, jolly and so nostalgic our gran’s would finally respect us. So that’s how Tight Fit ‘In the Jungle’ happened.” A First Choice spokesperson said the company “is all about fun and embracing life to the full and this ad creative, alongside the memorable music which takes us back to childhood, captures this sense of euphoria. First Choice has always been a bold, confident, innovator with a swagger and sense of humour and fun. Our new ad embodies all of those qualities whilst highlighting our new low-cost package holiday brand proposition.” Queen Cleopatra added; “Actually I don’t much care for prawns.”

EE - 5G

You have to marvel at the inventiveness of EE who have wrung multiple scenarios from the idea of Kevin Bacon advertising their service. After a rather unsettling one in which he appeared to lurk in a chip van and grab unsuspecting members of the public to extol the excitement of 5G, Kev is back on safer ground this time round in a new advert launched this month and produced by Saatchi and Saatchi. Sporting nreal glasses he invites us to witness the world’s first augmented reality, multi-location gig over 5G staged at Birmingham New Street station on 28 November last year and watched `as real` by people in two other stations. The glasses used come from a Chinese company and superimpose computer generated graphics over real world views. To work they require a tethered connection to an Android phone and the images produced cover a 52 degree horizontal viewing field. Or something like that.

So as Bastille perform their hit `Pompeii`,dancers and animations of Yeti appear around them and if people are wearing those glasses they can see it as if it was right in front of them. “It’s like you’re there” Kev chips in as he mingles with the crowds. EE said the advert, made by Saatchi & Saatchi London, “highlights the benefits that 5G brings to customers by providing fantastic connections even in the busiest places like train stations.” There is no explanation for the Yeti.

Rightmove - “Graham!”

Poor old Graham. 160 years old and doomed to spend his days endlessly trudging up and down the stairs at the unending whim of his unseen wife. In this long running advert that will seemingly never go away we see him carrying all manner of items upstairs at the behest of Mrs Graham who remains a voice alone. Then he suddenly fades out and we’re thinking- “He died… It was all too much.” Another family moves in whose baby makes his way toward that same staircase. It would be a good gag to then have the woman’s voice call out “Graham!” as the baby starts to climb. Instead the advertisers know what we’ve been thinking so feel obliged to show us Graham is thankfully still alive and now in a new bungalow yet still being interrupted by his missus’ calls for help. Is she building a nuclear reactor?!

Launched way back in December 2017, created by Ryan Newey and Lucy Aston at Fold7 and directed by Dom & Nic through Outsider it must now be one of the longest running ads of recent vintage and is supposed to reflect the changes in life as people move on. You have to say that this chap doesn’t seem to win much of a change even when they do move. At the time of its launch Iain Kennedy, head of marketing at Rightmove, said: "Our website helps millions of home-owners and home-hunters make the next step as life moves on, whether that means relocating, down-sizing or getting the keys to your first home.” Actor Gareth Gwynn Jones plays the harassed Graham and the music is Sam and Dave’s `Hold on- I’m Comin`.

"##''@@@ Off! I'm going to the pub"