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'Creative Review' magazine has its annual design awards issue at the moment (it's well worth the £5 for a couple of hundred pages of lovely things). The most striking trend is that the Peter Kay John Smith's ad cleaned up in pretty much every department -in advertising anyway.

(This is by the by, but this sweeping of the board is, in my eyes, the triumph of geezaesthetics - article coming soon, honestly)

This got me thinking about how advertising has changed over the last 10 years - from the late 80s/90s when the CR people were probably celebrating beautifully art-directed yuppie dream loft conversion/50s soul soundtracked confections. Does the change in the taste of advertisers reflect a change in the fantasies of consumerism? ie are we less aspirational consumers in the 21C? Or just more wised up to it all, less willing to take things straight? (I know that beer ads have always been fairly geezy, what's interesting is that the edgy people who make ads haven't always chosen to celebrate this as the pinnacle of their art.)

This thread was also partially inspired by the ad that was in the final break of the Man Utd/Real Madrid Game just now - possibly the most beautiful I have ever seen - for the Honda Accord. For roughly two minutes the mechanical bits and pieces which comprise the car are arranged so as to trigger a convoluted domino effect. It's like 'The Great Egg Race' with art direction by Marcel Duchamp. So you can just talk about beautiful ads you have loved if you want to, too.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 20:10 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread was also partially inspired by the ad that was in the final break of the Man Utd/Real Madrid Game just now - possibly the most beautiful I have ever seen - for the Honda Accord.

Miss P and I were knocked out by that too - if it was a piece of CGI (and surely some of it was), it had just enough ineffable slowness to suspend disbelief. And the tag line - "Don't you love it when things just...work?"

My current favourite campaign is the 118-118 cheap directory enquiries service - not so much the TV ad, but the gobsmacking oddness of the Tube posters. The one where the Dave Bedford-a-likes (atop cloned bodies) shovel takeaway grub into their mouths as they pound through some dusky industrial wasteland is a glorious thing. I'm sure it's a nod to some artwork or other I'm too ignorant to recognise.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

man i have to see this Honda ad, my brother had remarked earlier 'that is a very good advert' but i missed it

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Heh, I saw this thread title and thought: "that *has* to be about the Honda ad that was on last night"

(although I hasten to point out that I wasn't watching the football. it was a great advert, though.)

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 09:02 (twenty-two years ago)

The Honda advert is great, yeah. It's just when the music kicks in as well. Is it "Good Times" or "Rappers Delight", anyway?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 09:08 (twenty-two years ago)

If you have a fancy computer you can see the ad we're raving about here: http://www.honda.co.uk/newcars/accord.html

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 09:10 (twenty-two years ago)

My pooter isn't fancy *sob*

― smee (smee), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 09:13 (twenty-two years ago)

When it was on the other day we all stopped to stare at the beautiful advert, it filled a whole ad break in the grand prix. Marvellous stuff.

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

You'll just have to watch TV continuously until it comes on then.

(tip: don't watch a BBC channel, because it might take a while)

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 09:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Saw this last night for the first time. It's like rilly rilly gorgeous, but I couldn't have told you what make of car it was for 5 seconds after watching it. So pretty, but dud as brand-entrenchment as far as I'm concerned. They should have used Little Honda by Yo La Tengo as the music, hee hee.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 09:18 (twenty-two years ago)

My flatmate works for Honda and says there was no CGI used (the wheels going up the ramp are counterweighted) although it was something like take 1000 before they got it right. You can also watch it here.

― Alfie (Alfie), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 09:22 (twenty-two years ago)

First time I've seen this happen for an ad - the pub I was in last night, everybody stopped talking and watched the screen, increasingly gobsmacked as the ad went on. Silence punctuated by the odd ooh and aah. (Then everyone went back to talking about the match.)

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw the match, so why did I miss the advert? Am I such a fucking philistine that I simply didn't appreciate it? [sob]

― Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 10:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Okay, just watched it despite my non-fancy computer. Wow.

― Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 10:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I HAVE to see it! I will go on a TV marathon until it screens again....

― smee (smee), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm pretty sure there's a short version too, unfortuately. It starts from the exhaust pipe rolling, I think.

― Sam (chirombo), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 10:29 (twenty-two years ago)

THAT REALLY IS FUCKING AMAZING!

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 10:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah - I thought that was amazing too in the pub whilst drunk. It just goes on and on. Also a triumph of geezaesthetics.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh wow

― RickyT (RickyT), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm going to go see a film in the cinema JUST in the hope they will show this ad beforehand

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Does anyone know whether the new Honda (or any Honda for that matter) actually has windows that go down or up when you tap the glass? The reason I ask is that the only make of motor I know of that have this feature built in is Mercedes. How cheeky would it be to have someone else's car door in your beautifully-crafted advert?

― SittingPretty (sittingpretty), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 14:25 (twenty-two years ago)

This wa sthe part I didn't understand in the ad - but that is most illuminating. looks like they've nicked it.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

As the cylinder rolls towards the window it passes over two contacts on the plank. One triggers the indicater to flash, the other lowers the window.

― Alfie (Alfie), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah. Not cheeky at all then. Shame.

― SittingPretty (sittingpretty), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

There's one with Hector's House, but I don't like it.

The soundtrack to this thread is Denim's 'Tampax Ad'.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

oooh fajitas

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 20:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't seen this Honda ad yet, but last night I saw one for HP, one of those "we're in partnership with..." things. This one was Bang + Olufsen and the ad showed thigns happening with the soundwaves as visual liquidlike stuff flying off people and dogs and so on. Looked pretty damn cool.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

It was only after re-reading this that I realised that HP no longer means the sauce. [scratches head]

― Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i saw that too, just as i was getting up to get something and i stayed kind of craning my head at the TV until it was over even though the rest of my body was already turned around and headed into the kitchen - i usually hate all ads but the hEWLETT-pACKARD ones have been cool on their own merits, i think their other one was the mouse/cursor that picks up the thief by the scruff of his neck and drags him thru the air and into the back of the paddywagon, it was neato

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

MarkC - haha. Now I want to see HP sauce flying off of people and dogs and so on.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 10 April 2003 02:24 (twenty-two years ago)

The Honda ad is fantastic, pity they've got PJ O'Rourke in for the voiceover.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 10 April 2003 07:39 (twenty-two years ago)

his voice is fucking everywhere...i still resent British Airways for getting in him to say dumb things like 'you sunbathe in your clothes! your most popular dish is...curry?!'

i like the Hectors House adverts tho

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:25 (twenty-two years ago)

The ad was cool, but v similar to something i remember seeing years ago (probably on bbc2). the same 'chain reaction' thing with objects rolling into others, and at one point something being set on fire to burn through something and trigger something else. Sorry, my memory is v vague but anyone else remember this?

― liz (lizg), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh oh! I thought of another pretty ad: that one for funky (digital?) cameras with a voicover by some prissy woman explaining the way to take 'good' photographs, formal portraits and so on. The camera travels through these mad tableaux of people and objects that are kind of holographically presented, and have sexy smeared light running through them.

Saw the Honda one again last night, was thrilled by it again. Yum.

Ooh another Liz. Hello!

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Finally had a look at this advert using the Modern Webbynet as I can't be arsed to sit thru Coronation Street. It's really very well done. Reminded me of Rube Goldberg cartoons ("Device for Selling Honda Accords and Pleasing Viewers").

Can't believe it's really a single shot. Presumably a motion controlled camera and many takes stiched together?

― robster (robster), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:54 (twenty-two years ago)

still don't understand how the wheels going up the ramp work. it ruined it really.

― Fuzzy (Fuzzy), Thursday, 10 April 2003 09:59 (twenty-two years ago)

See upthread: wheels are counterweighted, which I take to mean that they have weights in the rims which are placed (very precisely) upwards and forwards with regard to the ramp at the start of the motion, but which then (thru tha FORZ UV GRAVITEE) impell the wheels up the ramp when they're jogged out of position. Engineer/conjuror to thread?

For me that kind of jiggery-pokery doesn't spoil it at all, it just brings home how carefully it's all bee set up. If it was CGI it'd be rubbish though.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 10 April 2003 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I came back from the loo just in time to catch the last 10 seconds last night. It's a conspiracy I tell ya!

― smee (smee), Thursday, 10 April 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I'll have to watch it again just to be satisfied.

― Fuzzy (Fuzzy), Thursday, 10 April 2003 11:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Oooh Liz, I love that camera ad too. I think it's for one of those super-hi-tech phones with cameras in.

― caitlin (caitlin), Thursday, 10 April 2003 13:01 (twenty-two years ago)

it has add n to [x] playing on it.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 10 April 2003 13:07 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

I finally got to see the full Honda ad (free DVD in the Guardian today!). It is amazing, though I hate the voiceover at the end (it is PJ O'Rourke, is it - thought so)

BUT CAN ANYONE HELP ME WITH SOMETHING?

Many years ago, certainly before 1993, because it was in my old home in Peckham, I was channel flicking on the TV and came across an absolutely stunning short film that was basically the same concept as the Honda ad. Not car parts, but just a load of things lying around a workshop, as I recall. But the same domino effect thing. I was bowled over, it stayed with me and I always wished I could watch it again.

Does anyone remember it or know anything about it? I think it was probably late 80s, though it may not have been new at the time.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 10 May 2003 23:55 (twenty-two years ago)

You have certain issues, it seems.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 10 May 2003 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Err - I mucked up the HTML, which is what Ned's post refers to. I have fixed it now.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 11 May 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I almost bought the guardian today.

: ((

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 11 May 2003 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Can't you download the ad with your whizzy broadband connection?

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 11 May 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

probably.

: ((

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 11 May 2003 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

You saw the link above, yes?

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 11 May 2003 00:06 (twenty-two years ago)

oh, yeah. dwnldd. super-lo-res.

getting a higher one from kazaa, I think.

shoulda bought the guardian, though, but didn't want to carry it all day.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 11 May 2003 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Nick: yeah, Honda blatantly ripped the concept for that ad from a couple of artists and hasn't admitted to it yet. I just heard their names, but I forgot 'em. Let me look around for a bit...

― Dan I., Sunday, 11 May 2003 00:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 139 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

robinson's squash = pikmin
life-sized car made out of cake = south park (devil's super sweet 16)

― Alan, Monday, 21 May 2007 09:49 (eighteen years ago)

I was tutting thru that cake advert about the waste of food. I'm entering dotage I think.

― Noodle Vague, Monday, 21 May 2007 09:51 (eighteen years ago)

I actually liked the new Honda advert, much as I like most Honda adverts, until I found out it was a Honda advert.

― Just got offed, Monday, 21 May 2007 09:53 (eighteen years ago)

"What If" is still unforgivable tho.

― Just got offed, Monday, 21 May 2007 09:54 (eighteen years ago)

the new audi(?) advert with the cgi ribbons is loverly too.

― koogs, Monday, 21 May 2007 10:27 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlagAOY7jlY - audi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrjfvA9M0JM - robinsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLv77vwD2ts - cake car (Skoda Fabia apparently!)

― koogs, Monday, 21 May 2007 10:39 (eighteen years ago)

i dunno what to make of these Volvic ads - talking volcano, Tyrannosaurus Alan etc.

― blueski, Monday, 21 May 2007 11:30 (eighteen years ago)

Great site here for TV ads - http://www.duncans.tv/

― Billy Dods, Monday, 21 May 2007 12:03 (eighteen years ago)

Cake car advert appeared on the telly the same week I bought my new Skoda Fabia, so now I look like someone who buys cars by the persuasive power of cake.

― ailsa, Monday, 21 May 2007 16:24 (eighteen years ago)

And you should be proud to be so.

― Mark C, Monday, 21 May 2007 17:03 (eighteen years ago)

"Baking Of" documentary here: http://www.newfabia.co.uk/

(new answers page really needs to be a bit longer, am fed up of search for threads i posted to yesterday)

― koogs, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 12:50 (eighteen years ago)

five months pass...

I love that Vodafone advert with Nancy Sinatra singing "The End". Life and love being pulled from under his feet every time, landing in a heap back at his office desk. I cried when I saw it in the cinema the first time! Actually the second time.

― Alba, Thursday, 1 November 2007 13:00 (seventeen years ago)

Except it's a lie! "Don't let work steal the best bits" then they try and sell you a device that let's you do work away from your desk in your spare time wtf

― ledge, Thursday, 1 November 2007 13:05 (seventeen years ago)

Oh yeah, well I don't pay too much attention to that. I had to rack my brains to remember what it was even for. But just as a 25 second piece of cinema it's terrific.

― Alba, Thursday, 1 November 2007 13:09 (seventeen years ago)

It is nicely done. They're sly, those lying liars.

― ledge, Thursday, 1 November 2007 13:09 (seventeen years ago)

Just repped it on the "Worst TV Ads" thread, but here's the Halo 3 commercial from a couple of months back. Very good indeed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvLqJA3A970

― Bill A, Thursday, 1 November 2007 13:12 (seventeen years ago)

Sorta Jake & Dinos Chapman thing going on there?

― Tom D., Thursday, 1 November 2007 13:15 (seventeen years ago)

Yes! I saw Hell at the Saatchi Gallery in County Hall a few years back and it came to mind immediately when I first saw the Halo ad. I like the stillness of it (which works so well with the gorgeous music) and the way it hinges on the final gesture.

― Bill A, Thursday, 1 November 2007 13:26 (seventeen years ago)

that vodafone one is lovely

― czn, Thursday, 1 November 2007 13:28 (seventeen years ago)

I still heart the cadbury's gorilla

― C J, Thursday, 1 November 2007 14:01 (seventeen years ago)

Yeah, that "The End" ad. Too true. the ending is nice too, you can keep the phone bit tho.

― Mark G, Thursday, 1 November 2007 14:06 (seventeen years ago)

I get a blackberry as of tomorrow :(

― Mark C, Thursday, 1 November 2007 14:17 (seventeen years ago)

Dow: The Human Element

― remy bean, Thursday, 1 November 2007 16:31 (seventeen years ago)

(same agency)

mercedes benz

― remy bean, Thursday, 1 November 2007 16:34 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

Web, not TV, but:

http://producten.hema.nl

(shown this at work today and think it's only been on Noise board here)

― Alba, Thursday, 7 February 2008 20:00 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

They did another funny one recently...

― czn, Thursday, 20 March 2008 15:40 (seventeen years ago)

I love that new Lynx advert with the people colliding. The execution of the *pooof* explosions is brilliant.

That Coke Grand Theft Auto one is another superbly realised idea.

― Alba, Thursday, 20 March 2008 15:51 (seventeen years ago)

And the newer Vodafone one with the the guy tap dancing to It Must Be Love is a little ikky but the girl in it is so cute I can forgive.

― Alba, Thursday, 20 March 2008 15:52 (seventeen years ago)

I seem to really like adverts these days.

― Alba, Thursday, 20 March 2008 15:53 (seventeen years ago)

I'm sure I said it on another thread, but I love the Lynx chocolate man advert and the singing-dog VW Polo ad.

In some ways, the little singing-dog is the only character I have ever really related to.

― czn, Thursday, 20 March 2008 16:41 (seventeen years ago)

I can gloss the sexism in the Lynx ad because its aspirational: I wish I walked around smiling all day long (and had a chocolate butt.)

― czn, Thursday, 20 March 2008 16:42 (seventeen years ago)

Ugh, that tap dancing Vodafone ad kills me. At the end I just want the girl to scream, 'YOU KNOW, YOU COULD JUST *SAY* YOUR SORRY INSTEAD!'.

― marianna lcl, Thursday, 20 March 2008 16:52 (seventeen years ago)

Any ad where they smash up a car in slo-mo. Gets me every time.

― Bodrick III, Thursday, 20 March 2008 16:54 (seventeen years ago)

Lynx ads getting love? mad world

― blueski, Thursday, 20 March 2008 18:27 (seventeen years ago)

Have you seen the colliding one, though? It's not in the usual "man attracts women" vein (though I like those ones too).

― Alba, Thursday, 20 March 2008 18:40 (seventeen years ago)

And have you seen the chocolate man one? He walks around smiling all the time (and has a chocolate butt).

― czn, Thursday, 20 March 2008 19:14 (seventeen years ago)

don't think i've seen the colliding one but hate the chocolate one

― blueski, Thursday, 20 March 2008 19:16 (seventeen years ago)

That chocolate one is some serious mr. soft freakyness.

― Jarlrmai, Thursday, 20 March 2008 23:58 (seventeen years ago)

have just seen the new marks & spencer advert, certainly was easy on the eye, not sure if it was beautiful though.

― not_goodwin, Friday, 21 March 2008 00:01 (seventeen years ago)

six months pass...

that tv advert that was just on for Sky HD service looked v pretty with the frog and the pirate and the football all in slowmo HD.

EXCEPT i was watching it on a 15-year-old, non-widescreen, non-HD, crt tv.

― koogs, Wednesday, 15 October 2008 20:21 (sixteen years ago)

two years pass...

Can't find a thread for vintage TV ads but these three have made my morning. I now want Mad Men to make it into the 70s just to see how Don Draper handles psychedelia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNBoJZN-KIk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3gFCSKMo70

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TRgokZLIwA&feature=related

― The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Friday, 15 October 2010 09:24 (fourteen years ago)

ten months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhRHp-K7v0U&feature=youtu.be

― Colin Allstations (PaulTMA), Sunday, 11 September 2011 04:31 (thirteen years ago)

I like this new one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIqgZPHEnnI

― mmmm, Sunday, 11 September 2011 10:17 (thirteen years ago)

four years pass...

those new ge commercials hit way too close to home.

― monster mash, Thursday, 12 November 2015 13:27 (nine years ago)

two weeks pass...

awesome sauce? how about i fucking kill you both.

― LEGALIZE COCAINE (monster mash), Tuesday, 1 December 2015 22:43 (nine years ago)

There are no beautiful tv ads

― brimstead, Tuesday, 1 December 2015 23:57 (nine years ago)

sorry, "teevee adverts"

― brimstead, Tuesday, 1 December 2015 23:57 (nine years ago)

two weeks pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lxGq9tJadw

I am 99% certain that the women singing this jingle has Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).
She loves the sound of her own voice.

Every time this commercial comes on, it hurts me (I watch a lot of TV).

I was psychologically abused by a person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, two years ago. My psychiatrist tells me I have PTSD, now.

I love and hate this woman singing this jingle. She is an asshole, and I wish I'd never heard this commercial.

― black metal is emo for vikings (monster mash), Friday, 18 December 2015 17:15 (nine years ago)

woman*

― black metal is emo for vikings (monster mash), Friday, 18 December 2015 17:15 (nine years ago)

I really need someone else to hate this woman with me. She hap NPD, and is a fucking asshole.

― black metal is emo for vikings (monster mash), Friday, 18 December 2015 20:27 (nine years ago)

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Beautiful teevee adverts

BUT CAN ANYONE HELP ME WITH SOMETHING?