"I'm loving it?"

I was sitting under the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus yesterday, playing a character in a treasure hunt (not my usual occupation!).

While I waited for the teams to arrive, I was people-watching and watching the ads.

At first, the McDonald's ad confused me. I glanced once and there was a boxing glove on a spring. Looked again, and there was a bulldog with its front leg stretched out. Then an umbrella. Next, a game of stone, scissors, paper.

Eventually, I got the point.

There is a spot on the pavement where you can stand to have your photo taken with the ad in the background, so it looks as though you have a giant pigeon or bowler hat on your head, you are blowing out birthday candles, rejoicing in your team's score or thinking about French fries.

I'm not sure exactly where that spot is - perhaps it should have a golden arches logo painted on it?

I decided it's a clever attempt at being interactive. However, perhaps it's trying to be a bit too clever. Anything that needs that much explanation risks alienating people who don't have as much time to work it out as I did.

What's in a name?

Can you match the name to the business?

1 Cucumber
2 Splat
3 No more frogs

A Dating agency
B Air conditioning supplier
C Painting and decorating

Answers: 1B, 2C, 3A

Easy, isn't it.

Is it as easy for people to guess what you do, from your business name?

It's got my name on it!

I couldn't help this ad grabbing my attention. It starts, "Hey, Jackie" and ends, "Jackie, door!"

In between, the script is even more surprising. Apparently, peas are 'unpredictable, you don't know if you're getting a vegetable or a cannon ball'. Must admit, I've never had that confusion myself. And these peas are allegedly 'so tender and sweet they bring a tear to your eye'. Can't say I've ever had that experience either.

But hey, it's got my name on it! And, judging by the comments on YouTube, people seem to love the polar bear. I predict great success for this ad (and associated merchandising), just mark my words...

Context is everything

I first saw the Cadbury's Chocolate Charmer ad in the middle of a Heston Blumenthal programme. Perfect product placement, mixing the art and science of cooking.

However, when you read the comments about the ad on YouTube, it doesn't seem as though it's gone down so well.

I suppose, like many things, its effectiveness depends where you put it! And there's only one place for Cadbury's chocolate...

That reminds me...

Dancing Arabica Bean..
Watch the ad...

It's a coffee ad (I rarely drink coffee). What it reminds me of is this tea ad (I never drink tea, yuk!).

Isn't it amazing

what they can do these days!

This JLP ad tracks through the ages to show their 'lifelong commitment'. The 'continuous' shot reminds me of the Hovis ad-of-the-decade.

Oh, oh, oh dear, O2

So it's time for my mobile phone contract to be renewed. I go to the website, log in, and navigate my way to the Contact page.

'Dial 8002 free from your handset' it says, 'or dial 0800 977 7337 from a landline, free'.

I do that, and the recorded message says, 'Please redial 0870 600 3009'.

I dial again, and the recorded message says, 'This number is changing soon, to 0844 847 0202'.

I hold on and go through a sequence of 'Press 1 for this and 2 for that'. Eventually, I speak to a person in the business department. 'I'll transfer you to renewals,' he tells me, 'It won't take long'.

By this time, I've already been on the line for 6 minutes. 4 minutes later, 'Alan' answers my enquiry. It takes him 7 minutes to tell me the contract I'm on has been revoked, and I need a new contract which gives me more minutes and more texts for less money.

And they call themselves a telecommunications company...

It's a fine line

between good and bad, love and hate, kitsch and bad taste:

Exhibit A


Exhibit B

Road signs

Driving up to Norfolk at the weekend I passed a row of cones. That's not unusual. But there was a sign I've never seen before:

"Kill your speed. Not our workforce."

It was possibly the funniest road sign I've ever seen! As if drivers would deliberately swerve to mow down road-workers! (Now there's a thought – how many 'Death Race 2000' points would you get for that, I wonder?)

The best road sign I ever saw read:

"Repairing worn out road."

Now that makes sense. It's an excess of road-users that has caused the problem, and fixing it will help road-users in future. OK, dear road-workers, please carry on.

Today's tip: Always think within the mind of your reader.

THAT'S the way to do it!

The Head & Shoulders slogan: 'Making heads happier' is as good as this slogan is bad.

Another good one is the Aldi slogan: 'Great food, great prices, pass it on'. It has the benefit and a call to action. Like on Twitter, saying 'Please Retweet' (or 'Pls RT'), it results in more people actually doing what you say.

Do you agree?

Please comment below!