Here is yet another bad radio commercial that won a $5,000 Radio Mercury Award because it entertained the judges.
But that’s not why I’m sharing it with you.
I’m sharing this spot with you because I love his explanation of why that was incorrect grammar:
“This isn’t France.”
Lousy commercial, but that’s funny.
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The delivery of the line "This isn't France" is the part that makes me chuckle.
Sorry, that's just a lousy commercial. The real questions raised here are: Have the Mercury Awards always been this lame? Have the judges always been mucky-mucks from big agencies who can't or won't evaluate based on results rather than entertainment? Just curious…
It's cute, from one point, and just not very entertaining and stupid on another. To each his own if you actually enjoy it as it's very subjective in that context.
Doesn't say much for award shows if this actually won something, or the competition was worse.
Those "great american hero" spots that bud put out awhile back and you can find a torrent of them all online are what I call good effective creative. This isn't. lame ripoff of the bud spots perhaps?
@ Scott – I think a direct rip of the Bud ones – the whole lazy 80's soft guitar.
I heard them some months back and wondered how it won an award for such blantant theft of an idea, maybe it's just the fact that they don't sing all the way through the commercial.
"It's not MAY I.. it's Can I?
(My mother would have freaked out)
"this isn't France"
Is very funny…but whats the product again….?
Well, as someone who has been an ADDY awards chair and judgd numerous advertising awards shows, big and small, this was "better" than many, many spots I had been subjected to. Worthy of $5,000, depends on what else was there.
And trust me, I'm about as far removed from big ad agnecy type as you can get.
It didn't come off as a rip off of the bud men of genius stuff. I'm guessing that this probably hit well with a young demo of existing clients to simply help keep the brand in front of them.
I've had to write and produce spots that were a lot worse. Don't lie, you did too.
As I listened to the spot I thought, this is what your mom would feed you shortly before she was arrested and thrown in prison for child abuse.
I thought of a lot of other funny one liners about the man mom.
But the one thing I DIDN'T think about? Buying whatever the hell stupid product was that this was supposed to be selling. Nope. Wouldn't buy it if you handed me a million bucks.
Because the commercial is stupid – why would I want to associate myself with a stupid product?
After hearing all these spots I am officially NEVER going to enter a commercial for a Mercury Award. They obviously only like stupid spots that ruin sales. I'm not associating myself with that.
This is why nobody should complain about the Radio Mercury Awards refusing to give out awards for radio station produced spots and a few other categories. We all know this kind of stuff wins every year, so why bother? Let the agencies pat themselves on the back and have their fun.
The sad thing is agencies use these awards to recruit new clients, kind of like salespeople who use ratings to sell advertising. The sadder thing is clients actually hire agencies because they're impressed by these awards.
If you're capable of producing radio advertising that gets results, you don't need an award to prove it. You may pocket a few bucks, mom will be proud and you have something to put on the mantle, but that's about it. Give me a contract renewal and client testimonial over an award any day of the week.
Actually, I find the television commercials funnier. It doesn't seem to work as well on radio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb5pXZSWDc8
If you listen to it several times, (just like you would with frequency on an ad buy), you get it, and what the product is. After the first listen, you want to hear it again, just to understand it, and the end result is that I now remember "combos'.. and each time I heard it, I understood the ad better. It makes you want to hear it again…most commercials don't do that.
Even after several listens I still battled to figure out what the actual product is, and that’s me listening with my undivided attention. If I was listening normally I would have even missed the (not so) creative concept, which, should only ever aid in conveying the 30/45/60 sec message rather than overtake it. In this case it seems concept was 1st priority, then the message. Comparing this example of poor judgement to my favourite activity (eating food) it seems the seasoning has beaten the meat, which in the long run won’t fill you up, which therefore deserves a fail.
Just sayin’…
I think it’s a funny idea…the France line made me chuckle…but it was so rushed! I woulda dropped the singing and found another way to get into it.
I think it’s a good spot. They’re selling snack food, people. Lighten up.