Being pedantic about that AA ad.

Archeron

Have you ever seen that AA ad where some lady breaks down on the Motorway, next thing you see is her leaning on her car talking into her mobile looking all pleased as punch that she's in the AA, just before hundreds of AA dudes in yellow jackets appear to fix her motor.
Apart from the fact that its kind of a creepy ad, am I correct in thinking that the general consensus is that if you break down on a motorway, the sensible thing to do is get out of the car, and move away from it onto the verge in case it is hit by another vehicle? Should the AA really be showing a happy woman right beside her car on the hard shoulder?
I'm having a nitpicky day, so thought I'd see what everyone thinks on this.

mik_da_man

Archeron wrote:

I'm having a nitpicky day.

You sure are:D
But your point makes sense all right.
Also for the claim that they fix 8 out of 10 cars on the spot?
I'd be interested to see where they come up with that
I was chatting to an AA mechanic the other day and he said it's no where near that figure - if it's not something real simple the car will just be towed to a garage

Bluetonic

Archeron wrote:

am I correct in thinking that the general consensus is that if you break down on a motorway, the sensible thing to do is get out of the car, and move away from it onto the verge in case it is hit by another vehicle? Should the AA really be showing a happy woman right beside her car on the hard shoulder?
I'm having a nitpicky day, so thought I'd see what everyone thinks on this.

Funny you should mention this on the British channels at the moment there is an ad running which show the 'best practice' when you break down on a motorway, the key point being to get away from the car/motorway and onto the embankment safely away from moving traffic.

colincarnate

I don't know but to me that guy looks a bit sleazy approaching her in that ad.
Basically it's also the reason why i hate taxi drivers with all of my heart and soul.

BrianD3

Also for the claim that they fix 8 out of 10 cars on the spot?

I'd say many callouts are to help drivers who can't change a wheel or have run out of fuel If the 8/10 figure includes these callouts then it's no wonder the AA are so good at "fixing" cars

Idleater

Archeron wrote:

Should the AA really be showing a happy woman right beside her car on the hard shoulder?

Nonsense. There must be nothing wrong with this. I see it increasingly often on the m50 - cars pulled in under bridges letting out passengers, swapping drivers, fixing punctures (on the outside of the car with the car not even attempted to be driven safely off the road [and sometimes within a couple of hundred metres of a sliproad]).

So no. The AA are just showing it the way it is.:rolleyes:

What I would point out to the ASA (if you really want to be pedantic) is why the road is empty. Surely it should be gridlocked no???



L.

dahamsta

colincarnate wrote:

I don't know but to me that guy looks a bit sleazy approaching her in that ad.

I've always thought that the way he brings his hand up to his chest so conspicuously was a blatant attempt by the director to highlight the wedding ring, and therefore give an air of stability. Looks like it didn't work.

unkel

Archeron wrote:

Apart from the fact that its kind of a creepy ad

Agree

Archeron wrote:

if you break down on a motorway, the sensible thing to do is get out of the car, and move away from it onto the verge in case it is hit by another vehicle?

That's what I would do. If your car is broken down on the hard shoulder and there is no way of moving it onto the verge, it would be extremely dangerous to stay in it

Ken Shabby wrote:

I've always thought that the way he brings his hand up to his chest so conspicuously was a blatant attempt by the director to highlight the wedding ring, and therefore give an air of stability. Looks like it didn't work.

You've some attention for detail! Must check that out the next time I see the ad

marius

Archeron wrote:

Have you ever seen that AA ad where some lady breaks down on the Motorway, next thing you see is her leaning on her car talking into her mobile looking all pleased as punch that she's in the AA, just before hundreds of AA dudes in yellow jackets appear to fix her motor.
Apart from the fact that its kind of a creepy ad, am I correct in thinking that the general consensus is that if you break down on a motorway, the sensible thing to do is get out of the car, and move away from it onto the verge in case it is hit by another vehicle? Should the AA really be showing a happy woman right beside her car on the hard shoulder?
I'm having a nitpicky day, so thought I'd see what everyone thinks on this.

I thought this ad was hilariuos, it shows about 50 lads all turning up to fix one car, doesn't seem to make great business sense to me. I always picture another car broken down 10 miles further up the raod waiting for 4 hours because the 50 AA lads are busy fixing the first car

jayok

Watch me start a row....

Anyone else notice the car that's broken down is a 5 door Alfa 147?

ARRRAGGGH.... not this again

comanche

Its doesn't seem as if the AA is an equal opportunities emploer - not one of the people who turn up in the ad is female!

dahamsta

Sure everyone knows that girls can't repair cars.

prospect

jayok wrote:

Watch me start a row....

Anyone else notice the car that's broken down is a 5 door Alfa 147?

ARRRAGGGH.... not this again

LOL ,

and 50 guys had to check it out because they couldnt believe such a thing could happen.
But then they discovered that she actually had a puncture (caused by a broken 'M' badge that had fallen off a 1994 316 owned by a 21y.o. skanger with aspirations of "hedgehogness"), but she couldn't remove the locknut from the beautiful alloy, so they helped her, and put on the spare wheel, which incidentally was a full size wheel with an alloy aswell.
And the happy woman (because she enjoys her driving experience so much) continued her journey in comfort and style, to the fantastic engine soundtrack that accompanies every Alfa driver.
And once again all was as it should be.

jayok

and 50 guys had to check it out because they couldnt believe such a thing could happen.

It's all becoming clear now!

colm_mcm

prospect wrote:

And once again all was as it should be.

It's apt that the ad shows her breaking down a couple of times per week

DublinWriter

prospect wrote:

But then they discovered that she actually had a puncture (caused by a broken 'M' badge that had fallen off a 1994 316 owned by a 21y.o. skanger with aspirations of "hedgehogness

I nearly choked on my crack-pipe reading that!

...or the detatched underfloor neon-lighting unit from a pimp-my-Punto of the same vintage.

But I think what's really unrealistic about the ad in that someone from the AA shows-up in the first place.

I've been a member for the AA since the year dot (and got money when they were taken over by Centrica, woo-hoo!), but in Ireland they subcontract areas out to a lot of hairy-arsed independant towing contractors, chief skill of which is not car mechanics but knowing how to get your car onto the back of their towing truck and then to the garage of your preferance.

That's why you pay extra for the home start option, that's when you actually get an AA man out.

At least in the UK there's competition between the AA, RAC and Green Flag.

colm_mcm

we have RAC in Ireland too....

Dilbert75

jayok wrote:

Watch me start a row....

Anyone else notice the car that's broken down is a 5 door Alfa 147?

ARRRAGGGH.... not this again

Thought it was a Daihatsu Sirion....???