New Meteor Ad, is this what Irelands coming to?

L31mr0d · 07-12-2007 12:30PM #1

Anyone seen the new Meteor Ad.

The one where the old woman is invited to a christmas party and because she only brings the hosts a tea cosy she is refused entrance...

I personally found this ad sickening, that the season of giving, being kind to our fellow man and visiting with family is accepted now as only being about how much money you can spend and who you can spend it on.

I understand this ad is tongue in cheek, but it was the fact that Meteor are saying that the only thing our old relatives and friends are good for at christmas is giving us presents. It was the fact they used an OAP as well, who wouldn't have the kind of spare cash lying around to buy her whole family Mobile Phones.

Personally, not having any grandparents since a young age I would rather just to be able to see them than expect them to be forking out what little money they have to provide me with gifts which I could of easily afforded to buy myself.

I would love to talk to the wise ass advertising executive at Meteor that thought this ad was a good idea.

Pigman II · 07-12-2007 12:35PM

I matched your reaction to the ad and was more than a little puzzled with the message at first.

But then I put myself in the mind of a 13year old and realised it might be speaking to them directly in a way they can identify. I know back when I was a little bastard I would have thought "oh here we go, what ****e will I be getting from granny this xmas?". But people do grow up.

Plus meteor clearly have a mandate to make ads that'll get people talking ... even if it is only with a tone of contempt and irritaiton. Jokes on them tho, I'll never buy one of their phones purely based on their advertising portfolio.

RxQueen · 07-12-2007 12:40PM

in fairness nothing was as bad as there ads last year- the two really annoying girls and there even more annoying boyfriends..

i think the ad is funny esp when the gran pulls down the christmas decoration at the end:D, altho i do see where you coming from as regards the makerting side of it.

L31mr0d · 07-12-2007 12:41PM

Pigman II wrote: »

Jokes on them tho, I'll never buy one of their phones purely based on their advertising portfolio.

ditto, it's like they are releasing ads purely around the seven deadly sins, i can hear them schemeing now "Right we've done envy and greed, how about we do gluttony next? Can people eat our phones? Edible phones!!! Genius!!!"

Sea Sharp · 07-12-2007 12:47PM

I don't think that add was any indication of the state of ireland.
Free texts though... you cant go wrong there

colliegG · 07-12-2007 12:50PM

Thought that was the first decent meteor ad ever. Certainly much better than those teeth grindingly annoying women from the last few years.

I think the ad only works because it is an OAP so you're more shocked that she'd be refused cos of her present.

Actually now that I think of it they throw someone else out too at the same time don't they?

End of the day, it's pretty obvious it's not a commentary on how low Irish society has sunk.

Lux23 · 07-12-2007 12:50PM

How many phones do people need anyway? I wouldn't mind a nice tea cosy, i have never seen them in shops.

watna · 07-12-2007 12:56PM

I also saw that ad and though it was disgraceful. I very rarely find something offensive and am not one of "the PC brigade" but that ad is totally giving out the wrong idea of Christmas. Ok, it's fairly materialistic but I think they went too far. i used to spend every Chrismtas with my grandmother in Wales. She's dead now but I'd give anything to have another Christmas like we used to with her when we were younger. She wouldn't get kicked out for bringing a tea cosy! (I'd actually also like to get one as a present, they're kind of scarce these days!)

WindSock · 07-12-2007 01:00PM

Yeah, the ad struck a chord with me too. I'm sick of getting crappy presents for christmas. Why don't we just get things people want instead of wasting time, effort and money on things that we want ourselves to give as presents. They will only end up disgarded

0ubliette · 07-12-2007 01:01PM

Yeah i know the Ad is a joke and not meant to be taken seriously, but i really did think 'god what a horrible ad' when i saw it, i wouldnt go so far as to say i was offended, i was just saddened. Its like, is this what christmas is about now? If youre not getting a 3G meteor phone with built in can opener and porn downloader you can just **** off?
Guinness ad with yer man outside the customs house FTW. Meteor greed merchants ad FTL.

seamus · 07-12-2007 01:01PM

If people continue to complain like this, it's soon going to be illegal to laugh in public in case you offend someone whose fish just died.

It's an ad, it's meant to be funny, go find something worthwhile to complain about.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 07-12-2007 01:04PM

it's just christmas.. it's not like it really means anything

monkeyfudge · 07-12-2007 01:06PM

But it's amusing to watch advertising campaigns backfire...

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 07-12-2007 01:08PM

backfire? i'd imagine whoever is bitching about this ad online is probably bitching about it IRL too, spreading the word of meteor to the faithful and the intelligent.

Pigman II · 07-12-2007 01:10PM

Mordeth wrote: »

spreading the word of meteor to the faithful and the intelligent.

I don't know how happy meteor will be about that. It's clearly not their target market.

L31mr0d · 07-12-2007 01:10PM

seamus wrote: »

If people continue to complain like this, it's soon going to be illegal to laugh in public in case you offend someone whose fish just died.

It's an ad, it's meant to be funny, go find something worthwhile to complain about.

Listen, i'm far from PC in a lot of ways, most ads about greed, envy and narcissism I don't mind at all. In fact I think the biggest factor about this ad that struck a cord was that they chose an OAP as the victim. Sure, if a 20 something bloke has shown up with a pair of socks, sure, kick them out. But the older generation in this country don't have a lot of disposable income, they retired before the boom hit and live mainly on pensions and government assisstance. Plus a family should only want to spend time with their elderly relatives or friends, they aren't going to be around for much longer so purely just having their time is good enough.

It was the fact that the moral of this story was to expect better presents from the elderly, if they don't give them then they are worthless and should be kicked out. How many grannies out there do you think will see this ad as they are knitting their grandchildren a tea cosy or something else and now feel ashamed of the present they will have to give them.

Stercus Accidit · 07-12-2007 01:10PM

L31mr0d wrote: »

Anyone seen the new Meteor Ad.

The one where the old woman is invited to a christmas party and because she only brings the hosts a tea cosy she is refused entrance...

I personally found this ad sickening, that the season of giving, being kind to our fellow man and visiting with family is accepted now as only being about how much money you can spend and who you can spend it on.

I understand this ad is tongue in cheek, but it was the fact that Meteor are saying that the only thing our old relatives and friends are good for at christmas is giving us presents. It was the fact they used an OAP as well, who wouldn't have the kind of spare cash lying around to buy her whole family Mobile Phones.

Personally, not having any grandparents since a young age I would rather just to be able to see them than expect them to be forking out what little money they have to provide me with gifts which I could of easily afforded to buy myself.

I would love to talk to the wise ass advertising executive at Meteor that thought this ad was a good idea.

All those metoer ads are aimed at pricks, if you ever find one of those ads where you can relate to the situation or people in them, you are now a prick.

If you think I'm wrong and defend those ads, you again, have become, or always have been, a prick.

Maybe in your eyes id seem a prick but thats society for ya.

And I would feel no malice towards you.

connundrum · 07-12-2007 01:15PM

Complain to the BCI should you feel strongly about it.

Its an ad, which got you talking. Job done.

07-12-2007 01:20PM

There's no such thing as bad publicity. I mean this ad has got people doing what they wanted to do; discussing meteor. And already someone has mentioned their free txt messages offer.

Archeron · 07-12-2007 01:22PM

I get more upset at the Budweiser ad because it last about 25 minutes. And when its over, you just sit there humming the f*cking thing for hours.

La la la la. LA LA LA LA. Doo doo de doo doo doo doo DOOOOOO......

I do hate that meteor ad though, all the people round the table look like right tossers.

seamus · 07-12-2007 01:29PM

L31mr0d wrote: »

It was the fact that the moral of this story was to expect better presents from the elderly.

It's part of an ad campaign centered around "Give them something decent this Christmas - A meteor phone".

The irony of that statement aside, you can't start knit-picking about the ads. They don't make a commentary about older people. They picked the stereotype of the granny who appears with a hand-knitted tea cosy as a present, to which we can all relate. The previous ad used sterotypes of horrible clothes and bad books, again to which we can all relate.
Of course, an advertising tool is to go over the top - I've never received a tea cosy, excessively horrible clothing or a ridiculously bad book, but that doesn't remove the ability to relate.

If they showed the person's single uncle showing up with a pair of socks, would you consider that an attack on the impoverished and alcoholics in society?

The ad doesn't say, "Expect better from the elderly", it says "Expect better". Your own personal circumstances are causing you to become offended, but that doesn't mean the ad itself is offensive. Just switch it off when it comes on.

Saruman · 07-12-2007 01:43PM

I find it Ironic that the Original poster seems to think that an old woman refused entry to a party is sickening... even if its only an ad...
Then on the other hand, has an sig ad for a TV show where the main character is a serial killer and cuts open his victims with all sorts of interesting tools

Don't get me wrong.. i love Dexter... its a brilliant show... i just think there is soemthing ironic about this post at the same time

Steve_o · 07-12-2007 01:43PM

Aye it is the way this country is going unfortunately, its a horrible ad...

Guy:Incognito · 07-12-2007 01:44PM

I laughed a little bit the first time then stopped taking notice. But then I dotn waste my time overthinking ads or other rubbish and spend my time on others things (pretty much anything else is more interesting)

colliegG · 07-12-2007 01:54PM

The whole point of the ad is to show how desirable their phones are.

So desirable that you'd throw your own Gran out if she didn't get you one.

Unless you or someone you know would actually throw your Granny out for bringing a tea cosy instead of a mobile phone than can you please understand that its not reflecting Real Life!

It's an ad not a Christmas card.

0ubliette wrote: »

Guinness ad with yer man outside the customs house FTW. Meteor greed merchants ad FTL.

Gotta agree. the best Christmas ad

Endasaurus · 07-12-2007 01:55PM

I hate this ad, I find it really glib and disgusting.

Glad to see I'm not the only one this annoyed.

muboop1 · 07-12-2007 01:59PM

L31mr0d wrote: »

ditto, it's like they are releasing ads purely around the seven deadly sins, i can hear them schemeing now "Right we've done envy and greed, how about we do gluttony next? Can people eat our phones? Edible phones!!! Genius!!!"

thsi would be brilliant!!! cheap edible disposable phones...
i work in phone shop... and man it would be like so much easier to sell phones...

colliegG · 07-12-2007 02:02PM

Endasaurus wrote: »

I hate this ad, I find it really glib and disgusting.

Glad to see I'm not the only one this annoyed.

+1

Hate the actual ad but don't go taking it seriously, like it has some message or an ability to reflect real life.
Anyway I'm glad it's controversial. The more it's talked about the less chance those women and boyfriends will be back.
I HATE them. . .

Mr. Incognito · 07-12-2007 02:15PM

I don't think Meteor are to blame for the commercialisation of Christmas ffs.

Christmas is about presents. Period. Right or wrong it's been hijacked.

It's just an ad. A great big cheesy ad.

ejmaztec · 07-12-2007 02:21PM

The people in the house were too thick to realise that the tea-cosy was in fact a bluetooth-enabled handsfree-kit. There is a pocket inside the tea-cosy for your your mobile. The selling point is based on the statistics that people under the age of 35, when seeing a tea-cosy, will insist on putting it on their head cossack-style, especially when they're in party-mode. People over the age of 35 would be more prone to put one on a tea-pot.

Those ad-people know exactly what market they're aiming at, but they should have put more effort into explaining the functionality of their product.

Trode · 07-12-2007 02:33PM

It kind of annoyed me too at first, but then I remembered that Meteor ads have been fairly consistent about their customers being vain, shallow, utterly unlikeable f*cksticks, so this seemed like a logical progression.

New Meteor Ad, is this what Irelands coming to?

Comments