Worst/Best Radio Ads

"Beaker" · 15-08-2006 10:53pm

DublinWriter wrote:

Most ads on RTE Radio are done by their own production team for buttons for Irish SMEs buying adspace - agencies usually aren't involved.

I usually flick between RTE 1, RTE 2 and Newstalk and don't manage to hear most of the ad breaks.

What kills me about RTE homemade ads is that they use the same music again and again, like last year it was the music for those annoying 3 part AA ads this year they are using it for Louis Copeland suits, if i have the radio turned down it leaves me in a state of confusions as to which product or service I want to buy because all that I can hear is the music rant rant rant, mind you if RTE didn't waste most of the lye-sense fee on Tubridy, Ryan, Kenny, Duffy etc then they might be able to afford a couple more backing tracks for their ads!

Bard · 16-08-2006 5:51pm

Princess Shy Simulator wrote:

any of the adds for blanchardstown shopping centres etc get right on me tits-especially one a couple of years ago with a little prrick of a kid with a hoarse accent saying 'its all there in the square'!

Strangely enough that'd be for the Square Town Centre, Tallaght - and not the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. They've been run pretty much every Christmas for the past, what 6 or 7 years, and feature Simon Young (I mean... COME ON!) as the dad... 'nuff said.

Cringeworthy. Is a word.

Wertz · 16-08-2006 6:13pm

I'm surprised that no-one's mentioned the completely brutal ad for some variety of cream/ointment for ridding yourself of athlete's foot....some craptastic scenario with the end result being that the sufferer pulls a foot cramp and all his buddies dream up excuses to avoid the guy's feet at any cost.
It features the absolute worst NI accent I've ever heard in my life; that includes Brad Pitt's one in Patriot Games.

If I ever end up suffering from the affliction this application remedies, I'd sooner amputate my own foot with a kitchen knife, than sponsor any company that would permit an ad like this to promote their product...

tbh · 16-08-2006 6:34pm

Wertz wrote:

I'm surprised that no-one's mentioned the completely brutal ad for some variety of cream/ointment for ridding yourself of athlete's foot....

FlutterinBantam wrote:

That ad for Athletes foot stuff with a host of so fockin bad accents I nearly yank the tranny from the wall and cant her over the next roof...... What the fuggg is it all about anyway... the red mist comes down half way through??

The Bantam has to get some credit there! Although i can see how you could miss his post. Actually I could see how you could read it and still not know what he's talking about!!

Wertz · 16-08-2006 6:56pm

Hat's off to FlutterinBantam so...I knew I wasn't the only one that this ad was driving mental. Another one annoyed me today too, but it's forgotten for now, thankfully.

tbh · 16-08-2006 7:46pm

yeah I hate it too - those fake accents really drive me up the wall. Someone already mentioned the fake french accent "carrohs, griiin biins, bon!" FFS just get a regular french person! Did anyone hear a piece on the Last Word last Friday about a protest being held at a Hunt Ball? The head knob of the Hunting assoc. was on, I'm sure he's a voiceover artist, I could hear his voice saying "regulated by the blah blah". There must only be a couple of voice over people in Dublin, right? Him, "Barnser" from Paths to Freedom, Nicola and Niamh from Fair City, and our favourite, Don Wycherly.

marie_85 · 16-08-2006 8:52pm

I HATE Don Wycherly's voice.... and I'm sick of listening to Nicola from Fair City, Colm and Jim Jim from the Strawberry Alarm Clock, Simon Delaney and the rest of the w*nkers that they constantly use to advertise products!!!

That bloody eircom phonewatch ad... burglars don't take holidays!!! WTF????

Best ad ever is the DID electrical one... open tonight TIL NOINE!!

But if I have to listen to Neville Knot one more time, I'll take his f*cking kettle... and I'm sure you can figure out the rest....

tbh · 16-08-2006 9:47pm

........aaaand breathe.....:D nice rant

FlutterinBantam · 16-08-2006 11:07pm

Ahh... TBH sorry I cant match up to your razor sharp wit and banter... but thanks for digging out my post to show the world I got there first.... Damn white of you man...

setanta70 · 17-08-2006 3:22pm

Really funny thread, this one. Being a foreigner, I attributed my reaction to some ads to my lack of knowledge about the different accents in Ireland or the nuances of the Irish sense of humour, so it's a relief to know that I'm not the only one to find some radio ads perplexing or plainly stupid

.

Re poor radio ads, here's my pet hate: that ad where a drowsy guy goes to this convenience store and when he orders he messes up all the initials in words, as in:
-Do you lake Taser?
-Yes, we do take Laser.

On the other hand, I do like the ad where a guy chases a woman suggesting all kinds of services she can reach through the directory enquiries: anger management courses as she starts getting aggresive, rugby clubs when she tackles him and so on.

kaizersoze1 · 18-08-2006 9:08am

My favourite at the minute is for Right Price Tiles on Today FM i think. Daft dave put in charge for the day! Its one of the few ads i can hear a few times without hating it....
"I want a canoe in my office by 11"

great ad

mikedragon32 · 20-08-2006 1:07am

kaizersoze1 wrote:

My favourite at the minute is for Right Price Tiles on Today FM i think. Daft dave put in charge for the day! Its one of the few ads i can hear a few times without hating it....
"I want a canoe in my office by 11"

great ad

Absolutely! How random an instruction is that! I crack up when I hear it.

petals · 26-08-2006 1:50am

I heard some American ads for budweiser recently omg they were sooo funny. They were just class if anyone knows where i could get em to download or something let me know. they are class.

colm_mcm · 26-08-2006 9:03pm

I really hate that ad for the TV license, supposed to be the TV talking to you or something. the smart-arsery of it really bugs me, especially as RTE presenters are so overpaid and undertalented.

DublinWriter · 26-08-2006 9:17pm

colm_mcm wrote:

I really hate that ad for the TV license, supposed to be the TV talking to you or something. the smart-arsery of it really bugs me, especially as RTE presenters are so overpaid and undertalented.

You can 'reverse-engineer' that ad to understand how the slowly turning and squeaky brain-cogs of the genius in RTE who devised it operates.

Basically the ad is designed to be annoying, almost like that little annoying voice in your conscious that reminds you to do something. Something like buy a TV licence perhaps.

The 'annoyingness' of an ad is also, in relation, inversely proportional to its ability to lodge in the brain. Which is the reason you remember this ad and almost word for word and the ads from Geraldine of Discount Electrical or the theme tune to the Late Late Show.

Wertz · 26-08-2006 9:55pm

Current pet hate:

The AIB free student banking one with the offer for €XX free phone credit...the annoying part for me is suggestions on what to use the credit for; Comparing study notes? Directions to a party? Seriously, piss off....students might be a bit thick bt I can think even they can figure out what to use phone credit on. The guy doing the voiceover's intonation/accent bothers me too, but that's par for the course these days.

This is one amongst a crowd of ads by financial institutions currently targetting back to school/college...my god it's like vultures circling a dying lamb...

DublinWriter · 26-08-2006 10:33pm

Wertz wrote:

This is one amongst a crowd of ads by financial institutions currently targetting back to school/college...my god it's like vultures circling a dying lamb...

Irish Financial Institutions still think along outmoded 80's lines that a) graduates will be high-earners and b) people don't like switching banks because it's too much hassle, so who you start banking with is who you bank with for life.

In short, bollocks. At last Irish people are starting to begin to shop around regarding banking choices and won't think twice about switching banks because these days we don't have to go cap in hand to the local branch manager for a loan or a mortgage.

Max_Damage · 28-08-2006 10:17am

Current 'ad-that-I-hate-of-the-week' are those Robinsons fruit drink ads. The one where some kid finds a go kart or something and asks what his dad what he used it for and how it works, then the aul lad says do you want Robinsons. Stupid ad, like many nowadays, it makes no sense.

Also, that ad with SSIA Optimise in it, can't stand that either, and the ad for FBD with that guy saying 'It happens, we'll be there when it happens to you'. I hate that guys voice.

Crubeens · 29-08-2006 5:57pm

Current 'ad-that-I-hate-of-the-week' are those Robinsons fruit drink ads. The one where some kid finds a go kart or something and asks what his dad what he used it for and how it works, then the aul lad says do you want Robinsons. Stupid ad, like many nowadays, it makes no sense.

Also, that ad with SSIA Optimise in it, can't stand that either, and the ad for FBD with that guy saying 'It happens, we'll be there when it happens to you'. I hate that guys voice

Every time I hear that Robinson's ad I get mad. Really f%*&ing mad. I'd love to get my hands on that precocious kid and the father who reared such a nonce.

tbh · 30-08-2006 8:32am

Crubeens wrote:

Every time I hear that Robinson's ad I get mad. Really f%*&ing mad. I'd love to get my hands on that precocious kid and the father who reared such a nonce.

no, it's the father who's the nonce

I'm hating that magnum add, with the number to text. "Get Free Credit" "Free Credit?" "For Brown Thomas" "For Brown Thomas?"

**** OFF!

DublinWriter · 30-08-2006 8:37am

All those 11890 ads stuck in my brain so much that I actually tried to use their service last week and guess what? They never answered the phone!...twice!...they were probably too busy making crappy radio ads, so it was back to 11811.

froodie · 30-08-2006 11:58am

"Do ye Do McFlurries"

"Yes"

"Have ye got the one with the bird in the bath?"

"Sorry?"

"Don't be, She's a crackin-looking bird"

I like it anyway...

chalkitdown1 · 03-09-2006 6:01pm

DublinWriter wrote:

You can 'reverse-engineer' that ad to understand how the slowly turning and squeaky brain-cogs of the genius in RTE who devised it operates.

Basically the ad is designed to be annoying, almost like that little annoying voice in your conscious that reminds you to do something. Something like buy a TV licence perhaps.

The 'annoyingness' of an ad is also, in relation, inversely proportional to its ability to lodge in the brain. Which is the reason you remember this ad and almost word for word and the ads from Geraldine of Discount Electrical or the theme tune to the Late Late Show.

Back to your raaaaaaaadio.

No words can describe how much I hate the guy in those ads.

zuutroy · 04-09-2006 11:22pm

froodie wrote:

"Do ye Do McFlurries"

"Yes"

"Have ye got the one with the bird in the bath?"

"Sorry?"

"Don't be, She's a crackin-looking bird"

I like it anyway...

Oh no! Thats the lowest of the low.

Max_Damage · 05-09-2006 12:26am

zuutroy wrote:

Oh no! Thats the lowest of the low.

I don't think so, the lowest of the low IMO were those NTL ads (a thousand sloppy note; or whatever the Hell he said in them).

Max_Damage · 12-09-2006 12:32pm

Current 'ad-that-I-hate-of-the-week' is some ad for a shoe shop. Basically this woman says things like "Chatted up on the bus" and "Night Out" and so on, and every time she says something like that, a voice over keeps saying "NEW SHOES". Christ, it's bloody repetitive.

Why are ads so bad, and secondly, why do I even listen to the radio!?

Trode · 12-09-2006 5:30pm

colm_mcm wrote:

I really hate that ad for the TV license, supposed to be the TV talking to you or something. the smart-arsery of it really bugs me, especially as RTE presenters are so overpaid and undertalented.

That one just confuses me.
"Hello, this is your TV talking.."
"No, you're my radio, aren't you?"

I also hate the one for a hotel, where one woman asks the other where she went on holidays, and she won't tell her, and the first one just completely flips out and throws a tantrum worthy of a two year old. Surely ads are supposed to make you empathise/envy the person using the product, not hate everyone remotely associated with it.

On the plus side, I really like Daft Dave. he should have his own show somewhere.

Bard · 12-09-2006 9:03pm

The one I hate is actually a TV ad, but I only get to hear it (constantly... in work...) as where I am when it's on, I can't see the telly...

It's for whatever shop in the UK does "George" brand clothing for kids (ASDA?...). The ad features a choir of children singing Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman". I ESPECIALLY cringe when they come to the "Mercy!!!" bit... (I think they used to have ads where the kids sang other popular ditties, like that "whoa-oh-oh it's MAGIC, you know-ohhhh... never believe its not so.." or something). On a daily basis I just get left with the feeling of wanting to strangle that entire choir of children one by one so that they may never be able to foist another badly executed advert jingle on us again...

Oh and those ads that say that Nissan car dealers really take it personally and get terribly upset and start crying buckets when they sell a "Gold Standard" car too. What bollocks! If it's going to upset them that much, I won't buy one then! Whinging feckers!

mike65 · 14-09-2006 6:53pm

That fupping RTE ad for their Ryder Cup coverage on radio.

I'm well and truly pissed off with the whole event by now but that idioticly OTT Epic really takes the busicuit. Such flowery florid language to describe 22 fellas chasing small balls round a manicured field.

Mike.

eamon234 · 11-10-2006 12:26am

Daft Dave rules I would buy my tiles in Right Price even if they were ****e just 'cos of that ad

And I want a monkey - in a red jacket!!

Nightwish · 11-10-2006 6:46pm

The ad for some bank, possibly TSB, which ends in a David Bowie song. Its played every 10 minutes. Also the GE Money ad with the stupid diddly-idle music.

Wertz · 11-10-2006 7:06pm

Nightwish wrote:

The ad for some bank, possibly TSB, which ends in a David Bowie song. Its played every 10 minutes. Also the GE Money ad with the stupid diddly-idle music.

That one about customers revolting? That's T-rex and Marc Boland at the end...the only reason it annoys me is cos everytime I feckin' hear it I end up going round humming Children of the Revolution...

Fortunately I've been mostly avoiding Irish radio and it's adverts for the last couple of weeks (and long may it last) so I don't have any current pet hates...

mikedragon32 · 12-10-2006 8:52am

Today FM are airing an ad for some coldsore treatment with a "rap" that goes "You've got a coldsore on your face...".

It makes me long for the Pat McDonald Paints ad, it's so bad.

Surely programmers must realise that some people will change station when ads this bad come to air.

tbh · 12-10-2006 9:37am

mikedragon32 wrote:

Today FM are airing an ad for some coldsore treatment with a "rap" that goes "You've got a coldsore on your face...".

It makes me long for the Pat McDonald Paints ad, it's so bad.

Surely programmers must realise that some people will change station when ads this bad come to air.

ROTFLMAO!!! "we're gonna paint this town (paint this town)"

Imagine, you're a musicican and you get the gig to write and perform the PMD Paint ad. Would you tell anyone?

That coldsore ad is horrible.

Genghis · 12-10-2006 10:16am

There are a couple of classics on Newstalk at the moment. And, as it is Newstalk, you get to hear them time and time again.

Exhibit Number 1 - "Cork Car Centre" - not sure of actual name.

Annoying, voice, stupid entree "Good Morning Cork". And ridiculous tagline "Don't you just love the smell of Leather in the Monrning". As far as I can see there is absolutely no connection between the product, the company, the people in the company or even its general location with a 20-year old movie about Vietnam. Did 'creative' simply fall asleep to the movie the night before he came up with the concept? I mean, WTF?

If thats not mad enough, Ted, they then tailor the theme to 'Good Afternoon', 'Good Evening' and 'Leather in the afternoon' / 'Leather in the evening'. Its enough to drive you nuts.

Exhibit Number 2 - For some server product

Here we feature two characters - presumably an MD figure, and then the IT manager (note: he plays the role of hero). Mr MD, true to stereotype, has been doing all sorts of investigations, but one thing puzzles him. He suspects that someone could be intruding on the premises, evading the security system to sneekily back-up the server.

Looking for answers he corners the IT guy. Now Mr MD appears to have the competence to understand security logs, read server logs, etc, but the IT manager has to explain everything about the new server to him slowly. Then the ad has a WTF moment when the MD rounds on the IT guy and blames him for saving electricity.

But our hero, thanks to his new server, can defend that allegation too.

The scenario above is so concocted that it really shows the intelligence assumption these guys have for IT managers to be really low. Why doesn't the ad say - 'Automtic, fail-safe back-up while your office is closed, and X% saving on running costs. Just buy it.' It shorter, snappier and the message comes across without all the **** that currently surrounds it.

DMC · 12-10-2006 4:24pm

Ads for IT dont work on the radio. remember the one a few pages ago which had Murphy sum up the alternatives to a HP server product? If my boss called me on last name terms, then there would be a thump. From me. A server knocking my boss unconcious.

And what IT personnel would buy a server based on a radio ad?

SprostonGreen · 13-10-2006 4:26pm

DMC wrote:

Ads for IT dont work on the radio. remember the one a few pages ago which had Murphy sum up the alternatives to a HP server product? If my boss called me on last name terms, then there would be a thump. From me. A server knocking my boss unconcious.

Thats exactly what I thought.

MarinoMark · 14-10-2006 12:07pm

Genghis wrote:

Exhibit Number 2 - For some server product

Here we feature two characters - presumably an MD figure, and then the IT manager (note: he plays the role of hero). Mr MD, true to stereotype, has been doing all sorts of investigations, but one thing puzzles him. He suspects that someone could be intruding on the premises, evading the security system to sneekily back-up the server.

Looking for answers he corners the IT guy. Now Mr MD appears to have the competence to understand security logs, read server logs, etc, but the IT manager has to explain everything about the new server to him slowly. Then the ad has a WTF moment when the MD rounds on the IT guy and blames him for saving electricity.

But our hero, thanks to his new server, can defend that allegation too.

The scenario above is so concocted that it really shows the intelligence assumption these guys have for IT managers to be really low. Why doesn't the ad say - 'Automtic, fail-safe back-up while your office is closed, and X% saving on running costs. Just buy it.' It shorter, snappier and the message comes across without all the **** that currently surrounds it.

I have heard the above ad and the guy prentending to be the IT guy is actually Dermot from Fair City on RTE. He is involved in local politics and property in Carrickstown and knows diddley squat about IT and even less about servers. Dont be fooled by him. His laptop broke in the pub once when he was having a pint with Charlie and he had to leave in in for REPAIR !! I, for one wont be hoodwinked....:D

tbh · 15-10-2006 6:07pm

DMC wrote:

Ads for IT dont work on the radio.

DMC wrote:

HP server

tbh · 01-11-2006 9:03am

I must say , I really hate the ad for the tuna - the sinking trawler sending fish up to a rescue 'copter - I think it's in extremely bad taste.

Wertz · 01-11-2006 8:02pm

Those bloody BUPA ads!

"Your" this, "Your" that....yes everyone out there in radio listener land is a high income professional that likes nothing better than sports and keeping fit....the updated theme tune (I'll be ready....I wanna be readyyyy), sang by some random girl instead of the Al Jolson soundalike and the most annoying f*cking bit, to me:

You can call us in Fermoy on 1850 etc etc"

Call you's in Fermoy? WTF?
What has that got to do with ANYTHING???
It's a lo-call number...it doesn't matter if your call centre is on Mars, it'll still amount to a local call.

Grrr....I heard that ad one too many times this week...the stress of it alone has me worying about helth insurance...

FlutterinBantam · 01-11-2006 8:29pm

Wertz,I think you should take a little lie down for a while;)

DMC · 01-11-2006 10:31pm

Wertz wrote:

Call you's in Fermoy? WTF?
What has that got to do with ANYTHING???
It's a lo-call number...it doesn't matter if your call centre is on Mars, it'll still amount to a local call.

Emphasis that a British company has an Irish base, employing Irish people, and you talk to a langer on the phone, not Saurav in India.

But the ads are annoying, granted.

Wertz · 01-11-2006 10:39pm

Personally I'd find Suarav a fair bit handier to communicate with than the average corkonian

setanta70 · 09-11-2006 2:39pm

My latest pet hate is the Jingle Bells adaptation (as heard on NewsTalk) for Hibernian. Annoying since day one...

sudzs · 09-11-2006 2:45pm

Any of the Eagle Star ads, telly or radio, with the condescending smart cat and the stupid Boxer dog....

just bloody awful.

Lynfo · 09-11-2006 2:48pm

the one for windsor scrappage deal

'how much did ye get for ih?'

grrrrrrrrr

Wertz · 09-11-2006 6:34pm

Eircom's current campaign for broadband, with the tagline "This is broadband for [name]" going on to describe a generalised stereotype of some "typical" user out in listener land, listing off reasons why they need highspeed internet in their lives...
That bloody background music is highly irritating too, but I think it's outdone by the voiceover guy who's accent has been known to strip the bark from trees when played at a certain volume.

This must be a lot more infuriating to listen to if you're one of the unfortunates out there who can't avail of wired DSL, mainly due to Eircom's piss poor record of upgrading their wired network in rural areas...

Liam Byrne · 09-11-2006 6:54pm

Yup, those are annoying, but at least they've dumped the "there's no stopping you" ads; every time I saw/heard those, I used to scream - "there is - you can't give it to me, so stop advertising it!"

The eircom phonewatch ads are sick - trying to prey on and exaggerate peoples fears about their home....the latest one where they say burglars might break in and rob the stuff you've bought as Christmas presents is particularly warped.

sudzs · 10-11-2006 10:20am

Liam Byrne wrote:

Yup, those are annoying, but at least they've dumped the "there's no stopping you" ads; every time I saw/heard those, I used to scream - "there is - you can't give it to me, so stop advertising it!"

The eircom phonewatch ads are sick - trying to prey on and exaggerate peoples fears about their home....the latest one where they say burglars might break in and rob the stuff you've bought as Christmas presents is particularly warped.

Yes, those Eircom are just the worst. Especially the way yer man says "Burglars"

You'll be robbed when you're in your home. You'll be robbed when you're out, you'll be robbed because it's Christmas. You'll be robbed because it's the Summertime...

Aren't the number of burglaries going down???

Worst/Best Radio Ads

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