The news comes today that Dubai’s brightest and most exciting new telephone company, Du, has withdrawn its ‘fish and chips’ radio advertisement after complaints from some people that the spot, which featured a chap singing ‘I want some fish and chips’ to the tune of God Save the Queen, was offensive. I must clarify that we’re talking about the British national anthem, not the Sex Pistols’ version. If it had been the Sex Pistols’ version, it might have been a slightly more interesting creative, now I come to think of it.
My Arab colleagues are furious that the British community have had the advertisement withdrawn in this way, as they would very much like Du to also withdraw the Arabic one, which has some daft Egyptian bird extolling the virtues of ‘kusheri’ to a Lebanese waiter and which one colleague was convinced was actually going to be an advertisement for ghee or cooking oil until the end. They reckon the Arabic ad is even more irritating and mindless than the English one was.
Radio ads. You gotta love ‘em…
2 comments:
Around the world, radio ads are the worst of any advertising - poor concepts, poor scripts, poor delivery. Many have nothing to say creatively so they have it sung or shouted.
But the UAE has to be the worst of those I've heard, the standard is appalling.
I was also offended by the du stupidity - offended because of double standards, in that it's OK to mock one anthem (bad as that anthem is!) while other people take to the streets burning flags and effigies if their anthem is mistreated.
If the Arabic du ad is doing the same sort of thing that should be withdrawn too. Then the ad agency should be fired for incompetence as well as the client's advtg/marketing manager who approved it.
No, the Arabic ad is just another poor radio ad execution.
Poor radio ad execution?
Yes! Poor radio ad execution!
Wow. That sounds GREAT. Hey! Where are you going? Wait for me, I can't wait to come too!
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