Campaign Nominates Its Turkeys In Time For Christmas

Advertising industry weekly Campaign has produced its annual lists of the best and worst efforts of the industry, in the opinion of its journalists. While the people behind the campaigns of certain beers and glossy magazines will be left smiling with more than Christmas cheer, the creatives for a certain ISP, car manufacturer and cooking sauce will be left smarting from the criticism dished out.

Budweiser’s addictive but ultimately irritating “Whassup?” wins best TV ad, followed by the brand resurrections undertaken by Skoda’s “Factory Tour” and Heinz Salad Cream’s “Bin”. TV ads also managed to attract the largest share of abuse within the lists, with AOL’s ‘Connie’ ads winning both Worst Dotcom Ad of the year and Biggest Turkey. “That stupid bowl haircut, that stupid dress, that patronising tone. Ban Connie now.” insists Campaign. More scorn was poured on Vauxhall, with its Griff Rhys Jones in underpants efforts coming in 1st on the list of “Celebrities who should have known better”, followed swiftly by Ian Wright’s intensely irritating song and dance routine for Chicken Tonight.

Complaints flooded in to the ASA when the winner of the best poster was first put up. Vogue’s dotcom ads, where the dot was provided by a nipple showing through a mesh top, avoided having the complaints about it upheld, and went on to win awards. The enduring humour of the Hamlet ads could be in danger of disappearing if tobacco advertising bans are introduced, but for now it survives, at least on radio, where its “Bummer” ad was picked as the best for the year in that medium.

Vogue’s dotcom managed a fashionable twin-set by winning the best press ad as well. The Imperial War Museum picked up second place with its subtle images of the tools of the holocaust. Best cinema ad went to Orange for its “Hold up”, which managed to miniaturise live action to “top of the bar” size so well that it was hard to concentrate on the product plug. Barclay’s “Player” ad with Anthony Hopkins came in second, despite its unfortunate timing in terms of public relations.

Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium ad caused its storm of controversy (see ASA Orders Withdrawal Of Opium Ad After Most Complaints Since 1995) too late to be included in the “Most Complained About” category, but the media attention it has attracted sets a high standard of impact for creatives in the year to come.

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