Do you think that Irn Bru are getting too close to the bone?

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 29 Apr 2006, 23:42

Maybe I'm getting old but today I went to Asda and happened to notice a poster advert for Irn Bru. Now I like the drink as much as anyone. However, I can't help wondering if the advert I saw was not getting too close to the bone. It's a picture of a sheep and the caption says that it stole the Irn Bru from the cow and the pigs have now arrested it.

At first I was slow to pick up on the double meaning but my 15 year old son soon put me right . I then thought it was amusing but then I was not so sure. I was just wondering what others on the forum thought about it?

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 30 Apr 2006, 00:01

Even if the Bru are too close to the bone, they are a hard act to follow.

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 30 Apr 2006, 00:20

So you think that they can use any means necessary to sell their goods?

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 30 Apr 2006, 00:22

Scorpion wrote:So you think that they can use any means necessary to sell their goods?

Dunno. I was just following on from your double entendre.

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 30 Apr 2006, 00:33

So you like to sit on the fence? Okay, I can deal with that. Maybe some of the others have another view? Why don't you tick the don't know box now?

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 30 Apr 2006, 00:42

Scorpion wrote:So you like to sit on the fence? Okay, I can deal with that. Maybe some of the others have another view? Why don't you tick the don't know box now?

No not at all - I just assumed that when you mentioned "bone" you weren't being serious!

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 30 Apr 2006, 00:53

That's fine. Then why don't you tick one of the boxes? It won't hurt

.

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 30 Apr 2006, 01:27

I think that this one has probably just crossed the line but that is what happens when you try to live on the edge. Overall I think that their advertising is fantastic. (Althiough I have not had a drink of Irn Bru for 30 years).

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 30 Apr 2006, 01:49

I like your attitude

. Overall I have always enjoyed their previous adverts. They were phenominal

. You're right that they have always sailed close to the edge. However, I can't help wondering if this time they haven't crossed the line. If the sheep stole from my 'cow'/wife/partner/girlfriend and was arrested by the police/law enforement agencies, I wouldn't have much sympathy for the sheep

. On the other hand you may disagree.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 30 Apr 2006, 09:27

It seems that Irn Bru are determined to use more provocative means to sell their product. Their "I never knew 4 and a half inches could give me so much pleasure" certainly drew a number of complaints. Their ads have always used humour but they are a brand that sells across all age ranges and I also question whether this style of 'adult' humour is appropriate. When they produced the poster using the slogan '"Cheer up Goth. Have an Irn Bru." many teenage Goths reported having cans of Irn Bru being flung at them.

However, what I feel most concerned about is their new Irn Bru 32 product; an extra strong caffeine drink for kids, just what they need

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 30 Apr 2006, 09:39

Don't they advertise like this because the product is yuk - liquid bubblegum

Novastar · Post by **Novastar** » 30 Apr 2006, 13:39

Marya wrote:However, what I feel most concerned about is their new Irn Bru 32 product; an extra strong caffeine drink for kids, just what they need

One of the funiest things i've seen recently is a 5 year old going "Cukoooo" at the top of her voice. Great adverts. Don't think you can blame ads for bullying though - they tried this with Tango when I was at school and it was just an excuse.

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 30 Apr 2006, 14:50

Novastar wrote: One of the funiest things i've seen recently is a 5 year old going "Cukoooo" at the top of her voice.

My 7 year old son said to his visiting grandmother "I'll ssshh you, you tweedy auld craw" - she wasn't impressed.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 30 Apr 2006, 17:06

I hate that cuckoo - I do think these ads encourage some kids to be even cheekier than they already are

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 30 Apr 2006, 22:18

I've voted 'yes', scorpion. I'm not sure that they are 'too close to the bone', but I do think they are both puerile and bullying in tone.

They obviously try to get in on the back of the 'you've been Tangoed!' style, but they just dont get it - the humour is vapid and the style is neddish.

With tango, I always thought the humour was in the events unfolding within the advert - the 'victim' was in many ways a minor piece of the action.

Irn Bru ads at present are all focussed on the victim, and I find them stomach churningly offensive.

I do like Irn Bru though.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 30 Apr 2006, 22:41

[quote="mr magnolia]I do like Irn Bru though.[/quote]

Not when it gets spilt on your carpet though. Apparently it's the only stain that NOTHING will remove. Think what it's doing to your innards

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 30 Apr 2006, 23:34

Epykat wrote:[quote="mr magnolia]I do like Irn Bru though.

Not when it gets spilt on your carpet though.

[/quote][/quote]

carpets? what they?

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 01 May 2006, 11:55

Does one sail close to the edge?

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 01 May 2006, 19:01

Only if you don't want to fall off

It seems to be a sailing expression where if you sail too close to the edge of the direction of the wind you might lose it altogether.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 01 May 2006, 19:54

Scorpion wrote:....you might lose it altogether.

I think that's already happened to Mr Magnolia

Zargonian · Post by **Zargonian** » 03 May 2006, 11:10

I think the Irn Bru ads are good, a bit close to the bone but that's what advertising is all about. Get attention, sell a product.

It's that old addage :
If it bothers you don't look.

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 03 May 2006, 19:29

It's that old addage :
If it bothers you don't look.

Have you seen the billboard at Asda? While driving in the car park it would be hard to look elsewhere without having an accident

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 03 May 2006, 21:07

Scorpion, if you feel so strongly about it, you can always report it to the Advertising Standards Authority, details here.

Last year, the most complained about ad was the Kentucky Fried Chicken one, where people complained about people singing with their mouths full. Quite right too.

JP.

Zargonian · Post by **Zargonian** » 04 May 2006, 10:26

It still applies, if something bothers you.

Don't look.

If you don't like the sound of something, don't listen.

If you don't like the taste of something, don't eat / drink it.

Admittedly, distractive posters are a driving hazard.

But then that's classed as rubber-necking.

Driving without due care and all that!

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 04 May 2006, 13:35

I think Bird's Eye's latest campaign is counter-productive.

It's the one on billboards with half of a bit of food in a block of ice and the other half in fresh air - the bit poking out is rotten and all mouldy.

I've not seen anything like this since Tyne Brand meat in gravy had "NO LUMPS OF FAT OR GRISTLE" on their tins.

I'm not sure if creating a mental image - or in the case of Bird's Eye actually showing it - of something which could make you turn up your nose actually increases sales of a food product, but I'm not an ad expert.

Different for cleaning products - showing the contrast between boggin bogs and spanky clean pans after spraying with Flash-Bang-With-Ylang or whatever - but food?

I think I prefer the M&S ads.

Anyway, I mailed Bird's Eye and suggested they take things a step further with the slogan "Bird's Eye - not Bird Flu" and had a campaign which showed the tiny percentage chances of catching really bad things from their products - like radiation poisoning, botulism or giardiasis.

They haven't mailed me back ... yet.

Robin! · Post by **Robin!** » 04 May 2006, 17:33

Class, I want to see this

Zargonian · Post by **Zargonian** » 05 May 2006, 08:53

!!Ginsters!!

Now this advert I've heard it's very funny and suggestive.

It evolves around a chicken and c!ck. And voices of the actors really emphasise the animals descriptions.

Will I get censored for mentioning a male chicken?

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 05 May 2006, 10:33

Zargonian wrote:It still applies, if something bothers you.

Don't look.

If you don't like the sound of something, don't listen.

If you don't like the taste of something, don't eat / drink it.

Admittedly, distractive posters are a driving hazard.

But then that's classed as rubber-necking.

Driving without due care and all that!

That's not what happened when Benetton launched their line of ads in the early 1990's Zarg. Anyone else remember, for example, the poster of the aids victim on his death bed surrounded by his family or the one of the African guerrilla holding a Kalachnikov and a human leg bone ?

Benetton was much talked about, but their sales suffered.

Zargonian · Post by **Zargonian** » 05 May 2006, 10:37

Marya wrote:
Zargonian wrote:It still applies, if something bothers you.

Don't look.

If you don't like the sound of something, don't listen.

If you don't like the taste of something, don't eat / drink it.

Admittedly, distractive posters are a driving hazard.

But then that's classed as rubber-necking.

Driving without due care and all that!
That's not what happened when Benetton launched their line of ads in the early 1990's Zarg. Anyone else remember, for example, the poster of the aids victim on his death bed surrounded by his family or the one of the African guerrilla holding a Kalachnikov and a human leg bone ?

Benetton was much talked about, but their sales suffered.

Fair enough, but that was before political correctness went mad.
That was a very striking / hard hitting ad though.