Monday, October 03, 2011

The Art of Subtlety

According to a page on their website, Confused.com create all their ads in house.
One line made me laugh though: "But if you thought the commercials were the product of some trendy Soho ad agency you’d be wrong."

Oh dear. No folks, not for one second did I think that the latest monstrosity was conceived by an agency. If it was they were either juniors on a total off day, or terrible.

I am rapidly getting to the stage where i prefer GoCompare's ads to these. At least GoCompare has an idea, this feels like a brief given a visual and sonic treatment. You can practically see the brief in the script:

Confused.com
Make
Confused.com!

People
Confused.com!

Remember
Confused.com!

The
Confused.com!

Brand
Confused.com!

Name
Confused.com!

...
Confused.com!

Oh and
Confused.com!

Mention
Confused.com!

Saving
Confused.com!

Money
Confused.com!


ARGH! All this does is make remember that I never want to visit a site that is producing this kind of ad.

Seriously, the people making these need to study the work of Dave Trott. The guy is an expert at creating memorable and enjoyable ads that made you remember the brand, but in a positive way. Ariston, Toshiba, Access, all strongly brand name focused but with creativity, a strategy, and an actual idea.

If there is a better demonstration of why we need planners and creative directors I am yet to see it.

2 comments:

Sarah said...

Confused.com must be the only ad series to have a Facebook group that focuses on just where cars, microphone stands, bunches of flowers etc. keep appearing from - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Confusedcoms-magic-va-jay-jay/183416128345567

I can't watch them with a straight face.

And you are right - it means I will never, ever, in a million years, visit their website.

George Parker said...

Rob...
Further proof that great minds think alike... Although, I have to admit... You were first...
http://adscam.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/10/we-be-confused.html

Cheers/George