A man on a beach.
You can tell he’s cool because he’s wearing a hat.
And his shirt is untucked and unbuttoned.
And he is bare foot.
He’s staring up towards the sky with a look of awe on his face.
You don’t know what he’s looking at, but it’s got to be something amazing.
He’s too cool to be impressed by any old rubbish.
Next to him is a cello.
Yes, a cello.
For reasons I’m not able to fathom, this musical instrument is able to stand perfectly straight without anything – or anyone – holding it.
Oh, and it’s also translucent.
Yes, you can’t get much cooler than that.
Next to the cello is a massively big woman in her underwear.
Seriously, she’s huge.
Maybe he’s a midget, but I’m pretty sure she’s super-tall.
But she’s not on the beach, she’s kind-of in a nondescript place.
I hope it’s somewhere warm because she could get a terrible cold.
She’s looking wistfully in the distance. As if she dreams of one day meeting a man on the beach who has a translucent cello.
You think I’m on drugs don’t you!
Or at least had too many cough sweets and got drunk on the minuscule alcohol content they hold.
Don’t laugh, that’s actually happened to me.
But no I’m not.
I’m not even overly-tired.
I have just described the utter bollocks of a Japanese lingerie brands ad running in HK.
I don’t know if a Hong Kong agency created it or if they are just running it there, but apart from a few exceptions [mainly people, but a couple of agencies] … it reminds me why I once described that place – in terms of adland, not the culture – as the big ideas ghost town.
Look at it.
What the fuck it is trying to say?
I have no idea, but what I’m fairly certain of – especially given the brand is named ‘Bon Luxe’ – is they’re desperately trying to appear ‘sophisticated’.
The cello.
The beach.
The hunk.
The woman.
The Eurasian heritage of the models. [because god forbid any pure Asian appears in the ads!]
The pompous ‘passions for perfection’ line.
The fake french ‘good luxury’ name.
It all smacks of some blinkered brand manager who doesn’t know the difference between natural and contrived.
Maybe someone should tell them the quickest way to look cheap and tacky is to try and fake sophistication.
And before anyone slags me off, a woman sent me this ad and she basically said what I’ve just ranted about for far too long.
And for the record, she’s hideously attractive so it’s not jealousy.
Plus she works for Tiffany, so she’s sophistication personified.
Annnnd – to put the cherry on top of the perfect life – she is married to a bloody race car driver.
No, I have no idea why she’s friends with me, but that aside … if she thinks it’s pants, then I think it’s fair to say I certainly can as well … so there.
God that was a long winded rant wasn’t it.
Well at least it’s Friday.
Happy Weekend.
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you married out your fucking league.
Comment by andy@cynic June 27, 2014 @ 6:21 amyou know people out your fucking league.
you have a career out your fucking league.
your entire life is out your fucking league.
that pile of shit ad is not as fucking painful as seeing the life you fucking enjoy. prick.
He sold his soul to satan. It’s the only possible answer. The bit I’m confused about is I would rate his soul as being worth less than any single item at the everything for a $1 shop.
Comment by DH June 27, 2014 @ 6:37 amIt was ‘happy hour’.
Comment by Rob June 27, 2014 @ 7:53 amJealousy is the greatest revenge … or it would be if everything you are accusing me of, wasn’t basically a mirror of your life x 1,000.
Comment by Rob June 27, 2014 @ 7:54 amon the positive, this blog is much less fucking shit when youre being a petty bastard than your attempt at being some new age, peace and love peddling wanker.
Comment by andy@cynic June 27, 2014 @ 6:24 amLet’s hope fatherhood permenantly changes him back to his worst/best.
Comment by DH June 27, 2014 @ 6:38 amThat guy is still taller than Bazza. iAdult.
Comment by Billy Whizz June 27, 2014 @ 6:32 amHarsh but very fair.
Comment by DH June 27, 2014 @ 6:35 amWhen we’re looking for inspiration for the iTwats, I’ll make sure the team give you a call.
Comment by Bazza June 27, 2014 @ 7:01 amHe’s showing more cleavage than she is.
Comment by DH June 27, 2014 @ 6:34 amOr a male cast member of Geordie/Jersey Shore.
Comment by Rob June 27, 2014 @ 7:54 amI know things have improved a lot, but I would guess the awfulness of that ad is not as uncommon in Asia as you wish it was. Am I right Rob?
Comment by Bazza June 27, 2014 @ 7:03 amOh it’s still rife. Utterly, utterly rife.
Comment by Rob June 27, 2014 @ 7:54 amDoes my cello look big in this?
Comment by Chris June 27, 2014 @ 7:20 amIt’s got award written all over it. Or is that the wrong word?
Comment by John June 27, 2014 @ 7:25 amYou spell it T-I-T-S.
Comment by DH June 27, 2014 @ 7:33 amWhere’s the photo of your hot friend and does she want a man to take her to heaven?
Comment by Billy Whizz June 27, 2014 @ 8:11 amWhy Billy, do you know someone she should meet?
Comment by Rob June 27, 2014 @ 10:02 amI have started wearing hats.
Comment by Marcus June 27, 2014 @ 3:09 pmDandy.
Comment by John June 27, 2014 @ 3:11 pmFunny you should say that, I did yesterday. But only because it was raining. Then I stopped the moment I realised I looked like a Victorian chimney sweep.
Comment by Rob June 27, 2014 @ 3:26 pmI use them to protect my baldness against the sun. And because I look like a dandy.
Comment by Marcus June 27, 2014 @ 3:34 pmObviously.
Comment by Marcus June 27, 2014 @ 3:36 pmObviously.
Comment by Rob June 27, 2014 @ 3:41 pmTerrible, but at least the English is good. That’s an improvement on what used to be executed when I lived in the region.
Comment by Pete June 28, 2014 @ 5:43 amHa Ha, love your observations! Hard to disagree. I’ve just written a post about the lack of Asian women in Hong Kong ads that might appeal. 😉 http://mintmochamusings.com/asian-faces-in-advertising/ Cheers, Nicole
Comment by Nicole Webb June 28, 2014 @ 10:55 am