The British public, and particularly the men, have thrown up a
selection of surprisingly low scores in this month’s People’s Jury,
demonstrating just how hard it is for advertisers to get it right.
The only high-scorer to buck the trend is TBWA GGT Simons Palmer’s
Cadbury’s Dairy Milk commercial. A window cleaner’s hapless attempts to
reach his luscious chocolate strikes a particular chord with the female
audience, who award it a 6.4. D’Arcy’s Mars Bar spot, in which a woman
languishes in a chair while barking orders at a subservient male,
receives a more abstemious 5.0.
Dotty, the interfering old biddy, has been passed over in favour of
another ancient relic, Dodo, in the latest Tesco spot from Lowe
Howard-Spink.
Dodo flies high in second place on 5.4, with women just as keen on the
blue cartoon as they were on Dotty’s blue rinse.
From one ancient mummy to another: the British Gas Trading spot set in
the catacombs of Egypt is another high performer in the table. BMP DDB’s
latest execution is a particular hit with the over-55s, who awarded it
5.6.
People’s Jury is based on a survey of 1,000 adults who rate the ten most
shown ads with a score ranging from one (turkey) to ten (treat).
A young man’s covert attempts to ingratiate himself with the woman of
his dreams have proved a hit for Bartle Bogle Hegarty. The agency’s spot
for One 2 One has successfully wooed the target 16-34 age group, who
award it a 5.7.
Advertisers and consumers are clearly preoccupied with financial matters
this month. Alan Davies continues to charm with his no-frills approach
in the Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper spot for Abbey National, which receives a
5.2, tying in third with the Bates Halifax spot. Standard Life’s talking
toddler notched up an overall score of 4.6, although northerners are
slightly less inclined to coo over his cuteness - they award him a 4.0
compared with the southerners’ 4.9.
Women continue to confound the old DIY stereotype by showing a far
greater interest in home improvements than their male counterparts. The
B&Q spot from Bates is a case in point, with women voting it a 5.8
compared with men’s 4.6.
Now to our questions. Despite all the column inches devoted to the
benefits of organic food, only 36 per cent of those questioned are more
likely to shop in a supermarket offering a wide selection.
And judging by the schisms that continue to divide the Conservative
Party, it’s perhaps no surprise to see that 67 per cent of the
respondents do not believe advertising can help them win back power.
Audience Selection carried out the interviews from 8 to 10 October with
a cross-section of 1,000 adults.
LEADING QUESTIONS
Yes No Don’t
know
Q1: Are you mokre likely to shop in a supermarket
that offers a wide range of organic food? 36% 63% 1%
Q2: Can advertising help the Conservative Party
back into power? 29% 67% 4%
TOP 20 ADS
Rank Ad campaign Agency Points
1 Cadbury’s Dairy Milk TBWA GGT Simons Palmer 6.1
2 Tesco ’Dodo’ Lowe Howard-Spink 5.4
3= Abbey National Pensions Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper 5.2
3= B&Q Bates UK 5.2
3= Halifax Mortgage Bates UK 5.2
3= Take A Break Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy 5.2
7 Mercury One 2 One Bartle Bogle Hegarty 5.1
8 Mars Bar D’Arcy 5.0
9= British Gas Trading BMP DDB 4.9
9= COI Action 2000 Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO 4.9
11 Sunworld Martin Tait Redheads 4.7
12= Sky St Luke’s 4.6
12= Standard Life The Leith Agency 4.6
14 Cheltenham & Gloucester Saatchi & Saatchi 4.5
15= Aldi Shopping Experience Carney Richardson 4.4
15= Camelot WCRS 4.4
15= National Telephone Code
Change J. Walter Thompson 4.4
18 MFI Publicis 4.3
19 The Sun TBWA GGT Simons Palmer 4.0
20 Pharmaton Capsules Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters 3.7
Source: Audience Selection. Tel: 0171-608 3618.
