This ad for Kellogg’s cereal Just Right, starts okay with great images, but finishes poorly. I don’t think it’s clever, I don’t think it is just right, I think it is pretty ordinary.
In my books, the catchline, ” it’s pretty bloody good “, ruins the whole thing. Also, the guy and his shorts, that just hopped out of Sydney Harbour, look pretty bloody dry to me. I’ve been reliably informed by reader Marie that the actor/guy in the Kellogg’s Just Right commercial is Australian actor Conrad Coleby.
Putting “bloody” in there is the problem. I get a bit bored with dinkie die Aussie stuff being used to flog things. Remember the Australian Tourism punchline “Where the bloody hell are you” delivered by Lara Bingle? Maybe it’s an indicator of an Australian identity crisis or it’s for a narrow target audience; the latter is where my problem lies with this ad overstating Aussie understatement.
Television doesn’t discriminate and everyone who can hear or see a telly will get ” it’s pretty bloody good “. That will include plenty of Aussies who don’t like the word ‘bloody’; but most importantly it will include plenty of kids of all ages.
When Mums or Dads go to pick up little Jenny or Johny from kindergarten in the arvo and ask ” how was your day my little pumpkin? ” they should not get cranky to hear ” it was pretty bloody good Mum but you missed the play. Where the bloody hell were you?”.
After all, we know from our kids, if it’s on telly, or especially Youtube, then it’s okay, it’s true.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/brits-lift-bloody-hell-ad-ban/2006/03/18/1142582557678.html
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/canada-fine-bloody-not-hell-19289
Word for today: swearing
The word bloody, or hell or other swearing in general doesn’t cause me to cringe and shrink under a leaf. Hell, it’s just possible I swear a little myself so I’m not Snow White. As the saying goes though, there is a time and place for everything.
BBH Rating; 4/10
More to come; same blog time, same blog channel
BruceBlogsHere 
I agree, the ‘bloody’ is inappropriate for an advertisement directed at children and yes, a cheap way to dumb down our ‘national’ cheekiness.
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By: The Wanderlust Gene on February 17, 2013
at 2:07 pm
That’s a great description, ‘dumbing down’. Thanks for the comment. Bruce
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By: Bruce on February 17, 2013
at 4:21 pm
I didn’t notice the dry shorts the first time, but when I watched again I saw that not only were they dry, they were a different color.
Great phrase: “…overstating Aussie understatement…”
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By: bronxboy55 on March 1, 2013
at 12:13 am
I noticed the colour change after I posted but not at the same time as the wet shorts. Do you think that means anything? Should we be worried?
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By: Bruce on March 4, 2013
at 4:22 pm
and no one notices what a stupid ad it is for suggesting that you can hand feed a 4m croc and then dive into the croc infested waters…. very irresponsible
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By: Dee on March 4, 2013
at 11:56 pm
A point of view I hadn’t considered. Thanks for your comment. Bruce
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By: Bruce on March 5, 2013
at 7:48 am