I've been doing a bit of research for an article I'm (trying to) write and I keep turning up hilarious bits of ... well, let's be kind and call it kitsch... and it got me thinking about the current pervading mindset of the auto industry. Where has all the humour gone? and not just that, the frivolity, the actual fun of motoring? In this day and age of amazoid CGi it seems an advert has to be cinema-quality, chintz is seemingly outlawed for fear of the detriment to a stern eco-aware MESSAGE and car propoganda is just... dour. We all remember the Golf advert with the squeaky ear-ring (although those of us whose car ownership has been blighted by a Golf might laugh ironically) ...and who remembers one since? What happened to the times when manufacturers were happy to advertise even something as mainstream and tedious with a sense of fun and joie de vivre?
By way of illustrating what I'm trying to imply, I give you
The excellently-named Hillman Minx "Gay Look". Or maybe the superb line-up of Plymouth Duster special editions such as
the capacious "Space Duster" (see what they did there?) or my personal favourite,
the lightweight stripped out "Feather Duster". Perhaps it's wrong to even mention a time when soft-porn was an acceptable sales strategy but the excellent Raymond Revuebar-framed MGB ad made me actually lol (natch);
Mostly because my mum probably would like it as she's owned one forever. And on a similar modern-PC-rules-wouldn't-stand-for-it kinda trip;
Am I barking up totally the wrong tree? Much as I absolutely LOVE the new Shell ad with the ages-of-Ferrari vibe (OMG, the NOISE!)
it's the only car-based ad that's actually impinged on my consciousness in longer than I can remember and even then it's a very, well, retro thing, innit? As this is the face the public sees, what about letting the second-most expensive purchase anyone will ever make (yacht owners discounted) retain a bit of a feeling of joy about it?
Anyone got any favourites of their own to ad? (pun!)
By way of illustrating what I'm trying to imply, I give you
The excellently-named Hillman Minx "Gay Look". Or maybe the superb line-up of Plymouth Duster special editions such as
the capacious "Space Duster" (see what they did there?) or my personal favourite,
the lightweight stripped out "Feather Duster". Perhaps it's wrong to even mention a time when soft-porn was an acceptable sales strategy but the excellent Raymond Revuebar-framed MGB ad made me actually lol (natch);
Mostly because my mum probably would like it as she's owned one forever. And on a similar modern-PC-rules-wouldn't-stand-for-it kinda trip;
Am I barking up totally the wrong tree? Much as I absolutely LOVE the new Shell ad with the ages-of-Ferrari vibe (OMG, the NOISE!)
it's the only car-based ad that's actually impinged on my consciousness in longer than I can remember and even then it's a very, well, retro thing, innit? As this is the face the public sees, what about letting the second-most expensive purchase anyone will ever make (yacht owners discounted) retain a bit of a feeling of joy about it?
Anyone got any favourites of their own to ad? (pun!)
