In need of amusement on one of those work days where nothing seems to get done except further requests filling the inbox, I remembered seeing an advert a few years ago that made me chuckle and thinking it was for a VW, ended up finding this: 

For those that don’t speak Dutch (myself included) the wording reads:  The company that continues, even if you are stopped. 

Or if I’ve got that last word wrong and it’s “gestapt” not gestopt” : The company that keeps going as you are stepped on.

Either way I can’t see where the humour is. It’s clearly designed to be funny but I guess it’s a purely cultural or language-based joke as it’s beyond me.

I’m trying to think of an English equivelant: a van parked up at a Sussex beach in that half-sun half-rain weather selling deck chairs for a fiver only to be outdone by some elderly couple selling them on for £6 from the back of a better, albeit cheaper van?

Not so long ago I started finding some car ads that never aired here (in the UK) and would only hit screens elsewhere (from South Africa to France) but for unknown reasons were deemed unsuitable for presumably innocent British eyes. 

Now, these two think it’s fairly obvious why they didn’t air in the UK, or at least what excuse would be given, but wanted to put em up so they could be more fully enjoyed. 

The first, is for a Toyota – though really it’s just a great ad for air-con:

And this one, again… you can kinda see why it never hit screens here.

Now, I know that the culture is supposedly more laid back in Australia but I still think this ad would’ve done well over here too. Put it on after the water-shed and I know that people are going to be thinking they want a new Nissan and (if they’ve seen both ads) they’re gonna want it with air-conditioning too. 

Are we really that politcally correct over here in terms of advertising standards that we couldn’t permit a bouncing pair on our screens for 30 seconds? I’m sure the intro for Baywatch was longer than that and featured a lot more bouncing.

Another amusing ad that won’t air in the UK – I don’t know about the US, I get a feeling it’s from South Africa – especially as we don’t get the car here…

I’ve never heard of the original, let alone the new Ford Ikon but at just 4 seconds it becomes clear that whoever is doing Ford’s ad campaign on this one knows how to get attention: girls, bikinis, sun… shark!!! 

It’s a strange thing that, while this ad isn’t overly controversial, sexist or even rude, I doubt it would play over here, it’s like we’re becoming too PC. Although this ad does seem to say more about the intelligence and cunning of a shark more than it does that of the new Ford. What do you think of this ad?

Ok, so this is frustrating me now. Check this out:

This is the advert for the Mito that Alfa Romeo have showing in Italy. Now THIS one makes sense: it’s sporty, it’s poetic, it’s red and it has styling cues from the 8C Competizione. It’s all art, imagery and everything we associate with Alfa Romeo. 

So why is it we don’t get this ad here in the UK and get the one with no clear message? Do the Italians think we wouldn’t get the whole “it’s aggessively fast then gracefully agile” message? Anyone???

I saw this advert for the new Toyota Rav4 at the weekend and thought I’d share it:

Now I’m not sure on this one.

It’s clear Toyota are trying to get a new image for the new Rav4, but, does invoking spousal homicide make you want to head down you local Toyota dealer and grab a new Toyota Rav4?! Is “it makes your husband/wife want to kill you for it” a message to attract buyers to the new Rav4? Is the Toyota Rav4 really that desirable?