British advertising changing to reflect the mood?
As Britain slides into a mood of economic recession it’s interesting to see how company’s marketing adapts. I was particularly aware of this watching two ads during Sunday night’s prime time.
1. Hovis
Basically this ad replays significant points of British history since 1886. Although the 122 second ad covers various good bits of Britain’s history (The Coronation, England winning the football World Cup and new millenium), it’s definitely not 100% upbeat and includes a surprising number of elements of struggle and hardship.
- Young soldiers marching to the FIrst World War
- The Titantic sinking
- The Blitz
- The Suffragette movement
- The Winter of Discontent and Miner Strikes
2. Sainsbury’s
The second notable ad was for Sainsburys and shows Tracy Brabin as a mum returning to work. Quotes like “the extra money really comes in handy especially now days.” and “I got change out of a fiver”. Pity I can’t find a clip for it – It’s all really subtle but again has elements of struggle and coming back from hardship. Definitely a different angle from the flamboyant Jamie Oliver ads.
