Marks & Spencer have been trying for years to shed their image as purveyors of dowdy yet practical products. They’ve updated their clothing range and switched to free trade foodstuff, but the way in which they’ve finally succeeded in injecting some sex into the brand is through their current TV advertising campaign – a downright erotic promotion of their food range.
The sexy Marks & Spencer advert shows us some chicken. Then the husky female narrator sultrily explains to us that it’s not just chicken. Following a dramatic pause – during which you wonder if it’s also 20% rusk and 10% water – we’re told that it’s actually farm-reared, organic, golden, Wiltshire farm chicken.
That may be, but technically it is still just chicken. It’s not going to solve the problem of world debt and you can’t drive it to Milton Keynes to visit your parents.
It’s difficult to ascertain whether the purpose of the advert is to
tempt the viewer to eat the food or make love to it – or maybe both.
Even to those of us for whom the consumption of chocolate is a
near-religious experience, the sensual ejaculation of the dessert
filling is a bit too much.
It’s not a particularly bad advert, it’s just a bit of a
prick-tease. It has a habit of airing around teatime and its
presentation of succulent steaks and oozing cakes undoubtedly makes
anyone settling down to anything less than a King’s feast feel a little
inferior.
M & S food is undoubtedly good – everyone has, at one time or
another, indulged in some chocolate covered popcorn or a tiramisou bar
– but shopping there regularly is beyond the means of the majority. Goading us average wage earners with such graphic depictions of
what’s just out of reach is the culinary equivalent of dancing the
can-can in front of Stephen Hawking or punching a midget in the face
while holding him at arm’s length.
If it’s not interrupting teatime viewing of The Simpsons then it’s
popping up at the most unearthly of hours. KFC were guilty of this a
few years ago. Late night/early morning repeats of South Park were
invariably disrupted by the cartoon Colonel laying down the funk and
telling us how good his Twisters were. Great. Thanks Colonel, but where
exactly are we supposed to get them at this hour?
It’s like an incitement to riot, a finger lickin’ red rag to a quite
possibly pissed and stoned, hungry bull. M & S do the same thing.
There really is no excuse for airing it after midnight, which they do.
Frequently.
It doesn’t matter anyway, because until we all become lawyers, doctors or bankers, or marry money, most of us will have to make do with the sawdust and dogpoo equivalent from an alternative supermarket chain.
[story by Matt Cook]
Roj says
Thanks for this review it has helped me alot with a piece of Coursework im doing at the minute, if u feel u want to slag anything else off to do with M & S email me :P
Andrew says
Does anyone know what the must is that is playing in the background of that track?
charlotte says
if anyone does know the music that is played could they please email me…thanks!
steve says
PLEASE does anyone on the planet know the guitar solo in this ad its been driving me crazy! please email me for the sake of my sanity!
Simon says
I THINK……..it might be Samba Pa Ti, by Santana…….an old 70s track. I’m now going to try and prove it by finding and downloading that track. Watch this space!
Simon says
Yup, it is. Samba Pa Ti, Carlos Santana. And I’m old enough to remember it! Now ask me one on Sport.
Nelliesboy says
Simon tanks for that, after 2 hours searching on the net i finally found someone who knew that guitar solo, i didnt even want to know it was my dad that was dying to know but i got the task of finding it lol. heres the link for the advert if anyone is wanting to see it. http://www.visit4info.com/static/advert_pages/31919.cfm?back_page=advertiser_pages/MarksSpencerFoodDrinkRange.cfm
karen says
does anyone please know whose voice is behind the adverts it sounds a little like Davina Mcall but I am not entirely sure
Alan says
Her name is Dervla Kirwan.
She was in 55 Degrees North on BBC last summer and the summer before.
She was also the one in the pub on Ballykissangel.
Rohit Fernandes says
M&S Ad…guitar riffs….simon many thanks…like Steve, went mad trying to figure who it was.
Amy says
Has Dervla Kirwan always done the voice for the advert??