49 Comments

Who the hell is Duffy?
harimakenji
2009-02-18 17:51:26

truly awful
john fox
2009-02-18 18:06:54

Is this a joke?
andy
2009-02-18 18:23:42

The ad is fine.

But I hate this woman and everything she stands for.

2009 should be about building a time machine. To put her and all her nostalgic cronies in it, press 1968, wave bye bye. Destroy the machine and all the blueprints. They get stuck in their B&W, dusty Motown fantasy land and nobody ever hears from them again. Everyone's a winner.
Toben
2009-02-18 18:28:12

that's a Mother alright
COMMENT DELETED BY MODERATOR
GARETH
2009-02-18 18:44:37

Why ride a bike to the supermarket? Almost as if they are subtly reminding us where "women to take control and do the right thing for themselves” are meant to be. I suppose the next one will have Duffy roller skating to the kitchen.
PM
2009-02-18 20:01:11

She looks like a 70s pin up but sounds like a duck/goose in this commercial. I think Mother got put across the table by the coke committee (I shan't name names but I do feel sorry for Cath, she doesn't have an easy job) and were spanked silly before it got watered down. Do the ladies of the UK who supposedly drink Diet Coke have to be patronised by the likes of this? Was this an attempt to break into the uth market?
Garth Jones
2009-02-18 22:53:20

I read this somewhere else (albeit edited) and I think it's spot on.

"It's all down to creatives at the ad agencies, who haven't a clue about what they sell or who their target audience is.

So they think about it and realise their audience for a 'refreshing' drink must a younger, hip generation.

They put out some surveys and find that young people like Duffy, riding fixed gear bicycles, hanging out in a car with their friends, going to concerts and most teenagers work at a supermarket. So why not put all that together in one advert? "Surely something will appeal to one of those kids to buy our product.""
Elio
2009-02-19 00:14:47

anybody else find her voice vaguely annoying? like an old woman sing along to the radio. it's OK when its accompanied with a band, but this is almost a capella and that's to much for me.
vic
2009-02-19 01:09:38

the ad is about 80% duffy insisting herself and not about Diet Coke anymore. How did she become as the "epitome of diet coke" is beyond my understanding. Women taking control now? lol
Georgie Mcgrew
2009-02-19 02:02:25

That coke can looks pasted in, is this some sort of mock up or something?
brozmical
2009-02-19 02:35:14

Beautiful Terry Dolan track frame that she throws her bike into at the end of the ad, good going Duffy...
Dave
2009-02-19 08:25:35

well i like it. in comparison to the god awful women wearing bright clothes in a completely white office building where everyone is so beautiful even the handy man is clean white and sexy and dangling from the elevator ad they've had recently - criticize that and then reflect that this is not so bad...
sera
2009-02-19 09:14:21

I just don't get it. I can see that she's saying "no to the pressures of modern day living” but why ride round a supermarket? And why come back? Surely that's actually saying "Alright I'll do it in a minute to the pressures of modern day living".
Dan
2009-02-19 09:30:18

She looks mighty uncomfortable on that bike. Could they not have given her a Pashley, or were Mother trying to shoehorn in their 'rad fixies'?

@ CR
"...starring both Duffy and other models." That's either bad copy, or an derisory comment on Duffy's talents.
Ed Wright
2009-02-19 10:07:02

'Hello You' too! Poor old Duffy - nice girl from North Wales - looks more unstable on her racer than Frank Spencer did on his roller skates back in the day. Is this why she doesn't stop at the doors? In the extended version does she go down a cobbled stairway, nearly knock an old lady with shopping over, through a barn, spitting out hay on her exit and up a ramp into the back of a removals van?

Eugh.
Andy
2009-02-19 10:49:53

I saw it for the first time last night. Deeply disappointed. She is uncomfortable, sounds terrible (well, unless a small choking hamster sounds good) and it's not in the correct spirit of what diet coke means to us all. OK, it's different, in the sense it's an interesting ad... however doesn't do it for me. Looking forward to seeing the poster ads, these look like they could lift it for me.
Stephanie Tyler
2009-02-19 15:48:29

"and what are those bikes cool people in shoreditch ride these days?"

"err.. i think they are called fixed gear bikes or something? they are like racers but with only one gear"

"brilliant! lets throw one of those in then!"

(but they haven't even done that right as its a single speed not a fixed, although single or fixed, those type of bikes are embarrassing).
chris
2009-02-20 11:59:33

Duffy is the record industry replacement to the genuine voice + rock rebel spirit of Amy Winehouse in the same way that Diet Coke is CocaCola's replacement for the real coke...

Both, the drink and the singer deserve each other and this ad is just the best example of how bad an ad can be...

Without additives, of course.
KillEmAll
2009-02-20 12:52:20

Can you imagine her actually bombing around Shoreditch on her trendy racer? I doubt it, I bet as free as she gets is a gratuit black cab! Hardly a statement of self expression. : )
B May
2009-02-20 13:12:26

Gawd this is so awful I had to watch it twice. I don't get it. She's given a can of DC and then what - cycles all the way to the grocery store to buy another one, while all the time singing about 'being me'. And then she cycles back? This is what's wrong with this ad: She sounds awful. She looks awful. She's on a bloody bike. She goes to the grocery store. She's wearing blue tights.
Sarah Turner
2009-02-20 13:31:38

Maybe my cynicism is heightened due to it being a Diet Coke ad, but in my opinion it's wannabe 'cool' that fails miserably. Nil points!
There I was thinking that Mother had a rep for producing good stuff. Any respect I had for them has just died after watching that rubbish.
And as for that Duffy.... just another money/fame grabbing, corporate sell out whore who sings like an old lady with a larynx problem.
Mike
2009-02-20 14:13:27

What the...?! I don't get it at all, her voice does not suit the song at all and there is nothing visually eyecatching about the advert. Dull, dull, dull, another advert I will not pay any attention to when it's aired as it will merge with all the other mediochre ads.

Oh and being a young, female professional I am the target market. Incidentally, it is NOT just women who drink diet coke and no, the previous ad campaign did not impress me either.
Heather
2009-02-20 14:50:32

DREADFUL! I like Duffy, but the marriage of her voice over that schmultzy musac is like Orville (the ventriloquist duck) singing "Nessun Dorma". It's wrong. As for the video, it's pointless, it's rubbish.
Francola
2009-02-20 15:38:21

Sings like a duck. looks like a member of Beetle juice's family and has to escape from what must be her wildest dreams come true? what is this telling us about young women and cokehood? utterly rubbish.
Ian
2009-02-20 15:55:58

Good idea to update diet coke ads and bring them out of the 80's.
Shame this is such an absolutely pants direction and execution. As others have said it says nothing about the product and she's sold out to do an ad for diet coke which is as much about "being me" as Gordon Ramsey doing an advert for Linda Mcartney bean cutlets.
Rubbish.
mike
2009-02-20 16:08:13

What on earth happened to the diet coke ads?! They used to be half way decent. Well not that one in the office obviously. This one was just uncomfortable to watch (much like it probably was riding that bike), and listen to.

I'm also still slightly bewildered as to the point of that as well.....
Mhairi
2009-02-20 20:38:49

I'M A LECTURER AT THE RED AND YELLOW SCHOOL OF ADVERTISING IN APE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA. WE HAVE WON A NUMBER OR D&AD AWARDS, BUT I'M A LITTLE STUMPED ON THIS ONE. DOES ONE PRSUME IT'S A GOOD AD JUST BECAUSE OF WHO DID IT. WOW BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD FOR ME.
Peter Southworth
2009-02-21 13:44:14

What an extraordinary consumer insight. Finally advertisers have woken up to the greatest pressure of modern life that young women face today. Namely, being forced to do an encore at your own sell out gig doing the thing that you love and have wanted your whole life. Surely only a superwoman could withstand such torment.
alan
2009-02-22 11:21:25

Wow. I would never have guessed a Diet Coke ad -- and a conventional one, at that -- would generate so much response.
Reality Check
2009-02-22 14:43:52

really dull ad. Why does creative review put such dull stuff on their blog? do you think it is good creative work?
Adis
2009-02-23 17:16:01

there is no minimum daily requirement for refined sugar and no nutritional value in diet coke.

just say no
Cyber Rainbow
2009-02-23 23:01:04

As I was avoiding the Brits (just too cringy) I didnt see this until this morning. I first heard Duffy on Jools Holland on New Years eve 2007 and couldnt understand why she was on as she was very average (totally outshone by Seasick Steve!) I had begun to enjoy her music and think maybe she was nervous that night. On her album she sound clearer and more confident. This advert took me right back to my original thoughts. Her voice seems strained and whiney. I have no idea what message Coke are trying to get across. Its like one of those birthday cards that your old aunty would send with 'hip and trendy' phrases on that showed she couldnt have been more out of touch if she had sent you Telly Tubbies for your 14th. It doesnt make me want to buy Coke and it makes me not want to buy anything by Duffy. I think she just lost her credibility with this. On the positive side if I am ever worried about my creative ability as a marketeer I can always look at this and think 'I might not be brilliant but I'm not THAT bad!'
Louise
2009-02-24 11:52:43

I am surprised that they chose Duffy to represent the diet coke ad. It doesn't really seem like she would be your first thought, saying that they used Brittany Spears and that was really successful so may be they thought that as she was going to win at the Brits she was the best option to promote diet coke.
Katie
2009-02-25 11:13:23

I don't understand why none of you like her. I must admit she's not as good as she normally is, but I think she's a really good singer and she's really pretty.
Leanne
2009-02-25 17:06:54

I've just seen the ad... she sounds terrible!! a squeaky high pitched voice... bad bad bad!!!!
Sarah
2009-02-28 17:55:00

I'm frankly amazed that somebody like Duffy can become famous. I also saw her on Jools Hollands 2007 New Year Hootenany, and she was just TERRIBLE! Out of tune, ridiculous voice etc etc. It says a lot about some peoples taste in music that somebody that bad can win awards! I think that just because an artist get played a lot some consider them good - there is more to it than that in my opinion!
As for the advert - it's for Diet Coke??? I've seen it times, and didn't realize that!! It's just crap! A badly dressed girl with a stupid voice riding an uncomfortable-looking bike through and around a supermarket??? What were the marketing folks on when they dreamed that up??
Mick
2009-03-01 08:41:24

lost for words...
Nick
2009-03-04 15:40:41

It's pretty amazing - one ad has caused a huge amount of comment; it might not be extraordinary to soho ad types, but to the your girl target in the street I bet it works a treat...

it's upbeat, telling them not to take life so seriously, take time to breathe in this ever more complex and depressing life... the choice of Duffy is inspired...the song is cool...it's well produced...and when was the last time a Diet Coke ad created this amount of buzz??

well done Mother....
Gary
2009-03-05 01:48:55

the worst thing about this, is that when duffy first made it big, i remember her doing an interview (i belive it was for the E! channel) where she said she would never sell herself or her music to corporate giants because 'its not what she got into music for'......silly corporate whore.

Maybe im being too harsh tho, i meen these guys pay alot of money right? Maybe being one of the top 5 selling artists in the WORLD last year didnt earn her quite enough money.

You disgust me duffy.
jr sawce
2009-03-06 13:50:05

In the words of Simon Cowell, this ad is "crazy bad". So awkward and stilted. Horrible sounding. Patronising. Awful.
Guy
2009-03-08 22:01:58

jr sawce..... my sentiments exactly!
Whatever happened to integrity?
Mike
2009-03-11 12:28:46

...and i thought it was just me that can't abide her. Thank God i'm not alone!

What a horrendous advert. I can't understand why anyone would think she's a good singer??? She whines, croaks and screeches her way through every song with that massively irritating vibrating voice of hers, but this advert takes it to another level. I dislike her more every time i have the misfortune to come across her in day to day life.
Picky Bugger
2009-03-15 09:13:02

Comment deleted by moderator
Marc Richards
2009-03-17 12:20:44

she sounds like daffy duck on crack..........
CHRISSIE TURNER
2009-03-17 17:51:41

This advert is worthy of scorn and derision. A laughable attempt to talk to a "women" that doesn't exist. Shameful.
Hitler Skelter
2009-04-15 14:01:37

what a way to ruin a good song! People are always moaning about being healthy and then you see adverts with famous people being unhealthy - it just doesn't make sense.
Hello
2009-04-20 19:33:12

i am sitting in a media lesson, and i am working on these adverts.
yes, the one on the bike may get quite annoying aftter a while, but i really dont think calling her a 'silly corporate whore' is helping anyone.
Bit personal dont you think!?

and also i think the print advert is a great way of advertising coke, look at the way the can is positioned, and the way she stands out from the cleverly colured background.

so keep your unnesarsery opinions to yourselves!!!
Like my parents say"if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all!"

yours truly, the wonderful media students of essex
media student
2009-10-19 09:34:54

Hi again :)
Just to let you know this website has made our media lesson ever more enjoyable.
love you all and thanks for being so negative!
yours truly, some very happy media students :D xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
media student
2009-10-19 09:42:10

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