Do something about the Berocca ad by JWT(Apparently?) shamelessly ripping off the OK GO video that got hundreds of thousands of youtube hits.

I mean the Sugar Puffs one was inspired by but lets be honest Mighty Boosh can’t take claim to that form of singing no more than P-Diddy could sue someone for rapping. While the Berocca advert steals even the moves from the OK GO video.

Posted by anonymous on 16/04/08, 10:51 am

Can you see me yawning?

Posted by Lee on 16/04/08, 12:00 pm

I’ve got the idea for the next one, clouds of plastic bags whipping round Tottenham Court Road? Oh, hang on, no, that actually happens for real.

Ok then, here we go, big surges of coloured dye, released into the Thames, with people giggling and rushing happily from one side of the wobbly bridge to the other to see it?

No? Bah, this is getting hard. Maybe a brightly-coloured thermal image, tracking the emissions from the recycling plants who have to process the millions of plastic boxes as people are goaded into upgrading to new tv’s as big as their wall?

What do you mean, ‘it’s not a positive image?’

Posted by Gary on 16/04/08, 12:45 pm

Oh yeah, that Berocca ad is an absolute shameless disgrace! What was the pitch? Just going on YouTube and saying “Like this, y’know. But with, like, Berocca, yeah?” So bad.

Posted by Ed Wright on 16/04/08, 3:30 pm

Strange. Fallon set the standard for beautiful, quirky advertisements, to be shamelessly ripped off time and again, but instead of letting everyone know why they are the big boys, they produce something homogenised that Orange would be proud of.

Posted by thepicklebot on 16/04/08, 5:56 pm

Maybe a bit of a stretch, but I was reminded of Sept. 11th watching this. Foam = smoke/debris especially the way it poured down at the start and later when it was falling from on high, people covered in foam = people covered in debris, even the loveliness of the day brings to mind Sept. 11th. It’s probably just me, but that connection triggered immediately and made the whole thing quite sad to me, not the message intended I’m sure.

Posted by Jef Nickerson on 16/04/08, 7:15 pm

Jef: wtf? are you american?

Posted by Dylan M on 17/04/08, 7:57 am

Actually I thought of 9/11 too — it looked like the images of people covered in dust, but this time in foam, for a cryptic Sony advert.

Posted by G on 17/04/08, 11:39 am

Interestingly dull. Crap ad like no other.

Posted by mudstuff on 17/04/08, 12:21 pm

Yes, I am American and was at work in Manhattan on Sept. 11th, though not at the WTC itself (I worked in Midtown).

Like I said, it’s a stretch, and I think few people would see that in it, but it hit me immediately. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it out as being in poor taste, we’re far enough removed and the connection is a real stretch, but it leaves me cold. Also, a lot of the people in the advert don’t really seem to be enjoying themselves, if the people looked happier, and the soundtrack was happier (well, happy at all), maybe I wouldn’t have made the connection.

Posted by Jef Nickerson on 18/04/08, 4:29 pm

It reminded me of 9/11 too - and I’m not from the US!
Its not as happy an ad as it should be. The music is crap - if it was me in a huge load of bubbles I’d be well bouncy and smiley. I’m off to find a bouncy dance tune and to make a bubble machine. Just what Sheffield needs on a dull Tuesday

Posted by Marcus on 22/04/08, 1:16 pm

Reminds me of the time when somebody poured washing up liquid into the fountain in Trafalgar Square, only not as effective. And that was achieved on a budget of 79p.

Posted by Mark C on 22/04/08, 1:17 pm

I have to say that I had exactly the same thoughts watching the ad the first time, a weird feeling I’d seen it before (probably similar to the feeling Kozyndan had watching the last ad), the images of billowing paper from the Twin Towers.

Posted by Ben Lewis on 22/04/08, 1:21 pm

9/11, yes, that’s what has been disturbing me! I hadn’t put my finger on it what was creeping about it, but I genuinely find it disturbing.

Posted by RCM Ltd on 22/04/08, 2:31 pm

This concept/aesthetic was so effective the first time. And now? Like no other? Clearly not.

Posted by Polly on 22/04/08, 4:16 pm

Sony schmoney, it screams 9/11 but relies on peoples embarrassment not to mention it.

Posted by big al on 22/04/08, 9:59 pm

Very environmentally friendly. And I can see why people think 9-11. The balls idea was fun, colorful and a hint of spontaneity. I can’t help but feel these people are just hired actors who want a bit of exposure & cash. Notice there were no people in a panic… I am sure there would be if it REALLY happened.

Posted by foam eater on 24/04/08, 10:24 am

But have you guys seen the documentaries? And all the still-footage online? It seems that the foam city is so much more than just a one off ad. Finally a step beyond “the 60 second ad”, i think it’s great!
More of this please!

Posted by Tim on 28/04/08, 6:45 pm

I just saw it for the first time and googled ‘new sony ad’ and ‘9/11′ because I thought exactly the same thing. I can’t believe they would go through all the client sign-offs etc without noticing the connection. Very strange that they let it through - were they anticipating this kind of reaction?

Posted by Fiona on 11/05/08, 12:05 am