Ads By Contrast.

The extent to which I dislike adverts must have become the stuff of legend on this blog by now, but here’s something interesting: I often watch a Chinese shuffle dance video on YouTube which is always followed by a Chinese ad, and not only do I find it bearable but actually like it. I’m sure the appeal has something to do with different cultural imperatives and the fact that I don’t know a word of Mandarin, but it’s still a nice surprise.

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In stark contrast, there’s an ad for BMW which frequently appears on my Outlook email page. I can’t post it because there’s no option to copy and save the picture, but it’s easily described:

Two BMWs stand on the gravelly foreshore of a placid lake, and beyond the lake are statuesque mountains. I’ve no doubt that the message you’re supposed to take is that the car is the means by which you access a place of beauty, and is, therefore, an integral part of the experience. And the fact that there are two vehicles implies the likelihood of a romantic tryst to add further appeal.

What I see is a beautiful landscape polluted by the incongruous presence of two ugly metal boxes on wheels. And sanity re-asserts itself.