In message , Bill Wright
writes
I've just seen an advert on BBC-1 for the government's digital switchover
help scheme. This is intended to help those over 75 make the switch from
analogue to digital TV. The advert showed a garulous old fool who seemed to
lack social awareness and common sense.

Treating the customer as an idiot has been the hallmark of English
advertising that has cost several agencies their accounts.

There was a dreadful series of super market ads that depicted a senile
customer played by Prunella Scales being looked after by smiling,
patronising sales staff.

The were confused AA customers who knew a man who did.

About 30 years ago British Airways sacked the agency who
portrayed their customers as senile fools boarding an airplane, each one
clutching what he or she imagined was a priceless amphora. A smiling
stewardess took the urns off each pax in tern and put them in the hold
with dozens of other priceless amphora.

--
James Follett. http://www.jamesfollett.dswilliams.co.uk
http://www.pbase.com/jamesfollett http://www.bevanwilson.co.uk/media/files/Stro
ke-rec.pdf http://www.powcorp.com/title/view/401/ice
http://www.radioreviews.org/