# Annoying dreamer



## Seagull (2 Nov 2005)

Did anyone else have the joys of listening to some idiot driving around yesterday evening blaring "I have a dream" over and over again? I have no idea what it's about, but they've already lost any chance of my custom.


----------



## Janet (2 Nov 2005)

Heard it this morning all right - walking past the Customs House.  Thought it got louder when I was near one of the lorries waiting at the lights and was thinking to myself it was unusual for someone to be listening to MLK's speech when driving but each to their own.  Then realised it was just "I had a dream" bit over and over again.  Couldn't figure out where it was coming from but in just the few minutes it took me to walk from there to the office it was annoying me.


----------



## DrMoriarty (2 Nov 2005)

Count yourselves lucky it wasn't the ABBA version...


----------



## Cahir (2 Nov 2005)

I heard something loud blaring from a van around Pearse Street station yesterday evening but couldn't make out what it was saying.


----------



## Brendan Burgess (2 Nov 2005)

It's just gone by my office. It's a small black car with the words "I have a dream" written on it.

I presume that it is just a teaser to get us talking about it and then we will be exposed to the full ad next week.

And it works... we are now talking about it.

brendan


----------



## daltonr (2 Nov 2005)

> And it works... we are now talking about it.



But we've all agreed not to buy whatever it is right?????   
I have never in my life bought or allowed anyone with me to buy Radion Washing Powder (Is it even still made???) after the cringingly bad Ad's from the Late 80's involving a family from Tramore.    It's completely irrational, but I'd pay slightly more to avoid using that product,  it conjures up such horrible memories.



> was thinking to myself it was unusual for someone to be listening to MLK's speech when driving but each to their own.



Hands Up.  I have done just that.   I have a couple of CD's of great speeches (including MLK's) and a few good Books on CD,  like Plato's Republic etc.   I'd never get through them as bedtime reading but they're perfect for the Dublin-Waterford Drive.

Actually using a clip from that stunning speach as an annoying advertisement gimmick is pretty reprehensible.   

-Rd


----------



## ClubMan (2 Nov 2005)

daltonr said:
			
		

> or allowed anyone with me to buy Radion Washing Powder


Who do you go shopping with - your butler or something?


----------



## daltonr (2 Nov 2005)

> Who do you go shopping with - your butler or something?



You do realise that Supermarkets allow more than one person to go shopping together.  Housemates,  Couples,  Whole Families sometimes.   

-Rd


----------



## Seagull (2 Nov 2005)

Who dreams up advertising gimmicks like this? Do they not realise how annoying it is? Can't you just picture some bright ad executive - Ah yes, we'll do something truly annoying before we launch the product. That should draw the punters.
I'd have to admit that I'm less than impressed with the general standard of advertising in this country.


----------



## daltonr (2 Nov 2005)

> I'd have to admit that I'm less than impressed with the general standard of advertising in this country.



Advertising really does my head in.   I mean the really bad stuff and there's a lot of that.   

There's a great Guinness ad campaign running in the States,  the "BRILLIANT!" campaign.   Why don't we get it here?   Who knows.

-Rd


----------



## brodiebabe (2 Nov 2005)

Maybe it is something in the vein of "Big Ed loves Mona"......  I liked that concept I have to say!!!


----------



## ClubMan (2 Nov 2005)

daltonr said:
			
		

> You do realise that Supermarkets allow more than one person to go shopping together. Housemates, Couples, Whole Families sometimes.


I was just curious as to how/why you can seemingly tell your co-shoppers what not to buy. Sounds a bit odd to me.


----------



## daltonr (3 Nov 2005)

> I was just curious as to how/why you can seemingly tell your co-shoppers what not to buy. Sounds a bit odd to me.



Are you saying that if you and your wife went shopping and she expressed a strong dislike of a product and you had no preference one way or the other that you'd buy the brand she disliked just to spite her?

I've never met anyone who wanted Radion so badly that it became an issue.

Since we now usually buy Surf I don't honestly know If Radion is still sold.

-Rd


----------



## Murt10 (3 Nov 2005)

I also instucted/requested/pleaded with Mrs Murt that under no circumstances, even if they were giving it away, was she to bring Radion into the house. She agreed as by buying the product you were only encouraging more annoying adds, and boy was that an annoying add.

"Poo Dad you smell" Yuk. 


Murt


----------



## daltonr (3 Nov 2005)

Oh thank goodness for that. I thought I was the only one crazy enough to still bear a grudge all these years later. Now that I know I'm not alone I can confess to a few others.

I also stopped buying Yorkies during the whole "Full Monty" add campaign.
But started again with the "Don't Feed The Birds" campaign. A good add is so rare we have to reward them.

I stopped buying silvermints when I noticed that the wrappers were the same size as always but if you pushed at both ends it collapsed. Had they started wrapping one less mint in each packet? I dunno, but it wasn't a once off. AFAIK it's still the case.

I can't cross the Threshold at Harvey Norman. I just can't do it. When the Ad starts I have to switch to a different channel on the radio. I don't know if ads that come after the Harvey Norman add get a discount because of people switching off.

Pretty much any Ad that involves a gang of women sitting around chatting (usually about men) annoys the crap out of me. I don't know if they annoy women (who they are aimed at). But if you must target ads at women can you at least try to make them less annoying for the rest of us.

On the positive side, I like Ben Dunne's current ad for his Gym's. It's very simple just him telling you to give them a call that he'll save you money. No fake conversation's with terrible acting. He has been very impressive any time I've seen/heard him interviewed.

-Rd


----------



## Seagull (3 Nov 2005)

I really like the current Guiness ad going from the guys at the bar back to the mudskipper.
Harvey Norman has annoyed me far too much over the years. They'd need something really good to get me into the store. I also tend to change channels the moment the ad starts. They seem to have managed to tone down the annoyance factor of their ads somewhat over the last while. Maybe they finally realised that annoying ads are counter-productive and there is such a thing as bad publicity.


----------



## DrMoriarty (3 Nov 2005)

daltonr said:
			
		

> Since we now usually buy Surf I don't honestly know If Radion is still sold.


'Tis all from those nice people at [broken link removed], anyway...


----------



## daltonr (3 Nov 2005)

>'Tis all from those nice people at [broken link removed], anyway...

That unavoidable.   But at least if annoying Ads don't get sales then they might up their Game.   Not that's Surf's Ad's with Biddy flirting with Checkout Boy were a Barrel of Laughs,  but compared to the Radion Ad's .....

-Rd


----------



## brodiebabe (3 Nov 2005)

Thank goodness other people feel the same about the "Thanks very much , Mr. Harvey" ads.  Never will I go near Harvey Norman's because of them.


----------



## z107 (3 Nov 2005)

> When the Ad starts I have to switch to a different channel on the radio. I don't know if ads that come after the Harvey Norman add get a discount because of people switching off.



When we last ran a radio advertising campaign, we instructed the radio station that we didn't want any of our adverts on after Harvy Norman for precisely this reason.


www.payback.ie


----------



## Seagull (3 Nov 2005)

umop3p!sdn said:
			
		

> When we last ran a radio advertising campaign, we instructed the radio station that we didn't want any of our adverts on after Harvy Norman for precisely this reason.


I'd wondered whether other advertisers would take this approach. You need to specify a gap after their ad though, because having changed channel, I'm going to stay where I've hopped to until they play a truly awful song or run the Harvey Norman ad. 
I've had the joys of channel hopping from one Harvey Norman ad to another to another. That shouldn't be allowed. There should be a rule that they can only pollute one channel at a time.


----------



## extopia (3 Nov 2005)

My own personal "un-favourite" is the Bewley's Hotel campaign featuring people with South Dublin accents talking about staying in Bewleys everytime they are up in Dublin to see a show, etc.


----------



## fobs (3 Nov 2005)

Since reading this thread i have the annoying "harvey norman song" palying in my head! Argh!!!!!!


----------



## daltonr (3 Nov 2005)

What's the deal with the Telly Bingo ads?   

It started as 
Telly Bingo Tuesday Night etc, etc, etc.
then
Telly Bingo Twice a week etc, etc, etc.

Now it's something like
Telly Bingo dum dee dum.

The words horse dead and flogging spring to mind in no particular order.

-Rd


----------



## Carpenter (3 Nov 2005)

My most hated ad campaign is for eircom Phonewatch (they've also called to our house twice in the past 2 months- despite already having an intruder alarm).  They use scare tactics in their radio campaigns (and the product is poor IMHO).  I've lodged an official complaint with the advertising standards authority- but unfortunately it was not upheld- despite a history of complaints against eircom for similar campaigns in the past. So what do you do?  I now switch off when I hear the ad, this may have something to do with the fact that our house was burgled in the past (before we had an alarm)   and I resent being reminded of it each time i hear that ad.


----------



## daltonr (3 Nov 2005)

Actually I had a problem with one of their Ad's but I had just written to ASAI about another Eircom issue that was rejected and I let this one slide.

Their Ad claimed that you have a 70% chance of having your house burgled while you're in it.   I presume they were trying to say that 70% of burglaries happen while someone is at home,  but that's wildly different from what they claimed.  Usually when statistics are presented in Ad's they are spun to make a point, but remain Honest. 

-Rd


----------



## Carpenter (3 Nov 2005)

Would you mind me asking what was the nature of your complaint to the ASAI?  I also made a second complaint against Eircom and I'm still awaiting a (satisfactory) response from ASAI.  Basically I felt their "special offer" was fundamentally flawed.  They consistently offer money off or free monitoring for a certain no. of months as an incentive to join up.  However given that this is offered every month (either money off or free monitoring, alternating each month) how can this be a special offer, i.e when does the offer not apply and you pay the "full price".  I'm still waiting on an answer!


----------



## daltonr (3 Nov 2005)

It's a while ago and I can't remember the specifics of it, but it related to their Broadband or High Speed service. Their TV add pointed you to a Website, and the Website made some claims about their service that weren't true. I can't remember the specific issue now.

One of my issues was about pricing I think.  
The other was about their claim that you could download CD quality audio.
At the time there were no Legal sources of Audio on the Web.  I didn't feel it was appropriate to promote the illegal things that you culd do with their service as a selling point for it.

Anyway it was rejected because the claims were made on their website, and the ASAI only consider something Advertising if you pay someone else (TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazine, etc.) to promote it.

Apparently a website doesn't count. 

So, anyone wanting to get around the ASAI, stick a web address in your ad and then lie to your hearts content.

-Rd


----------



## ClubMan (3 Nov 2005)

daltonr said:
			
		

> Anyway it was rejected because the claims were made on their website, and the ASAI only consider something Advertising if you pay someone else (TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazine, etc.) to promote it.
> 
> Apparently a website doesn't count.


Just to clarify this also includes paid-for website/internet based advertising. See [broken link removed]:


> *Chapter Three:  Scope and Coverage
> 
> *
> 
> ...



 
Could it be argued that a company pays its hosting service provider to host advertisments that it places on its (the company's) website?


----------



## daltonr (3 Nov 2005)

> Could it be argued that a company pays its hosting service provider to host advertisments that it places on its (the company's) website?


 
Not according to the letter I got from ASAI.   Banners on other peoples sites are covered.   But content on your own site is not.   I was complaining about Content on Eircom's own website.

I'm not a lawyer but to me a companies website is the same as a leaflet through the door.  They both have to be paid for in order to get them to the customer.   Are leaflets covered by ASAI???

Not that it matters a damn.   I have a letter from ASAI telling me that they asked PTSB to pull their "Best Interest Rate" Ads,  and IFSRA claim that THEY got PTSB to pull they Ad.  Either way the Ad got to run and hook customers.

-Rd


----------



## ClubMan (3 Nov 2005)

daltonr said:
			
		

> Not that it matters a damn. I have a letter from ASAI telling me that they asked PTSB to pull their "Best Interest Rate" Ads, and IFSRA claim that THEY got PTSB to pull they Ad. Either way the Ad got to run and hook customers.


Actually *I* claim credit for that one - or at least for alerting the _ASAI _and _IFSRA _to it and eventually managing them to do something about it in spite of their initial reluctance to do so!


----------



## daltonr (3 Nov 2005)

Yes,  I know, you had your run in with IFSRA.  I remember it well.   I only wrote to ASAI.   I'm not a fan of IFSRA.

When I said they claimed credit I was referring to their report later that year where they claimed to monitor the media and moved to have a misleading Ad removed.

-Rd


----------



## ClubMan (3 Nov 2005)

Yeah - I know. Their report made it look like they were proactive in dealing with the _PTSB _misleading ad. _PTSB _claimed to offer the best demand deposit rate for €5K+ which ignored the fact that _NR _were offering a better rate for a lower amount (viz. €1K+). Initially _IFSRA _said that it was something to do with complicated _CAR _calculations which was simply rubbish. Then they said that because _PTSB _specified a particular min. balance they were within their rights to claim to offer the best rate. This meant that each bank could pick an arbitrary minimum deposit amount and all claim to offer the best demand deposit rate! Eventually they saw sense and contacted the compliance department of _PTSB _and the advertisements were subsequently pulled.


----------



## daltonr (3 Nov 2005)

The most interesting part of that was their inability to grasp that the Northern Rock minimum deposit was LESS than the PTSB.   In other words if you had enough to invest with PTSB you by definition had enough to invest with the better Northern Rock account.

I could forgive them the initial mess up in not understanding what was going on.   It's worrying but there are mistakes made in all walks of life and you'd forgive them one or two in their formative years.

But to write a report claiming credit was unforgivable.

-Rd


----------



## dam099 (3 Nov 2005)

daltonr said:
			
		

> One of my issues was about pricing I think.
> The other was about their claim that you could download CD quality audio.
> At the time there were no Legal sources of Audio on the Web. I didn't feel it was appropriate to promote the illegal things that you culd do with their service as a selling point for it.


 
I don't know if that is technically true though, while there may have been no mainstream music available legally until iTunes and its peers haven't there been indie bands and labels offering music for free since broadband appeared? Also a few major label artists were offering odds and sods like demo tracks and live tracks for free. Of course the spirit of their offering probably was promoting illegal downloads but I'd say they would get off on the technicality.


----------



## SineWave (3 Nov 2005)

Will somebody please lock this thread so as to "cherish the moment". daltonR and Clubman are conversing and _appear_ to be in agreement.


----------



## ClubMan (3 Nov 2005)

Where did I say that? Do you have any objective, measurable evidence to back that assertion up? Please quote examples...


----------



## Carpenter (3 Nov 2005)

Chuckle hmmmmmmmmm


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

OK, time to sort this out the  way...


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

That's one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  

-Rd


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

Gracious in defeat, that's the spirit!  

Check out some of the "funny fights" — or make up your own...


----------



## ClubMan (4 Nov 2005)

Ha! I rule!!!


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

?


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

If you use our REAL Names I narrowly win. 
But you'll all have to figure out the real names to try it yourselves.
I guess this means that if we ever have to sort this out in a REAL fight I'll kick his ass.

(I did a simple google search, If I'd have typed the names into GoogleFight they'd
still be visible).

Also good to see Kilkenny Wiped the Floor with Bohs. 

-Rd


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

We have the power:


Let's call the next election now:


No wonder we keep drawing with them in Soccer Matches


-Rd


----------



## ClubMan (4 Nov 2005)

2,610,000 to me versus 2,560,000 to you with our real life names. Call it a draw?


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

Stick Quotes around the Names so you're not getting any false hits from people like Timothy Dalton, and I think I win, unless the Private Eye I employed gave me the wrong name for you. In which case the wrong person is about to get a visit from a hit man.

Ooops.

Still close enough for a draw either way.  

-Rd


----------



## ClubMan (4 Nov 2005)

Ah - but if you use my formal first name as it appears on my birth cert rather than my "familiar" first name then it's 142,000 versus 30,600 to me! Olé, olé olé olé, olé, olé....


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

Did I mention the name on my birth cert is "George Washington"

-Rd


----------



## ClubMan (4 Nov 2005)

Actually I always had visions of you thinking you were _Napoleon _to be honest!


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

I could tell you what visions I have of you,  but I think it might breach a few of the Posting Guidelines.  

Suffice to say, that if you were a world leader,  I'd be pushing for sanctions to stop you developing a Nuclear Program.

-Rd


----------



## ClubMan (4 Nov 2005)

What do you mean "if".


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

Glad to see this thread getting back "on-topic"...!


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

Dr. Dr.   You must know posters on AAM are like 2 year olds.  You can't bring a shiny toy like GoogleFight into the house and still expect us to sit at the table and eat our veggies.

-Rd


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

Just peeved. I've pitched "Dr Moriarty" against "mere mortals", "minions", "yer ma", etc. ...and they're _all_ whuppin' my ass!


----------



## Vanilla (4 Nov 2005)

He He, I win against all three of you...excellent link Dr.M!


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

Even if we gang up on him we're still in trouble.


All bow to the new Ruler.

-Rd


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

Gracious me, where has the morning gone to...?


----------



## Seagull (4 Nov 2005)

We just can't win. Even when Clubman and DaltonR are playing nicely, they still manage to drag the thread off-topic . Although I think it's gone through about 4 different themes so far, so I can't blame them entirely.


----------



## Vanilla (4 Nov 2005)

I might concede defeat to chocolate, if there were any around...however, as there is none, I accept the crown as long as it comes with no responsibilities or duties of any kind. And its 'her' not 'him'. Women rule!


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

And its 'her' not 'him'. Women rule!

:eek

Apologies Mam!   It must be the way the light catches you.

-Rd


----------



## Vanilla (4 Nov 2005)

Ho ho ho, very funny, I see 'Chocolate' has just registered as a new member( what's the betting a man is behind it)....men just can't take it when women take their natural place at the top of the pecking order.


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

Actually I just registered it and then realised It couldn't post here.

What can I say,  It's Friday afternoon.

-Rd


----------



## ClubMan (4 Nov 2005)

Vanilla said:
			
		

> men just can't take it when women take their natural place at the top of the pecking order.


You mean the hen pecking order?


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

Vanilla said:
			
		

> I see 'Chocolate' has just registered as a new member( what's the betting a man is behind it)....


Eh, there's no member called 'Chocolate', only ''!

Anyway, Friday pm or not, we'd better be careful where this discussion goes about whether men or women should be on top...


----------



## Vanilla (4 Nov 2005)

I was just waiting for that one, Dr.M! Predictable, toi? 


BTW 'Chocolate' doesnt appear in the members list since he has yet to post a message, I saw him appear as the latest member on the bottom of the home page.


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

Vanilla said:
			
		

> Predictable, toi?


I stand (well, sit) corrected!

You're right, it has to be a man. No woman would have remained silent this long...


----------



## casiopea (4 Nov 2005)

hey,
I whopped your asses too!!!!


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

To really, _really_ bring this thread back on topic — there's a scurrilous rumour doing the rounds over on Boards.ie to the effect that it's this guy who "has a dream".

What a sap. Even if the rumour is false, he looks/reads like a sap...


----------



## daltonr (4 Nov 2005)

Oh dear lord it's so much worse than a business trying to drum up sales. It's a politician who's heart is in the right place but who's head isn't.

RULE No.1 of being a politician.   You should wait until AFTER your are elected before you start annoying people.

RULE No.2 Don't quote speakers like Martin Luther King or John F Kennedy unless you can live up to the comparison. (Enda Kenny, sit up straight and pay attention this ones for you too).


Of course this guy will probable get elected because we live in a Media age where cringeworthy drivel is preferred to substance. So....Welcome to the Dail Mr Keegan.
Just, please stop driving around annoying us all.

-Rd


----------



## DrMoriarty (4 Nov 2005)

IF it's established that it actually _is_ him, residents of Dublin SE Central might care to drop him a line at info@keegan2007.ie and let him know what they think of his, ehm, "dream"...?


----------



## Seagull (4 Nov 2005)

If it is him, I suspect he's lost the vote of anyone who was inflicted with his droning on and knows it was him. I don't care what his politics are, or how good he might be. He's obviously got ideas above himself to use that quote in the first place, and no brain to be annoying people by blaring it out.


----------



## Bamhan (7 Nov 2005)

Go Harvey, Go Harvey Go Harvey Norman!!!!!!!


----------



## Seagull (7 Nov 2005)

I'm trying to decide whether Harvey Norman or Jim Langan's have the more annoying ads. Any votes?


----------

