# George Hook and his annoying Sky adverts



## RMCF (25 Jul 2010)

How irritating are these ads?

Trying to get an old codger like Hookie to pretend he really loves Sky and their customer service. He obviously has never had to phone them!!

And everytime I listen to it, I can't understand why they left a certain line in it. Its the one when he says, "someone who cares as passionately .. as I do"

Listen to it the next time its on. 
He is so excited saying "someone who cares as passionately", then he almost couldn't be bothered to open his mouth to get the "as I do" out. Its cringeworthy.


----------



## ajapale (25 Jul 2010)

There is an old marketing adage that goes "if you cant fix it feature it". 

George certainly plays up his curmudgeonly traits and sky customer service leaves a lot to be desired.

And also without George's ad we would never have had those excellent Apre Match sketches.


----------



## Homer (25 Jul 2010)

Funny thing.  My wife thinks I sound like George Hook when I wax lyrical about the benefits of Sky+.  And I do it without being paid a cent.

I wonder if there's a job opportunity for me in this?


----------



## redwood park (25 Jul 2010)

RMCF I could'nt agree more. Every time I hear him I get more irritated. Add seems to be on every 2 minutes. I find it difficult to believe that he gets paid to do adds with voice and accent like that. He loves the sound of his own voice.


----------



## Westie123 (25 Jul 2010)

And this is the same guy who wore a black armband on RTE when Sky were awardes exclusing rights to showing live Heineken cup matches a couple of years ago.
What a hypocrite!


----------



## Chocks away (25 Jul 2010)

George is a hypocritical aural irritant IMO. To hear him going on about Anglo, one would think that he conducted his earlier business affairs in a prudent manner. Tell that to some of his past business associates.


----------



## Leper (26 Jul 2010)

If I got the money George got for the ads, I would be a hypocrite too.


----------



## zztop (26 Jul 2010)

I can only opoligise
Sky customer services answer to everything...I hate them


----------



## Purple (26 Jul 2010)

I moved to UPC since those ads were started.


----------



## gipimann (26 Jul 2010)

ajapale said:


> ....And also without George's ad we would never have had those excellent Apre Match sketches.


 
Not to mention Gift Grub sketches!


----------



## Moral Ethos (26 Jul 2010)

I hope he has earned enough form them. He is in violation of BAI rules that prohibit news readers from endorsing products.


----------



## Betsy Og (26 Jul 2010)

I was a fan, still am to some extent, but I fear he's getting more smug with each passing year. 

'e dont 'alf luv 'imself !!!!!!!


----------



## becky (26 Jul 2010)

Purple said:


> I moved to UPC since those ads were started.


 

Lord that is drastic!

I have to say on the scale of adverts that annoy me - this is well down the list.

Any advert where the man plays a buffon (and there are plenty)  in relation to cleaning products drives me mad.


----------



## callybags (26 Jul 2010)

seems to have the desired effect.... getting people talking about it.

I'd say a lot of the ads that poeple give out about are deliberately made with that in mind.


----------



## Chocks away (26 Jul 2010)

I, for one, would not go over to SKY (even if I thought they were offering a good service) purely because of this advert - and the Mr Malapropish clown doing it. But he obviously has his followers.


----------



## RMCF (27 Jul 2010)

I am about to cancel my Sky contract, which I have had for approx 10yrs, although not because of this advert.

Once I get a Freesat PVR, the Sky is gone. £500+ each year is simply too much. Don't watch enough TV to justify that any more.


----------



## Carey (27 Jul 2010)

+1


----------



## Bill Struth (27 Jul 2010)

It's nothing compared to GO COMPAAAARE! GO COMPAAAAARE!


----------



## Purple (27 Jul 2010)

becky said:


> Lord that is drastic!




It was a happy coincidence.


----------



## dewdrop (27 Jul 2010)

Slighty off topic i am amazed how a guy who is touching 70 has so much energy. He seems to be everywhere...on Newstalk, TV., fashion shows, ads etc.  In fairness he has often mentioned in a very open way the financial problems he had in the past. What really irritates me is his constant phrase " the key point is". I think he has given hope to people who may have suffered similar problems in the past.


----------



## Staples (27 Jul 2010)

dewdrop said:


> I think he has given hope to people who may have suffered similar problems in the past.


 
Yeah.  If "no discernible talent" and "attention craving" are regarded as problems, you're spot on.


----------



## micamaca (28 Jul 2010)

Staples said:


> Yeah.  If "no discernible talent" and "attention craving" are regarded as problems, you're spot on.



I disagree. George has a wonderful way with words both on radio and on tv. I think he has great presence on the radio. Much warmer than Pat the Plank and Pat is good on radio.


----------



## Purple (28 Jul 2010)

micamaca said:


> I disagree. George has a wonderful way with words both on radio and on tv. I think he has great presence on the radio. Much warmer than Pat the Plank and Pat is good on radio.



Pat usually knows what he is talking about. He can conduct an interview without talking over his guest in order to let everyone know (yet again) what his opinions are and he attempts to be neutral.  In all of the above he differs from George Hook.


----------



## Chocks away (28 Jul 2010)

Purple said:


> Pat usually knows what he is talking about. He can conduct an interview without talking over his guest in order to let everyone know (yet again) what his opinions are and he attempts to be neutral. In all of the above he differs from George Hook.


+1
When George learns a new word that has five or more letters, he should at least keep repeating it (off air) until knowing how to pronounce it. Finding out it's meaning and being able to use it correctly would also help his profile. Or is this a problem with all retired rugger buggers?


----------



## sunrock (10 Aug 2010)

What about his rugby analyst work? Did people find that irritating?
George is not there for his knowledge. He is there because people find his mix of charm, smugness, arrogance and sometimes contrarian views riveting viewing.
He is strangely representative of modern ireland in the persona of an old codger.
As he says himself  "its out there......so why not have it?"


----------



## Luckycharm (10 Aug 2010)

sunrock said:


> *What about his rugby analyst work? Did people find that irritating?*
> George is not there for his knowledge. He is there because people find his mix of charm, smugness, arrogance and sometimes contrarian views riveting viewing.
> He is strangely representative of modern ireland in the persona of an old codger.
> As he says himself "its out there......so why not have it?"


 
Yep he just says things to be controversial which anyone who follows the game knows he is talking through his This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language at times!! Brent pope is much better and Conor O'shea sits on the fence too much mainly due to his various jobs in England. 
Very ironic all these new Sky tv ads considering his views when RTE lost the rights to show HEC game to SKY 
I actually don't mind him on on the radio and will listen if he is talking about something I am interested in.


----------



## michaelm (10 Aug 2010)

At least he's only trying to sell Sky; nobody lost an eye.  The ad that would annoy me is the one with the golfer recommending some crowd for laser eye surgery.  Unless he's actually had them laser his eyes then I don't think he should be on pretending that he has had a good experience with them (unless he has, I which case I'll crawl back into my spider-hole).


----------



## Complainer (10 Aug 2010)

michaelm said:


> The ad that would annoy me is the one with the golfer recommending some crowd for laser eye surgery.  Unless he's actually had them laser his eyes then I don't think he should be on pretending that he has had a good experience with them (unless he has, I which case I'll crawl back into my spider-hole).


He has had laser eye surgery (but he didn't go for the High St heavily advertised service for his surgery - ssshhh, don't tell the audience)


----------

