Jan

5

uSwitch Bring James Brown Back From The Dead

Filed Under Marketing Insurance |

James Joseph Brown. Yes, the James Brown sadly passed away on 25th December 2006. He was commonly referred to as “The Godfather of Soul”. Like him or loathe him, he was prolific, successful and an energetic son-of-a-gun. He left his mark on the music world without a shaddow of a doubt.

It seems, however, that he also left his mark on one particular Marketing Director working for the online comparison website, uSwitch.

The late and legendary Mr J. Brown had passed away for what - a matter of hours - before the new above-the-line activity for uSwitch hit our TV sets - featuring what looks like an unmistakable homage to Mr Brown himself, with full gospel choir , purple silk and the every-so-well-thought-up line of “you gotta switch”. Bad taste some might say. How were they to know? cries another voice (slightly camp voice this second voice, coming from the back corner of the room).

Putting the quality of the campaign concept and creative implementation to one side (tongue firmly placed in check), why is it active. It’s everywhere. On TV. In CRM. On their website homepage. Where are Anne Wogan or Terry Robinson? …whoever’s got that gig nowadays. I honestly can’t believe this activity hasn’t been pulled. Has nobody noticed?

What a sight it would have been to see the expression on Mr Marketing Director’s face when he first heard the news. It probably would have hit him sometime soon after the little kiddies had dived into their pile of presents. About the time when they were at maximum sugar dose levels and tearing the place down around him, before he’d had a chance to even changed out of his dressing gown and say Happy Christmas to Mrs Marketing Director.

What do you think his first thoughts were? Pull the ad? How can I pull it now? Who do I tell? Should I just stay quiet and claim no knowledge of the news? Nobody will notice, surely? I’d imagine he opted for the later and carried his turkey fuelled anxiety with him until he made an unplanned, early return to the office after Boxing Day.

But how - I ask of you - has the activity not been pulled? Does anybody else find this a little more than slightly disturbing? Or does Joe and Josie Bloggs simply not care about The Godfather of Soul? Has everybody sold theirs to the devil? Does he walk amongst us now?

I’m just not sleeping at night anymore …partly because I’ve had my broadband, gas, electricity, water, mobile phone and digital tv cut off in a simultaneous suicide switching frenzy having felt so compelled to do so by a blistering advertising campaign (tongue meet check once more)…and partly because I’m simply disgusted that this has passed everyone by!

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