The Post Office is launching a new advertising campaign, marking Mother London's first work for the Post Office since the agency picked up the account following a competitive pitch earlier this year.
The campaign has killed off the long-running animated ants from the previous Post Office ads in favour of celebrities.
The first ad features Joan Collins as the first customer to visit a Post Office branch. Other celebrities set to appear in future executions include Bill Oddie, Westlife, and Keith Harris and Orville.
The fictional Post Office team in the ad is led by sub-postmaster Ken, played by John Henshaw, whose has previously appeared in 'The Royle Family' and 'Life on Mars'.
Comments
Yes those Publicis created ants were pretty awful. Is this the first case of one agency's taking a leak on another agency's work after taking over the creative flame? Wanted more from Joan.
I think they've got the balance right. As much as I like Joan, anymore of her than a fleeting cameo appearance at the end would undermine the message in the ad - 'The People's Post Office', a personal level of customer service etc. And the actors are all good in their parts. I like the ad a lot - it's well acted, wry and addresses the issues the Post Office is facing.
Let's all hope they don't do a Halifax with the point-of-sale spin off.
Can you imagine queuing next to 2 metre tall cutouts of Westlfe?...Bill Oddie?!...Orville??!!....aarrghh!!!!
I like the dead ants thing and the new carpets (eventually)
Brilliant script, brilliant acting ("eventually"), and the killing off of those stupid ants. I love it.
I almost criedwith laughter at the ant powder scene - one of the best spots i've seen. Brilliant work - one of those 'i wish i had thought of that' moments.
If you're not British, it's hard to follow. But it must be funny because Mother did it. (The style reminds me of 'Are you being served', 'Allo, Allo' and the like.)
It's nicely self-depreciating - acknowledging that the actual experience of visting a Post Office isn't great and often involves tatty carpets - something advertising can never fix. A brave thing for a client to buy, and a nice effort to turn a negative into a postive. It's just a pity that the positive they have chosen is "Britishness". Post Offices don't usually inspire patriotism in me, and 'Land of Hope and Glory' feels like a painful cliché.
Blanant rip off of Phoneix nights where they all get together and talk about getting the Phoneix back. As i noticed that straight away, it's done nowt for me.
Chris Goddard 'almost cried with laughter at the ant powder scene.' You jest, surely?
Nice one Siobhan - on-brand as usual.
Does it matter the ad is similar to a scene from a cult Channel 4 comedy (notwithstanding that the vast majority of the Post Office's target audience will not have seen 'Phoneix Nights')? I don't think it does. It's still a great ad.
I guess you have to ask those people that said
'Brilliant Script' 'I love it' and 'i almost cried with laughter'
I think 10mil spent on rationalising services, creating a competitive point of difference and letting it grow through word of mouth (seeing as you have the opp to have a lot of people in on a regular basis) would bebetter than advertise a big change and what happens to the local PO? It shuts or stays manky.
Ant Powder - fantastic and cunning, great move
Spotty Teenager - great cameo, if not a little too clean cut
Pity they did not end it with...
"sorry Joan, your letter may not get there till next week, they are on strike again!!"
Ha ha. That would take the self-mocking approach to a new whole new level of honesty.
They didn't even have someone spill water over her blouse a la the Cinzano ad - a missed opportunity if you ask me!
I take it this isn't one of the 1000s of branches that's closing?!
And does anyone remember when mother was cool? Rubbish ad.
i want to know why all the other comments were taken off?
We being censored now? Utter rubbish
Sorry, you want the Post Office to be cool? How about advertising that works instead? And to me, this does. Amazingly well.
Some of Britain's best character actors in a bit of fun that will make the middle of Coronation Street a nice place to watch telly. Nice one.
Julie - I don't want the post office to be cool, but calling it a 'British Institution' and playing 'Land of Hope and Glory' in the background just smacks of overwhelming hipocrasy given the current PO state of affairs, but maybe that's just me.
Like i said yesterday.
Blatant Phoneix night rip off!!
It is a British institution. So what's wrong with celebrating that? It's not advertising's job to get political. And I think it's gentle enough not be to flag waving crazy. I like ads that don't really feel like ads, and that I can enjoy. I reckon this does it in spades.
I think you are right. I really like when "changing the carpet" is mentioned because since it's so true, it adds transparency and trust.
Transparency and trust? Only in W1 eyes. Transparency and trust are built through doing things for people, being there, not 'saying' through an ad. I have some nice memories of the PO (first tax disc after driving test etc) but this is style over substance. Forget ads, put it into proper marketing and remember all the 'p's!!
I've read with interest the comments on our campaign, so I thought I'd join in. Influences? Well there have been many but British sitcoms were heavy in our mind, they give a good creative platform so we can entertain and inform. Transparency and trust are vital to use, hence the honesty about carpets. Ant Powder, well it's dramatic, we exploit the recognition and move on, all within a few seconds. Pleased you like it.
Gary - Was it difficult to sell the ant powder gag through the organisation?
The Post Office is a British Institution. It's one of the largest employers in the country and has been for a long time. Its staff are ordinary British people doing a really good job. And they've needed new carpets for a long time now. But so what? Great ad.
I walked in on this ad last night playing in the living room, just missing the opening shot of the Post Office, but catching the ants getting 'cleansed'. Stood there wondering what this new sitcom was. Brilliant spot. Mother always seem to nail the truth.
It's great, superbly acted and paced, nice little nod to killing off the ants, just ideal for the target audience.
... and what advert isn't a rip off of something else these days?!
Hiring the director responsible for some of the best british comedy to hit our screens in the last decade to create this sitcom-esque spot is an effective coup from Mother.
Whilst Pheonix Nights is undoubtedly hilarious - it has Peter Kay's signature all over it. This is most certainly the work of Armando Ianucci who has spearheaded the alternative sitcom movement with the Thick of It, I'm Alan Partridge and The Day Today. I love it!
And they said the sitcom was dead...
On Ants, our view was that it has done a good job in terms of recognition but we'd found a better vehicle to get across our products and personality. So, it wasn't hard to sell the opening scene even though it was considered bold. We showed the adverts internally to literally hundreds of people to test, refine and start our relaunch from the inside out. Each time we did this it consistently got a laugh, so we knew it was right.
Good luck Gary - I genuinly hope it works for you. As the person at least partly responsible for the "Ants"... I would argue that they were right at the time, but I agree they needed to move on. I guess my only cautious comment is that there is a risk that the ad gets seen as a "charity case" - i.e. encouraging people to buy your products only to save their local branch... as opposed to buying them because they are bloody good value. It's a fine line... and I am not sure yet... but I hope it works...
No doubt really British ,good acting,and just restating the obvious about the British institution...a bit overdone?...still make the post office looks old...not hip and happenning as a place to be seen and do things...haven'nt we walked into one recently and find that there is a generation gap and as if we are in a different time zone?
What's the point of Joan? I am tired of any campaign that just drops a celeb in for the fun of it. You could edit her out and the ad would lose nothing in effectiveness I reckon.
Comments
Gordon Macmillan - 12/10/2007
Yes those Publicis created ants were pretty awful. Is this the first case of one agency's taking a leak on another agency's work after taking over the creative flame? Wanted more from Joan.
Darren Davidson - 12/10/2007
I think they've got the balance right. As much as I like Joan, anymore of her than a fleeting cameo appearance at the end would undermine the message in the ad - 'The People's Post Office', a personal level of customer service etc. And the actors are all good in their parts. I like the ad a lot - it's well acted, wry and addresses the issues the Post Office is facing.
Vic Hazeldine - 12/10/2007
Let's all hope they don't do a Halifax with the point-of-sale spin off. Can you imagine queuing next to 2 metre tall cutouts of Westlfe?...Bill Oddie?!...Orville??!!....aarrghh!!!!
Peter Petrelli - 12/10/2007
I like the dead ants thing and the new carpets (eventually)
Tim Brody - 12/10/2007
Brilliant script, brilliant acting ("eventually"), and the killing off of those stupid ants. I love it.
Chris Goddard - 14/10/2007
I almost criedwith laughter at the ant powder scene - one of the best spots i've seen. Brilliant work - one of those 'i wish i had thought of that' moments.
Eric Debaene - 14/10/2007
If you're not British, it's hard to follow. But it must be funny because Mother did it. (The style reminds me of 'Are you being served', 'Allo, Allo' and the like.)
Barry Whyte - 15/10/2007
It's nicely self-depreciating - acknowledging that the actual experience of visting a Post Office isn't great and often involves tatty carpets - something advertising can never fix. A brave thing for a client to buy, and a nice effort to turn a negative into a postive. It's just a pity that the positive they have chosen is "Britishness". Post Offices don't usually inspire patriotism in me, and 'Land of Hope and Glory' feels like a painful cliché.
Duncan James - 15/10/2007
is this a joke. ?
Andy Knell - 15/10/2007
Blanant rip off of Phoneix nights where they all get together and talk about getting the Phoneix back. As i noticed that straight away, it's done nowt for me.
Phil Hickes - 15/10/2007
Chris Goddard 'almost cried with laughter at the ant powder scene.' You jest, surely? Nice one Siobhan - on-brand as usual.
Darren Davidson - 15/10/2007
Does it matter the ad is similar to a scene from a cult Channel 4 comedy (notwithstanding that the vast majority of the Post Office's target audience will not have seen 'Phoneix Nights')? I don't think it does. It's still a great ad.
Andy Knell - 15/10/2007
I guess you have to ask those people that said 'Brilliant Script' 'I love it' and 'i almost cried with laughter'
Duncan James - 15/10/2007
I think 10mil spent on rationalising services, creating a competitive point of difference and letting it grow through word of mouth (seeing as you have the opp to have a lot of people in on a regular basis) would bebetter than advertise a big change and what happens to the local PO? It shuts or stays manky.
Ben Clapp - 15/10/2007
1st Class stuff
Elliot Messenger - 15/10/2007
Ant Powder - fantastic and cunning, great move Spotty Teenager - great cameo, if not a little too clean cut Pity they did not end it with... "sorry Joan, your letter may not get there till next week, they are on strike again!!"
Darren Davidson - 15/10/2007
Ha ha. That would take the self-mocking approach to a new whole new level of honesty.
Claire Gates - 15/10/2007
They didn't even have someone spill water over her blouse a la the Cinzano ad - a missed opportunity if you ask me!
ronnie blogsville - 15/10/2007
I take it this isn't one of the 1000s of branches that's closing?! And does anyone remember when mother was cool? Rubbish ad.
Andy Knell - 15/10/2007
i want to know why all the other comments were taken off? We being censored now? Utter rubbish
Julie Seal - 16/10/2007
Sorry, you want the Post Office to be cool? How about advertising that works instead? And to me, this does. Amazingly well.
Richard Hayter - 16/10/2007
Some of Britain's best character actors in a bit of fun that will make the middle of Coronation Street a nice place to watch telly. Nice one.
ronnie blogsville - 16/10/2007
Julie - I don't want the post office to be cool, but calling it a 'British Institution' and playing 'Land of Hope and Glory' in the background just smacks of overwhelming hipocrasy given the current PO state of affairs, but maybe that's just me.
Andy Knell - 16/10/2007
Like i said yesterday. Blatant Phoneix night rip off!!
Julie Seal - 16/10/2007
It is a British institution. So what's wrong with celebrating that? It's not advertising's job to get political. And I think it's gentle enough not be to flag waving crazy. I like ads that don't really feel like ads, and that I can enjoy. I reckon this does it in spades.
Emilien Anglada - 16/10/2007
I think you are right. I really like when "changing the carpet" is mentioned because since it's so true, it adds transparency and trust.
Duncan James - 16/10/2007
Transparency and trust? Only in W1 eyes. Transparency and trust are built through doing things for people, being there, not 'saying' through an ad. I have some nice memories of the PO (first tax disc after driving test etc) but this is style over substance. Forget ads, put it into proper marketing and remember all the 'p's!!
Gary Hockey-Morley - 16/10/2007
I've read with interest the comments on our campaign, so I thought I'd join in. Influences? Well there have been many but British sitcoms were heavy in our mind, they give a good creative platform so we can entertain and inform. Transparency and trust are vital to use, hence the honesty about carpets. Ant Powder, well it's dramatic, we exploit the recognition and move on, all within a few seconds. Pleased you like it.
Tim Brody - 17/10/2007
Gary - Was it difficult to sell the ant powder gag through the organisation?
Michelle Nicholas - 17/10/2007
The Post Office is a British Institution. It's one of the largest employers in the country and has been for a long time. Its staff are ordinary British people doing a really good job. And they've needed new carpets for a long time now. But so what? Great ad.
Will Weaver - 18/10/2007
I walked in on this ad last night playing in the living room, just missing the opening shot of the Post Office, but catching the ants getting 'cleansed'. Stood there wondering what this new sitcom was. Brilliant spot. Mother always seem to nail the truth.
Sean Murricane - 18/10/2007
It's great, superbly acted and paced, nice little nod to killing off the ants, just ideal for the target audience. ... and what advert isn't a rip off of something else these days?!
Francesca Singler - 18/10/2007
Hiring the director responsible for some of the best british comedy to hit our screens in the last decade to create this sitcom-esque spot is an effective coup from Mother. Whilst Pheonix Nights is undoubtedly hilarious - it has Peter Kay's signature all over it. This is most certainly the work of Armando Ianucci who has spearheaded the alternative sitcom movement with the Thick of It, I'm Alan Partridge and The Day Today. I love it! And they said the sitcom was dead...
Gary Hockey-Morley - 18/10/2007
On Ants, our view was that it has done a good job in terms of recognition but we'd found a better vehicle to get across our products and personality. So, it wasn't hard to sell the opening scene even though it was considered bold. We showed the adverts internally to literally hundreds of people to test, refine and start our relaunch from the inside out. Each time we did this it consistently got a laugh, so we knew it was right.
SIMON CARTER - 18/10/2007
Good luck Gary - I genuinly hope it works for you. As the person at least partly responsible for the "Ants"... I would argue that they were right at the time, but I agree they needed to move on. I guess my only cautious comment is that there is a risk that the ad gets seen as a "charity case" - i.e. encouraging people to buy your products only to save their local branch... as opposed to buying them because they are bloody good value. It's a fine line... and I am not sure yet... but I hope it works...
raymond wong - 23/10/2007
No doubt really British ,good acting,and just restating the obvious about the British institution...a bit overdone?...still make the post office looks old...not hip and happenning as a place to be seen and do things...haven'nt we walked into one recently and find that there is a generation gap and as if we are in a different time zone?
Mike Blunt - 22/11/2007
What's the point of Joan? I am tired of any campaign that just drops a celeb in for the fun of it. You could edit her out and the ad would lose nothing in effectiveness I reckon.