Adwatch: Wall's Magnum '5 senses'

by Guy Lambert, Planning director, Burkitt DDB, Marketing 27-Apr-05, 12:23

Blimey. What must these special-edition Magnum 5 Senses be like to eat? If you have seen the ad, you'll know that eating one is apparently not dissimilar to engaging in full sex with at least two non-gender-specific partners while being drip-fed a cocktail of Sunny D, coffee and the sap extract of the peyote cactus. Inside Satan's thyroid gland. With a lot of exploding coconuts.

I have to say I really like Magnums, but I have never eaten one that made me feel anything like that. So I am very excited to try these new ones.

I just hope I am not going to be disappointed, as I was when I found out the other day that Sharon Osborne doesn't really shop at Asda. Or as I have been over the past couple of years when Orange did not noticeably brighten my future. Or, worst of all, back in the 90s, when despite their promises, I was unable to build a community using Fox's biscuits.

Oh dear. Now I think about it, unless Wall's research department has discovered the most astonishing, yet legal, special ingredient, I am going to be disappointed, aren't I? Damn.

A wise man once said 'honesty is the best sales technique', which is why Tesco, John Smith's and Lynx have conducted successful campaigns.

They are based on a clever, undisputed truth about the product and its relationship with the wider world. Yes, some do indulge in a little playful exaggeration to make their point as engaging as possible. But it is exaggeration based on truth, not thin air - just as a skilled salesman might. They do not hype, lie or erode trust in their brands nor, critically, in the whole business of advertising.

I have eaten a lot of Magnums, and they are great products. And I have seen a lot of people eating and talking about Magnums, and what they have to say about the nature of their relationships with the product are fascinating - full of compelling sales stories. I just wonder whether spending some time thinking about these things and writing some truthful, well-observed advertising about them might be better for Wall's - and, indeed, the advertising industry as a whole.