TV review: The art of the television ad

TV reviewer Lin Ferguson enjoyed the 'no regerts' TV ad.

Catch-phrases can come in all guises from advertising gurus showing they're worth their often massive salaries.

Television advertising for most of us is like a plague grinding us down, forcing us to turn the sound off and leave the room.

Rarely are TV Ads greeted with a grin, a giggle and remembered.

Over the past few weeks I admit to enjoying a few ads and even worse asking people had they seen it?

Maybe that says more about me than the ads.

However, it's about a sense of humour, admiring the talent and enjoying the tiny story snippet written to sell a product.

The ad where a husband and wife far from glossy and gorgeous glam sorts, are in their kitchen about to swap anniversary presents.

She gives hubby a fishing rod as a gift then hubby stands proudly with his back to her, hauls off his shirt and presents a massive tattoo of her on his back.

Underneath it reads "No Regerts", a tattooist's typo in all its hideous splendour.

The anticipatory giggling by the couple fades into silent horror as we see the wife struggling and we know she is going to do something about it very fast.

Message to us is to contact Energy Online with its new no contract deal.

Message "life is full of regretful commitments".

Or the ad slaking your thirst with popular fizzy drink L&P illustrated by some delinquent ewes who escape their yard.

After heading into town and having a snack outside the fruit shop, nicking gear off the clothes line, they're rounded up and sorted out with a shearer rearranging their woolly topknots.

The long shot of the farm dog gazing thoughtfully at their giddy new fashion-statement hair is great.

I still laugh when I see the two kids gazing longingly at the neighbours' swimming pool.

After a small huddle beside on their side of the fence, the small timid kid climbs up on the shoulders of his brave mate.

Neighbour is cleaning pool when suddenly a loud urgent voice yells;

"Hey mister what's your pool doing later?''

Not sure about the message about - get an ANZ Home loan.

But it's a few seconds of entertainment and I giggled.

These snippets may be expensive ads on the hard sell but injecting some humour I think is a good thing to alleviate the drudgery of TV ads.