Mr Katja and I were travelling by tube the other day. As we walked onto the platform, we were faced with a large ad for Heinz Taste of Home soup on the far wall. As one does when waiting for a train, we both stared vacantly at it for a while – and then turned to each other with identical looks of confusion and horror. “Serial killers!” said I, at the same time as Mr K blurted out, “Paedophilia!”
When I say that the ad features a pot of soup with the words “Ingredients: Aunties and Uncles who aren’t really aunties and uncles” on the side, I think you’ll probably all see where we were coming from.
I don’t get it. I get what you and him said. I just don’t get the ad, how odd!
I would have said something like “Gangsters” and, like Pete, I don’t get it either.
On second thoughts, if the ingredients are “Aunties and Uncles who aren’t really aunties and uncles” then doesn’t that imply that there is some degree of cannibalism involved? How awful. Perhaps there is a shortage of vital soup ingredients. I should help out by donating some tomatoes to them.
Mr F: yes, that was my logical progression from serial killers – killing the victims then eating ‘em. Lovely.
After a LOT of working out, I came to the conclusion that Heinz were going for the feeling of being at home, as part of a community. As a child in Lancashire, I had lots of ‘aunties and uncles’ who were no blood relation but calling them auntie so-and-so or uncle such-and-such was more respectful than just their first names, and less formal than Mr and Mrs blah-blah-blah.
However, we still come back to the fact that the ad just doesn’t work.
Ah, yes, I had a lot of them too. I remember some weren’t even that much older than me – just any adult was Auntie or Uncle. What a rubbish ad. I’m a greedy swine and I’d not have eaten any of them. Especially not the really old ones. Grisly.
Reading the comments, I understand what they were getting at now. (Ta).
But nevertheless, how very disturbing as an ad campaign. How did they not see how that would sound ultra-creepy? I mean, it’s not as if there is a translation problem into English (see: Wii).
(Heinz Taste Of Home: It Wants to Show You Its Puppies, So Follow It Home, You Know You Want To).
Ooh. I saw another one in the series last night. Something along the lines of
Ingredients: passing the house where they never gave your ball back
Nope, it’s not getting any less creepy.
Heinz are just so, so wrong.
Hmmm… I need to see the ad I think. Sounds really confusing!
It is confusing, even if you see the ads. I had to walk past the one about the house and the ball about 17 times before I worked out what they were even trying to say. Not helped by the Jersey children’s home stuff going on at the same time.
Ingredients: that dark empty-looking house you used to run past on your way to school
Ingredients: the strange old woman with a load of cats
Ingredients:underground cellars with shackles on the walls …
I saw the first one to actually make some kind of sense today.
Instructions: Sit down with the family. Elbows off the table. Don’t speak with your mouth full.
It goes nowhere near making up for the others, though.
Hmmm. Obviously Heinz’s ad creationaries have completely lost the plot. Is the next one “Ingredients: your Mum and Dad’s divorce, every second weekend at McDonald’s and every other Christmas with your other parent”? Bizarre…and a little bit wrong.
It’s soup, people…..sooooooouuuuuuuppppppppp.
I like soup as much as the next person but these adverts are turning me towards Baxters. Their Carrot and Coriander soup is the business and it doesn’t frighten me like Heinz is.
It’s driving me towards making my own soup (but out of vegetables and things, not dismembered pseudo-relatives)
I have to say Mr Frog, I’m in accord with you on this one. I rarely eat heinz because Baxters Scotch Broth, Chicken Broth and Highlander’s Broth are so Brilliant.
seems like you all know each other here. Can I join
Sure, joaquin – go for your life!