CULTURESCAPE

Why Is Advertising So Awful Right Now?

Who is writing this (crappy) stuff? It can’t all be AI-generated, right?

A graphic from the Wrigley’s Extra ‘Do what makes you ding’ advertising campaign (Mars)

Wrigley’s and BP have run advertising campaigns recently in the UK, for the Extra chewing gum line and BP’s service station offers (M&S, EV charging etc.).

Both of these campaigns have played heavily on UK commercial radio and each is terrible.

The first, for Wrigley’s Extra, particularly on radio, is incomprehensible and baffling. It features the kind of copy that can only be found in advertising and which is so jarring yet bland it appears to be an unchallenged AI output.

The essence of Wrigley’s campaign is that chewing Extra gum can help its customers unleash their inner, unique (child-like) selves.

Inevitably.

As such, consuming Wrigley’s Extra gum can, apparently, liberate the chewer to do whatever it is that makes the customer ding.

Ding.