Loaf

The new 122-second ad for Hovis. A journey home from the shops, through 122 years.

Agency: MCBD. The making of. More. (h/t, The Thin Man.)

Comments

[Anna]

Lovely. Just saw it on TV.

[David]

It’s certainly pleasing. But I can’t figure out what happened to the Fifties.

[John D]

Not bad for a bread advert.

[The Thin Man]

Hovis advert or exploding banana mask.

Hovis advert or 24' bowling lane turd.

Funny stuff this art.

At least the Hovis ad will be seen (and enjoyed) by millions, and for a few seconds, the viewers will be (as I was) briefly transported into that self-reflective realm that I had always assumed was one of arts' most important functions.

The exploding banana mask, not so much.

The ad made me very aware (having witnessed a good proportion of the events portrayed) of how close we are to those events and yet how far we have travelled in just over one good innings.

The 24' bowling lane turd - not so much.

[andy]

David said "But I can’t figure out what happened to the Fifties."

rationing?

(Saw it in the cinema last night, very impressive!)

[jones]

Aye lad, but you can't half take the piss out of exploding banana masks!!.

[David]

“The exploding banana mask, not so much.”

I tend to think of conceptual artists as people who - despite their professed disdain of commercialism - would like to work in advertising but just aren’t good enough. I’d happily spend half an hour watching the best of TV advertising, but I can’t remember the last time I spent half an hour feeling remotely satisfied in a modern art gallery. I’ve learned to be disinterested, thanks to the work on show.

The exploding banana mask* is, despite its superficial strangeness, surprisingly banal. In fact, I think it’s banal *because* of its efforts to be strange. In contrast, the Fallon agency’s ads for Sony, especially the Plasticine ad**, convey a feeling of affirmation, and something other than the artist’s own sense of self-importance. The conceptual artist says, “Look at me!” The Sony ad says, “Look at this!”

*
http://davidthompson.typepad.com/davidthompson/2008/09/an-artistic-tri.html

**
http://davidthompson.typepad.com/davidthompson/2007/12/feat-of-clay.html

[Paul]

"It’s certainly pleasing. But I can’t figure out what happened to the Fifties."

The Coronation - the street party and bunting. I love the little background touches, such as the black fella walking past in the sixties, the Asian couple in the seventies. Good stuff. And a great performance from the kid. But I'd have preferred it to have been a little more sentimental. A brass band would have been nice too.

[David]

“The street party and bunting.”

Of course. I feel such a fool. I’m not well, you know. Cough.