I got a bit annoyed with the "Like A Girl" ad when the filmmaker started chastising the actors they'd brought in. It escalated to a nasty snarl at my screen when she gave that little condescending, "Would you like the opportunity to try again?"

Is it a problem that society views "like a girl" to be an insult? Yes. Is it interesting that young girls don't yet see it that way, giving hope that something can still be done to change society? Yes. But don't bring in these poor actors, who are just trying to make a living, trying desperately to please the director in front of them, and then act all haughty when they provide you with the most common, vernacular understanding of the phrase you used, the meaning that you obviously already knew they were going to jump to. Don't make them give a contrite speech about what they should have done, like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

I would have been fine with the ad if it just compared the adult vs. child interpretation, and maybe reaction shots of the adult actors seeing how the children didn't have the insult internalized yet. But the disdain made it less effective, for me anyway.

I must admit I didn't take it as real.
I assumed they'd all been briefed because otherwise how much studio time would be wasted?

That did niggle with me. But, reading what the director has to say about some of the interviews they did, it seems clear that there was a lot of stuff that didn't make it into the final video - they'd done quite a lot of interviews and back and forth and then cut it to a short film. It may not have come across as chastising taken with the rest of the interview.

I also suspect that's part of her style as a director.

Interesting though, to me, that this stuff is something that is being used in advertising now.

I think it was real. In an interview, the director talks about the answers given by the younger girls, and their parents reactions to those answers.

She's a documentary maker and director who has been working on this for a little while in conjunction with the Always social media campaign.

They may be actors, but their responses were not primed - according to Greenfield they did not know how people were going to answer.


[eta] I did feel a little bad for the young lad - when he was asked if he'd insulted his sister and said no...he'd insulted girls yeah, but not his sister. Won't do him any harm to think that one through a little, but that felt like he'd been set up a bit.

Thanks Lola - I was slightly taken aback by Jim's response tbh. *shrugs*

Dana, I love the Colman's ad with the nurturing Dad. Beautiful.
My Dad has always given good hugs, even when he didn't completely understand.
Great ad.

Milk adverts are getting fucking strange.

Just saw this advert and thought it was the most realistic portrayal of motherhood I've seen in a long time.

realistic in what way?

Not sure really - it just struck me as very believable. I think it's the way they all come in from the school run, her still in her nurse's uniform - and the way the meal isn't really planned - and her quiet glee, as she's hurrying to put a really lovely meal together whilst they're playing upstairs.

I dunno. It just seemed more believable than most ads. Even the house looked a lot more like a normal house (in the uk- I realise it probably looks uber tiny and cramped to anyone in America :P)

Perhaps, i shouldn't have said realistic portrayal of motherhood - so much as realistic portrayal of family life, with a very believable mother and kids.

Thought I'd already posted this but can't find it...

Anyway. My two current favourite ads:

Not meant as a criticism Dana, but that Just Rol advert is in a HUGE kitchen!!!
They should film in yours or mine. It's about as likely as finding a whole roast chicken in either of our fridges and just thinking of it as an ingredient :rolleyes:

Like the Mars one though.

Really? Huge compared to my current kitchen granted - but similar in size to the one I grew up with and slightly smaller than my bro's.

The idea of a roast chicken in the fridge as an ingredient seems ludicrous to you and I - but that's cause we're not proper grownups :P

Yeah, no.

Nobody just keeps roast chickens on hand just in case you might need it later. Although I can see buying one if you are planning a menu that calls for it.

Yeah but no but yeah...
I forgot about us not being properly grown-up.
And neither of us (me n D) have the childer. So I probably was thinking in unrealistic terms.
We'd have to tuck them in the coal celler if we did.

Glatt backs me up on the chicken front though, so I win anyway.
Except mysteriously, I found out Carruthers had a Just-Rol in his possession today. Along with dog food. No, he does love his father, he does, he really does.

Is that libel?