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The New Most Irritating Spot On Local Radio Should Run "A Little Less"
While it's safe to say almost nothing can beat those annoying Spence Diamonds spots (shouldn't Fiona be heading home by now? Talk about overstaying your welcome), there's a new spot airing on Toronto radio that could challenge that crown.
It's the one from Belair Insurance where a guy is trying to talk someone in a car into parking. "A little more, a little more," it starts, before the vehicle crashes and we hear "a little less." It's not that it's such an aggravating commercial. It's just that it airs on every single break on every single radio station.
So far, I've heard it endlessly on CFRB, AM640, 680 News and The Fan 590 during every Blue Jays game spot break.
I get it that repetition is key to getting a message across in the ad biz and I suppose it's succeeded because I know the sponsor's name. But really, every single commercial break? It must air hundreds of times per day. I don't listen much to FM, but I can only presume it turns up on there non-stop, as well.
I hope it's a quick campaign, running for only a few weeks, since it's already gotten on my nerves. Because when it comes to this particular message I'd like to hear it "a little less."
- Walter
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Re: The New Most Irritating Spot On Local Radio Should Run "A Little Less"
RadioActive wrote:
While it's safe to say almost nothing can beat those annoying Spence Diamonds spots (shouldn't Fiona be heading home by now? Talk about overstaying your welcome), there's a new spot airing on Toronto radio that could challenge that crown.
It's the one from Belair Insurance where a guy is trying to talk someone in a car into parking. "A little more, a little more," it starts, before the vehicle crashes and we hear "a little less." It's not that it's such an aggravating commercial. It's just that it airs on every single break on every single radio station.
So far, I've heard it endlessly on CFRB, AM640, 680 News and The Fan 590 during every Blue Jays game spot break.
I get it that repetition is key to getting a message across in the ad biz and I suppose it's succeeded because I know the sponsor's name. But really, every single commercial break? It must air hundreds of times per day. I don't listen much to FM, but I can only presume it turns up on there non-stop, as well.
I hope it's a quick campaign, running for only a few weeks, since it's already gotten on my nerves. Because when it comes to this particular message I'd like to hear it "a little less."
Belair? Is that who it's for? I tune it out so quickly, I had no idea. The other insurance ad I can't stand is the one for Desjardin , with the droning singing of "I'll Be By Your Side". The TV spots with the giant wandering around town solving people's problems is just as bad. Nothing is in the same category as Spence, though, when it comes to awful advertising.
Last edited by Walter (April 21, 2024 8:51 am)
- Radiowiz
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I agree with Walter, but I also fear that one of these days the person buying the spots will figure out how to get the ad to air at the exact same time on both NT 1010 and AM 640 so it can't be escaped from!!
Perhaps same with 680 & Fan
Wouldn't THAT be annoying? lol
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- Walter
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I agree with Walter, but I also fear that one of these days the person buying the spots will figure out how to get the ad to air at the exact same time on both NT 1010 and AM 640 so it can't be escaped from!!
Perhaps same with 680 & Fan
Wouldn't THAT be annoying? lol
Nightmare scenario!
- RadioActive
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Re: The New Most Irritating Spot On Local Radio Should Run "A Little Less"
Speaking of which, I remember hearing a story on Under The Influence, the show about marketing, regarding a stunt they pulled many years ago. I think it was in Israel.
If memory serves, it was for something medical, but I could be wrong. It's been a while. The company that arranged it bought time on every single radio station with the demand that it be played at an exact time on all the stations at once. So if you were listening and hit the spot and turned to another channel, you come across the same message at the exact same point no matter where you went.
One of the lines in it was something like, "no matter where you go, you can't ignore us."
It was a remarkable idea and I'm not sure with so many stations here you could pull it off in a market like Toronto. But a very clever concept of a commercial you literally could not turn away from!
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Thread Starter- Dave The OTA guy
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I thank Spence Diamonds for getting me to listen to Sirius Satellite Radio more often. The only Toronto radio station I listen to is Boom97.3 so yeah, I've heard those BelAir Driect ads. They still aren't as annoying as any Spence Diamonds ad...and I remember hearing: "I'm Sean Jones...owner of Spence Diamonds" BBC Radio 1, Capitol FM and XS Manchester are my top UK choices. Thanks Spence for turning me (almost completely off) Toronto Radio!
- newsguy1
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A while back I jokingly wrote about how radio was playing the Spence ad where Sarah has a phone call from Japan with Fiona. At the same time a GOT Junk ad was playing, featuring Sarah again -- but this time answering the phone in Toronto to talk to a woman about cleaning up her garage.
How could Sarah be both in Toronto and Japan at the same time?
As I said I was just being silly -- but low and behold, recently the intro to the GOT JUNK ad was chopped to take out Sarah answering the phone. Now when you hear it it stars with the woman talking about how much junk she has, and Sarah's voice is there, but she is no longer identified.
Now that ad is playing right next to the Spence ad where Fiona and Sarah are still talking on the phone with Sarah still in Japan.
Like I said, I was joking before but it seems someone did notice that Sarah was identifying herself on the GOT JUNK ad and now her name is chopped out.
Oh, and BTW, yes I can't stand that stupid, "a little more" ad. In fact I could not tell what the ad was for until I really listened on purpose.
And yes that bloody "I'll be by your side" Desjardins song is really annoying, especially since it is obviously a Randy Newman imitation a la "You've got a friend in me" from Toy Story.
But what really gets me that they've brought back that blasted "Kars For Kids" song AAARRRGGGHHH!!!
- RadioActive
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Re: The New Most Irritating Spot On Local Radio Should Run "A Little Less"
I posted this link around a year ago, but it's worth a look if you didn't see it. It's a 2017 CBS report on who is really behind those Kars for Kids ads. (It's been around that long in the U.S. and only came to Canada a few years later.)
Did you notice they never, ever tell you where that Kars for Kids money goes? I'm guessing it's because if most people found out, the donations would dry up immediately. I don't know if this has changed at all over the years, but I'm inclined to believe it hasn't.
There's nothing wrong or illegal about where the cash raised goes, but I think if most people knew, they'd trade their "kars" in elsewhere.
An eye-opening story worth a read if you haven't seen it.
Kars4Kids charity misleads donors, report says
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Thread Starter- dieter
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Re: The New Most Irritating Spot On Local Radio Should Run "A Little Less"
I'm obviously missing the point of the Air Transat commercial in which the Italian tour organizer runs down the times of today's tours. Very annoying, and the message is not clear -- to me, at least.
- RadioAaron
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I'm obviously missing the point of the Air Transat commercial in which the Italian tour organizer runs down the times of today's tours. Very annoying, and the message is not clear -- to me, at least.
Travel to Europe during the slow season to save money. I like that spot a lot.
- betaylored
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Re: The New Most Irritating Spot On Local Radio Should Run "A Little Less"
I posted this link around a year ago, but it's worth a look if you didn't see it. It's a 2017 CBS report on who is really behind those Kars for Kids ads. (It's been around that long in the U.S. and only came to Canada a few years later.)
Did you notice they never, ever tell you where that Kars for Kids money goes? I'm guessing it's because if most people found out, the donations would dry up immediately. I don't know if this has changed at all over the years, but I'm inclined to believe it hasn't.
There's nothing wrong or illegal about where the cash raised goes, but I think if most people knew, they'd trade their "kars" in elsewhere.
An eye-opening story worth a read if you haven't seen it.
Kars4Kids charity misleads donors, report says
Kars4Kids has been spending bucks to bring 1010 listeners the traffic reports. I've heard the K4K plug after traffic several times.
Can't wait til Mother's Day is over because Spence has a "special" new spot with Sarah and Fiona talking about memories and a diamond necklace and it's 🤮
Last edited by betaylored (April 24, 2024 9:12 pm)