Accidentally calling your teacher ‘mum’, when you were a kid.
Falling over in public.
Having a terrible date, then having to share a train carriage with your date as they’re ‘going the same way’.
All things that make you cringe.
Well I’ve got something else that makes me cringe: those bloody awful Moonpig radio ads.
You must’ve heard them – surely.
They make my shoulders tense up. I’m sure they do the same for others.
First cringe – they feature a woman with one of those horrendous, tacky, smiley voices.
Second cringe – she has an ‘okay’ singing voice and wobbles her way through a rendition of ‘Happy Moonpig’ (to the tune of ‘Happy Birthday’).
Third cringe – ‘Happy Moonpig’ isn’t something people say. It’s just been made up for the ad (a bit like no one says ‘Cazoo yeah’, but they do say ‘hell yeah’).
Fourth cringe – the happy, smiley woman starts by wishing a ‘Happy Moonpig’ to ‘Shruti’.
We live in an ethnically diverse country, but it just feels like this ad is trying too hard.
It’s like someone said ‘for God’s sake, don’t start with Tom or Emma!’
I’m all for diversity in ads, but this feels horribly forced.
I can’t find the radio ad, but I did find the TV ad, which is just as much of a cringefest.
Setting your audience’s teeth on edge – definitely not something you should be aiming for.
To round off on a positive though, here’s something that does work – the latest AA TV spot, featuring a woollen dog and a large fan:
It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s simple – it works.
And it comes off the back of the Red Dwarf ad.
Adam & Eve are doing only good things with the AA account.
Just goes to show – you don’t have to create a cringeworthy pile of poo to get people’s attention.
Watch and learn, Moonpig.