Bisto Advert Influence on Sociology?

[curiosity]

Despite being an advert I thought I'd get a better answer in this section. Why has everyone on the current Bisto advert "promising" to eat once a week around the table with the family, got a northern accent? It implies that no northerners have enough family values or interest in table time conversation to do it anyway. I could go on, but I'll wait and see if anyone knows what I mean?

[paddy_36]

Yes, I think I know what you mean, but they had to pick one accent or another - it just happens to be northern. Or maybe they thought a northern accent would get the message across better than, say, an RP-type accent with others may have found patronising. I think sometimes we can read too much into things like this, but I do understand where you're coming from.

[paddy_36]

Sorry, that should be 'which others may have found patronising'.

[curiosity]

Yes yes yes Paddy, I did think , "why am I letting something as daft as a bisto advert in the whole scale of things annoy me?" but if it niggles, this site is good for that, I feel a whole debate coming on at my next party. I am aware that adverts use Scottish or northern accents to create a genuiness, but this advert still bugs me, for that reason, oh. thanks for answering, cos I know what I mean as well, I feel petty but not petty.

[Nummy]

you may find that a number of number of food and drink ads have voice overs with northern accents - tea and bread tend to.

a lot of research has gone into how different accents are perceived - geordie accents are counted as very friendly, for example.

but i don't think using certain accents on ads are intended to be insulting to certain areas or demographics - it would be counter productive!

[curiosity]

That's a very good point nummy, cos on this one, obviously I have been irritated enough to think Bisto are people who think northerners need Gravy ( not home made proper gravy "sauce" as top london restaurants might call it) to have any chance in life! Obviously that's me taking it to the extreme perception of the ad, but watch it and see how it could be interpretated, Just , very interested, but not really angry, I think it's giving off the wrong message.

[paddy_36]

Hi again curiosity, something I almost said in my first post was that as a Scottish person, I am one of the first to be irritated by the Scottish accent being used in a stereotypical way. I agree with Nummy though, in this case, as anything insulting in advertising would definitely be counter-productive. As I said, certain other accents would definitely not have worked in this advert. Not just saying this to make you feel better, but I think I would be flattered rather than insulted!

[Grunty]

Surely the object was to put Bisto into your mind. If you go further and talk to us about it, they seem to have got good value for their money.

[Octavius]

For goodness sake, it's only an adverrt.

Let's just say that all adverts used renounced pronunciation from a well spoken home counties-sounding male aged about 45 for every single product.

Then we would have all parts of the rest of our good nation complaining that they were under-represented in media advertising. I think that the concept of getting everyone around the table once a week to enjoy a meal together (whether southern, northern, black, asian, welsh, irish or any other demonination of race/background that our great nation encompasses) is an honourable one and northerners should feel poroud that they are represented as the ones leading this (forget about the Bisto).

If they were serving there Bisto with whippet and a bit of ferret on the side, I could understand northerners might feel aggrieved. But honestly....

[valsuey]

We always laff when that ad comes on.They all sounds so serious about this pledge.What do they do for the rest of the week I wonder.After all that,this wonderful meal is only bangers and mash with some gravy granule type gravy.Big deal! As for the accents,I don't think it implies anything at all.Its only an advert after all.I don't see any deep meaningful message in it.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Maybe it's more indicative of the fact that and they're targetting a particular audience. Or perhaps not...

[nfn]

I think it's because the accent sounds 'our' and 'ahhh' similarly. If you listen it's our pledge, ahhh bisto. Quite simple really.

[curiosity]

Thanks all...I know it's just an advert, but isn't this site about generating debate and getting varied opinions, a bit of food for thought or fun?

[gary baldy]

I think advertising people like to think as northerners as 'earthy' and 'trustworthy' who stand for no nonsense.
Using northerners to sell a product is a win/win - northerners can empathise and southerners fell good about not having to live in the north.
Cliche is often founded in truth but isnt all advertising just cliche?

[curiosity]

Well, you see I think that Waldo Mcfroogs answer is exactly what I was getting at, it's as if we don't do it anyway. (still not having a nervous breakdown about it!) Gary Baldy, I agree, but I think we like to think that advertising is cliche and much of it is, but it is also a part of our experiences that shape our attitudes values and beliefs, we might think we're not influenced, but we are.

[coldfeet]

I'm with you curiousity. Although I'm not offended by it at all either, it's def an advert that I've noticed and been slightly irked by. In the same way that I was irked by the recent HP sauce campaign that tried to define Britishness with various characatures such as, the great British hen night etc. Advertisings a big ole business though, one of those things we can't possibly avoid (even if we think we do) and those clever clever guys must know what message they're giving out, even if we don't know what message we're receiving. fools that we are.