Friday, May 05, 2006

GEORGE PATTS Y&R MELBOURNE CREATE THAI-RIFFIC SPOT FOR YELLOW PAGES


George Patterson Y&R, Melbourne has put to air the first spot for Yellow Pages since the merger of the two ad agencies earlier this year. It was created by Ben Coulson and Josh Stephens and directed by Paul Middleditch via Plaza Films. ECD was James McGrath.

69 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Me likey long time!

Fuck, the Patts Melb guys are on fire right now!!! Nice timing for Award. Definitely some tin in it I think.

Is it just a Sydney thing, or do they have stupid Thai pun restaurants down in Melb as well?

12:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

engaging but what does it have to do with yellow pages?

7:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

funny. George Patts good.

8:45 AM  
Blogger CB said...

7:08 - I know you've just come in from an all nighter, so have a strong cup of coffee and a bacon & Egg McMuffin. I'm sure you'll get it by about lunchtime.

8:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Saw this in Brissie the other night.

There's actually a Bow Thai in Fortitude Valley.

Nice one!

9:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice one Ben & Josh. Bastards!

12:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

mediocre a best. prefer littledicks "not happy jan"

12:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

utter shit. Perhaps they'd like to go with a different director occasionally down there: or, Patts Melb, give another creative team a shot at the good clients.
Yeccccch.

1:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

12.30am. Enough self congratulation. Go and get on with your self gratification......

1:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There's so much to love about this. But what I dig most of all is that a flavour-of-the-month team got together with with a flavour-of-the-month director for a sure-thing client to create an ad that sucks so hard its throat is ulcerated.

What a triumph against all odds.

1:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wouldn't be telling my mates I had done that one. Naff.

2:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

me rikey! Keep the racist stereotypes coming Australia, if only immigrants food wasn't so tasty you'd be just fine without them.

3:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fucking hell guys. What a bunch of whiny wankers.

These guys are doing better work than the lot of us combined. From now on, when blogging on this post name the last ad you did that you're proud of. Assumedly it's far better than this.

Your anonymity, coupled with lack of said ad will hopefully prove my fucking point.

Piss off back to doing the GE Money Genie, or whatever crap you're producing yourself.

(I haven't done anything as good as this for a good few months now so no ad for me. Then again, I'm fucking honest.)

4:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

4.18pm : It's a blog, not a fan club. If you can't stand the splashes of boiling hot oil, get out of the kitchen.

5:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Alternatively, log onto www.joshandben.com.au/fanclub and keep well away from this post, because it's only going to get worse.

5:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There's an Indian place on the Gold Coast called
'Get it India'

Best pun name yet.

6:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Calm down these guys aren't tall popies, they just happen to be doing good work. Lets just save the bitcy shit for Noby.

8:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

They're a couple of decent blokes doing above the average work, winning serious metal for it and yes, improving on what has a become a pretty boring brand. Save your bitchy comments for people that deserve it, because in this case is seriously reeking of envy.

8:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I worked at the pre Patts Y&R and saw literally piles of scripts bite the dust on Yellow. They're a hopeless client. I would have been genuinely impressed to see a funny and confident piece of work get presented, let alone approved and made. Good job.

Whoever said this was mediocre, would you please be brave enough to tell us what you last piece of work was.

Unless it was 'not happy Jan', I doubt the quality of your opinion.

10:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not happy Jan had a central truth. This doesn't. 6/10.

11:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

'Not happy Jan' devalued the Yellow Pages brand. Something most people don't know. We may have found it funny but when ever a customer called or emailed to complain their first words where not hapy Jan...

Sensis.

11:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Josh,

I like your tampon ad more.

11:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

For Australia, it's really good. Ben and Josh should be proud. My only let down was Middleditch's direction. It's starting to look a little dated. He needs to be trying new things. But he is most certainly not a "flavour of the month" as someone further up the line called him. He's been doing good stuff for over 5 years now. He just needs a kick up the arse to try a few new things.

5:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Middleditch is rubbish! from those awful ads with the dancing mouse to that rubbish bud ad. His reel is overrated by so many aussie creatives because most of them have never seen a good reel in their lives.

the only director worth considering in australia is steve rogers and ayson but he left to go liv ein belgium.

5:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not quite Thai Tanium, I wouldn't have thought.

6:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

5.51pm:

You're quite right, but Steve Ayson is from New Zealand, not Australia.

6:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

5.41, Paul Middleditch directed The Big Ad. That makes him the Flavour of the Month right now, regardless of how long he's been around. It just means his popularity has soared because his latest stuff is in the spotlight.

6:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wouldn't call Ben the flavor of the month either, he has been in every award book since about 93!

7:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pretty Good ad, good team, good director, enough said.

7:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A few questions for all those who think the ad is the best thing since Tom Yum.

1. How does redesigning a restaurant's decor and changing the name make it better than the other one across the road, which has just redesigned its decor and changed its name? The name changes don't seem to get progressively better, just different each time.

2. How does being in the Yellow Pages beat redesigning the decor and changing the name?

3. After seeing the Yellow Pages sign, why doesn't the restaurant across the road just place an ad in the Yellow Pages too?

The story doesn't make a lot of sense, isn't based on a truthful consumer insight, and isn't funny.

I don't care what ad you last made or what your name is, just explain what you think the ad is trying to say and why you think it's good.

8:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fucking hell..

1. The idea of this commercial is the concept of two restaurants attempting to out-do eachother. When one makes a change, the other follows suit. In the commercial, the restaurant owners believe they need a new gimmick to attract customers.

2. Being in the yellow pages is obviously far better than a cosmetic change, as it has a far wider potential audience than simple street traffic.

3. The yellow pages sticker is only given when someone has actually advertised within. The second restaurant obviously hasn't advertised. As such, they will have to wait a full year before placing their own ad. Theyir gimmicks no longer apply, and they will be beaten by their rival.

4. The insight is that yellow pages can hawk your business to far more customers than simply changing your signage and relying on gimmicks. It's amusingly made, will resonate with small business owners (none of us) and has a relatively good production budget.

5. I have absolutely nothing to do with Patts, I don't work on Yellow Pages but it's pretty simple for me to work out. Maybe you need another job mate - working out a creative idea doesn't seem to be your forte.

11:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

6.34pm. Nice pun. It will win something, but I think a TV ad entered in Titanium is a 1000 euro kissed good bye. Besides, it is just the flavor of the month category isn't it?

11:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm trying to work out who's used the worst pun here, but in the end I think it's a Thai.

HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is funny. It is good.

Haters are just jealous little pricks.

And I can't beleive some wanker is harping on about racial stereotypes?! What the fuck do you think advertising is about!?

Besides, it's merely an observation about the Thai restaurant influx and a funny one.

10:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just a quickie.

Can we please learn the difference between Chinese and Thais?

The music is Chinese, as it always is when Asians are featured in ads - whatever their race.

Don't get me wrong, I love the ad. But it's like sticking French accordian music over images of London.

Just makes us look a little naiive really, being in the middle of fucking Asia 'n all.

10:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmm yes and having Thai music would have made all the difference.

10:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's hard to tell which business is which in the ad. They all look the same to me.

10:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i think it's fuckin funny.
juries at the big shows will have a laugh, and can relate to it as they no doubt have their own local thai restaurant with a fucked-up name.
in jury rooms, any spot that gets a laugh tends to win something...

11:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Damn funny but the message is a little convoluted.

A good example of when there's nothing really to say just make it funny, entertaining and memorable - which it is.

11:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah 11.18, I think we should always make allowances for ads that are a little convoluted. Who says it needs to be great when good will do just fine.

12:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Funny thing is, all you jealous blog hacks will be sucking up Ben & Josh's arses after AWARD & saying "loved that ad, glad it won. Wouldn't be any jobs going at Patts would there? get you a beer mate?".

Keep slaging from the comfort of your anonymity, it's the closest you'll ever get to a genuine creative.

12:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey look at the posting date of these blogs. How many of you freaks spend their weekends worrying about other peoples ads?

For the record, it's Monday morning (work hours) & the spot is pretty good- not a best of show, but probably the best Aust ad so far this year.

It's certainly a lot stronger conceptually than any of the other ads posting on this site!

12:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

12:09 PM Genuine creatives aren't in advertising.

And although I like this ad, I couldn't shit who Josh and Ben are.

12:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

12.44, that would be painful to shit two fully grown guys.

1:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And Thai think it's quite entertaining! Nice 1.

1:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry 11:09,

I think the average punter will just remember it coz it's funny. When I first saw it, I too didn't make the connection.

I've just watched it 3 times to get it straight in my head.

But thanks for sorting that out for us.

1:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

1:26 PM I think a double dish of 'Chilli Beef and Basil' might help.

1:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

gally horner is nice man he by me ipod.

did he do this ad.

hope so..coz den he may give me more money for his visits.

mei wong.

i was not in dis ad which by the way .....is ok for australia but rather average and old fashioned in world standards.

tis a bit old fangled for me.

i would have used a thai ed and tested director from thailand myself.

see yoo soon gally.

xx

2:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

All this Thai food talk is making me hungry. Hungry for my Band of Brothers, Reardo. Give it back.

2:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

what's this Reardo shite about?

2:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

He has my band of brothers.

2:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

THe music comment hit the nail on the head. Great idea. Poorly executed. Thai music would have made the subtle difference to get this one metal. I also agree middleditch needs to shake us up again.. just like ayson needs to do somethign funny again. Maybe we shouldn't hold our breath for either of them. Who's next?

3:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Genius. Surely a world record for puns. Great pay-off. Genius. A real ad for a real client... heaven forbid!

3:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Thai music would have made the subtle difference to get this one metal'

Now you're just nitpicking. I agree it's important to make things accurate but it's not a cultural piece and I have my doubts that you would be able to discern the 'subtle difference' in the music anyway, unless of course you're Thai.

Sawadee khrap!

Tom Yum Goong.

4:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

sigh.
overrated. again.

4:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

^ sigh. nothing makes me laugh anymore.

4:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This one is great. If you scratch the screen it smells like chilli...

5:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

C all me old fashioned, but I agree. If the idea's about Thais, use a Thai track.

Let's not forget that Thais play an increasingly important part of Cannes juries now. Last jury I was on had a Thai CD.

They'll pick the Chinese music straight away and mark it down.

That's just the truth of the matter...

(Just for future reference guys....)

6:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure that any Thai jury member isn't going to be voting for a spot that makes Thai's look like a bunch of dumbarses anyway. The whole 'me so silly chop-socky' vibe isn't going to do much for anyone from asia I'd reckon.

It's a decent ad, much better than the shit y&r had been doing with that bullshit 'sorted' campaign. But I spose if you're putting any ad on here, prepare to be slaughtered.

Idea ok, direction ok. But this surely can't be metal. surely not.

6:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Who cares about the ad, Ben is HOT!

8:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

heya lynchy,

please let us know next time you use the yellow pages to find a restaurant.

10:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"...Thais play an increasingly important part of Cannes juries now. Last jury I was on had a Thai CD.

They'll pick the Chinese music straight away and mark it down."

Surely they won't be silly enough to enter it with the music track it actually RAN with?

9:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Best restaurant names?
How about a chinese joint in NYNY- Foo's Rush Inn.
Kosher Chinese in LA - Ghengis Cohen.
Both true!

2:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm usually quite cynical about ads on here but liked this spot for some reason. Made me laugh and made me remember the product. Job done.

7:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The worst thing about this spot and in fact all the great work James McGrath and co. are doing is that the untalented cunts in the Sydney office will jerk off to it and claim it as their own. I can just see it now, when they have their annual meeting in the U.S to show "their" work they'll have this and ads like BIG AD on their reel and the evil McGrath in Sydney and the evil Armish will be patting themselves on their back. It REALLY IS AN UNFAIR WORLD. :-(

5:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Melbourne sucks like orstralyen roolz .

1:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

8.05 : ok ben, enough. we know you think you're hot but you're actually looking like your creative at the moment. Tired and old.

11:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

7.29. ...James?......

11:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i've seen this on air now. In context, it's even worse. Bad creative, bad execution, lost message.
Enough Middleditch already, everyone!!!!!!!!!!

4:48 PM  

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