The Snug

The oft heard cry is that the adverts are better than the TV shows that interrupt them.

Even Channel 4 dedicated a show to the 100 Greatest TV Ads (not that the title 100 Greatest… or Top 100… is an unusual sight on Channel 4) with the Guinness surfers coming out top, possibly helped by the soundtrack supplied by Leftfield and the extracts from Moby Dick read by Louis Mells. At the moment there is one advert that has me in stitches whenever it comes on and that’s the current one featuring Derek.

Picture the scene, bloke sat in library studying (for people like H & Myself that was the building in the far corner of Alex Square that had no bars near to it). The gentleness of the scene is shattered by Derek who smashes through the bookcases attached to a giant spring, dressed as a cuckoo with blue feathers, and an orange beak. Derek then shouts at the tax-dodging studious lad:

“Wakey wakey"

"Smart Alec, are you? Well get this down your pie hole, clever clogs.” Thrusts can towards student.

“Irn-Bru 32 - pure mental stimulation in a can. And it disnae taste like the bottom of my cage."

We then have a stereotypical looking librarian who comes into view and says “Shhh”, to which Derek replies "I'll shush you, you tweedy old crow."

Before beckoning the librarian to a rumble outside before finishing with a threatening "cuckoo".

Now I always fall about laughing whenever this advert comes on, possibly because of the fact that Derek reminds me of Begbie from Trainspotting and the thought of Begbie dressed as giant cuckoo just makes me smile. However, despite me finding it extremely funny it seems that Strathclyde Police think it will encourage violence.

I am reminded at this point by the Monty Python sketch Hell’s Grannies, and struggle to remember the wave of pensioners racing around the streets beating up unsuspecting passers-by. Sometimes I think we over emphasise the power of TV, put it this way the advert doesn’t encourage me to buy Irn-Bru 32, but just makes me giggle!