BASF – Invisble Contribution
3 May 2007 by SilkyWoah! Talk about a hard sell. Alright it’s not like they’re pushing “Puppy Torturing” or “Stealing Children’s Sweets” but trying to advertise a chemical company is pretty tough work.
Chemicals, it’s fair to say, have a pretty bad reputation. And people who make and sell chemicals, well, theirs is probably worse. But, in their latest advert, BASF are trying to show us why they should be your favourite chemical maker and seller.
By the way, my favourite maker and seller of chemicals, ‘Crystal’ Steph, has just been busted for *dealing*. Free ‘Crystal’ Steph. No, no, don’t listen to me kids, drugs are bad…
And to make things even worse for chemical companies, the money spending public is increasingly tending to buy organic, natural and just not so chemically products (I’m not an expert on what people do buy but these are some buzz words I’ve heard, at least) which, traditionally, don’t contain that many chemicals. This must be a worrying time for the likes of BASF.
So maybe this advert is part of a fire fighting campaign by BASF to stop us going all Greenpeace on their arses because I can’t imagine anyone sit at home, sees this advert and thinks “Thank God for BASF’s invisible contribution!” let alone “I must buy some more chemicals”…
But then again, maybe people do. Maybe there just hasn’t ever been a place for them to say “Thanks” before…
I’m high-jacking this TV’s Worst Advert post and turning it into a place where we can say “Thank you, BASF. Thank you for all those cassette tapes you made, and all the mix tape memories I’ve got from them. Thanks for your invisible contribution.”.
So go on, join me. Leave a comment and say “Thanks” too!
Judge for yourself (Once the page has loaded, click the Start button)
Just How Bad is this Ad?
(10 votes, average: 2.90 out of 5)
11Responses:
Julio Butwang
Said on the 25 October 2008
I like this advert, actually i love this advert, in fact i love this advert so much im going to buy me one of those……..um……..er…………BASF things………… yeah i need one of those……………..actually how have i managed without one of those…..um…………..what are they trying to sell me?
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 28 December 2008
YEAH!! I’m in that shop TOMORROW!!!! (They don’t have a shop) OH! Right!! I’ll order online!! (They don’t sell to private individuals) ERM.. Right well I’ll just go out and form a Corporation then and then I can buy a.. a… {what do they sell?}(Chemicals) {what? like goo and stuff?} (Yep) {Oh} I can buy a BIG bowl of invisible GOO!!!
Archer
Said on the 19 May 2009
Just browsing through the old school TV’s Worst Adverts… and scarily surprised that no-one picked up on this post.
Silky… and all your online audience… shame on you… “Alright it’s not like they’re pushing puppy torturing…”
That’s true. But BASF developed Zyclon B.
Silky
Said on the 19 May 2009
“BASF developed Zyclon B”
They also enabled my sister to make that Milli Vanilli/BROS/Simply Red mix tape that she played over and over and over.
Can you genuinely say which is worse?
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 19 May 2009
BROS *shudder* I also had to suffer George Michael, funny thing really, I remember my sister smashing a lemonade bottle over my head because I said he was gay….
Archer
Said on the 20 June 2009
Just reminded me that BASF allowed my all-time best Five Star compilation.
I’m not saying I forgive them for Zyclon B though.
Archer
Said on the 20 June 2009
PS Silky, I’ve… erm… been to Belgium recently, but felt sure you’d pull my BASF comment. You do know they have a massive legal department that likes to get rid of any difficult references to their troubled past?
I’m sure they’d been pretty keen to wipe the slate clean on the whole Milli Vanilli fiasco.
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 21 June 2009
Zyklon B… Arn’t VO5 putting that in their new shower gel?
Archer
Said on the 21 June 2009
Yep. They’re also putting in a synthetic compound that enables people to use contractions correctly. ‘AREN’T’ they??
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 21 June 2009
Nah, they just need to stop selling Jack Daniels
insider
Said on the 25 July 2010
how stupid can you be? this whole campaign was only used to improve the image of BASF and to raise awareness of BASF chemical company as part of many products you use. goal was to create A) the raised awareness and B) a pull-effect from customers to ask for ingredience from BASF.