57Responses:

• laura

  

  Said on the 5 April 2007

  i work for Brantano and think the advert’s rubbish… hehe

• james

  

  Said on the 6 April 2007

  the connection with Freud is actually fetishism, the subtext being that woman have a sexual fetish for shoes! mental illness is correct but thats the denotation, your not supposed to see the connotation the extra 2/3 of the advert. Its actually quite a sinister advert from a didactic point of view, because they are telling woman what to do. Removing there choice, by using bad science brantano will unfortunately be a market leading brand sooner rather than later

• Emma

  

  Said on the 7 April 2007

  I work for Brantano.

  Freud and Jung were used because they’re key figures in their areas of psychology. Like professor brantano is a key figure for “shoe psychology” if you like. The whole advert is trying to let women know that shoe shopping with Brantano is an easy experience because if you choose not to talk to a shop assistant to ask for help, you don’t have to.

• Beatrice

  

  Said on the 10 April 2007

  Brantano is just trying to get away from the fact that its ‘easy-buy’, shoes-in-size-sections format is actually just a replication of every decent shoe shop’s sale arrangements. It’s not a clever new idea, it’s just cheap and nasty.
  It’s lucky that the ad directs itself entirely at women stupid/sick enough to admit that they suffer from an addiction to shoes, because they’re the only ones who wouldn’t be put off by such a nasty shop.

• emma

  

  Said on the 12 April 2007

  i dont think you’re really meant to look that far into the advert really…

  Which other shoe shop has all their stock displayed in every size?

• Beatrice

  

  Said on the 13 April 2007

  None, except when they’re on sale.

• jabeen

  

  Said on the 17 April 2007

  Their main aim is to make money! Hence trying to use a unique approach thats memorable!

  Trying to use psychology to justify it is perfectly normal to spend loads with Brantano because women cant help it and its beyond they’re control.

• tom

  

  Said on the 18 April 2007

  The advertisement does seem sinister to me at the beginning. It is interesting that the advert uses Freud’s name to promote shoes seeming as his and his nephew Bernays’ theories about psychology actually instigated the use of appeal to the ‘unconscious’ in advertisement to ‘control the masses’. The fact that Freud and Jung’s names are dropped at the beginning of the advert and then the brand name is shamelessly advertised comes off as a weak attempt at subversion. This facade is then dropped and the ad fills the quota by just having the straight forward facts at the end.
  The advert was indeed catching to my attention so is in effect purposeful, but aside from the fact I am not going to buy any of Brantano’s products, I’m sure Freud would be disgusted by the use of his name in this scenario.
  The advert evokes a wider debate about awareness of deception in consumerism a la Adorno and Horkheimer. If these women, or men for that matter, are conscious of the fact that they are buying into an idea or lifestyle and being exploited by the corperations, why do they continue to buy things and label it ‘retail therapy’.What this advert does is almost paradoxical in that it labels women as mentally ill for being addicted to shoe shopping, but in a ‘tongue-in-cheek’ or ironic fashion that implies the female audience will ‘get’ this joke and therefore can see through the deception of consumerism.
  Unfortunately, despite my left-wing, neo-marxist objections, I predict that this advertisement will succeed in boosting the sales of that company so good for bloody them!

• tom

  

  Said on the 18 April 2007

  and i agree with james

• kathryn

  

  Said on the 24 April 2007

  Beatrice says, “It’s lucky that the ad directs itself entirely at women stupid/sick enough to admit that they suffer from an addiction to shoes…”

  Looks like it’s appealing to 99% of women then.

• Jane Green

  

  Said on the 27 April 2007

  External PR agency view:

  The aim of this add is to make people aware of the brand. It was produced by women for women.

  A great deal of positive feedback has been received in store by new and exhisting customers.

  *”shoes-in-size-sections format is actually just a replication of every decent shoe shop’s sale arrangements. It’s not a clever new idea, it’s just cheap and nasty.”*

  SALE???

  These are not sale shoes, they are mid market priced. Have you been in a Brantano store recently? if ever?

  Brantano YTD sales are up 45% on last year (published figures by the Brantano NV group) so it seems to have worked.

• emma

  

  Said on the 29 April 2007

  Yeah. It’s only an advert. And companies produce adverts in an attempt to try and make more money. There’s no other objective. That’s what advertising is about. Full stop. It’s not meant to be taken so seriously!!

• Berry

  

  Said on the 5 May 2007

  I think that Brantano is not pointing at a mental illness but Dr. Brantano has discovered the shoe buying decission center of the human brain the slingback synapse.

  Berry

• kate

  

  Said on the 8 May 2007

  Can’t believe this ad is on a website called TV’s Worst Adverts. It’s one of TV’s best adverts!

• Howard

  

  Said on the 8 May 2007

  According to the author of this blog, “One of the main reasons women *are addicted to shoes* is because they’ve been manipulated for at least a generation into thinking that things like shoes are important by adverts just like this one.”
  She must have a very low opinion of women if she thinks they can be so easily brainwashed.

• Lettie

  

  Said on the 10 May 2007

  Hey James and Tom… lighten up! its a joke!

• kate

  

  Said on the 11 May 2007

  Your right Lettie, some people have no sense of humour

• lorraine

  

  Said on the 12 May 2007

  I also work for Brantano and think its a great funny advert and going by our recent figures seems to be working. look out for 2 more …

• david

  

  Said on the 23 May 2007

  The fabrication of historical facts should be a breach of advertising standards. Information must not be corrupted in this way.

• Jane

  

  Said on the 10 July 2007

  Brantano shoes are nasty, because the shoes that are out are a different colour to the ones in the box, because they are under the lights. they expect you to want to by that s***. you’d have to have a mental illness to actually want them!!

• chriss

  

  Said on the 10 July 2007

  I went into Brantano shoe shop in harlow today the staff were very helpful they sourced me a pair of shoes from another branch, these will be ready for collection in 7 days, I did not have to pay up front, only when I try / view them.

  I buy a lot of shoes and never have I had such good service, I was so impressed with the staff that I phoned there head office it a shame that not all shops give the same level of customer service. well done

• roland

  

  Said on the 10 July 2007

  anyway shouldn’t they be called ‘shoes shop’ never bought a shoe in my life. i have however bought shoes. not from brantano though, always looks a bit pikey to me. lol.

• Jane

  

  Said on the 16 July 2007

  I have always in the past been told if i were to order shoes it would take two weeks. I think two weeks is a long time for a customer to wait. Eastbourne is the worst store ive been to.

• Boggle

  

  Said on the 26 July 2007

  Crickey, do some of you think you’re analysing this advert a bit too much? It’s funny, that’s it.
  Stupid or sick for liking shoes – I mean come on!! I like shoes, I go to Brantano and I don’t shop in nasty shops either!
  Neither have I ever been to another shoe shop that has their shoes out in sizes for you to see.

• Mike

  

  Said on the 30 July 2007

  Where is the exterior shot of the “Brantano Institute” taken? Modernist maybe deco design, feels northern Europe….any ideas

• neil

  

  Said on the 2 August 2007

  I have only seen the advert once, I’m a man looking to buy a pair of shoes cos my old ones are falling apart. Brantano is obviously tapping into the widely accepted notion women are obsessed with shopping and particularly for clothes. shoes and handbags. Men generally buy shoes for a purpose and comfort in that purpose. Women buy almost purely for appearance and matching qualities to other dress items such as clothes and handbags, and almost completely disregard comfort as a important factor in their descision. The stores unique selling points that attract male customers is it is a big store with a bigger range of styles and sizes, space and time to buy without being hassled by sales assistants. Im off to buy some shoes cos brantano just makes sense.

• Hannah

  

  Said on the 10 September 2007

  Everyone on this blog page seem really into the brantanto store. I dont understand why it’s on the worst t.v ads if no-one agrees that it is? Isn’t this page just a waste of space. Why not make a website for brantano lovers, as there seems to be so many?

• Cheryl Dover

  

  Said on the 14 September 2007

  I think it’s false advertising them saying all shoes etc arrange in size and style in store well it’s rubbish i went to the one in milton keynes cause i really need some new boots as mine are falling apart (brought them from hotter and paid 59 pounds when i am unemployed!) have nothing to where on me feet, it’s really hard for me to get new boots as i am a size nine wide fitting, went in there and nothing for me.

  the shop assistants din’t bother offering to help me at all just said we’ll be getting some more in store soon but din’t say when.

  useless.

  dunno where gonna get boots from now.

• Cheryl Dover

  

  Said on the 14 September 2007

  P.S ANYONE KNOW OF A SHOE SHOP ON THE A6 ?

• Terri

  

  Said on the 25 October 2007

  i personally love the advert n u lot really spend too much time analysing that advert. You are all not psychologists you know!! you are not sigmund freud!!

• Dr Rooth M DIskin, MA (oxon)

  

  Said on the 29 October 2007

  As a Professor of Neurology at Paris V University, I find that this is really very factually incorrect, as we scientists say!

  A synapses is a a junction – that is to say, a gap – between two neurones, or an axon and a gland or muscle. Across this space, neurotransmitters (such as acetylcholine) are released and stimulate an action potential in the second neurone, causing the nervous impules to carry on, or “activate” the target.

  A synapse cannot be inflamed, and in NO circumstances can it look like a “slingback”. A synapse is not part of the brain – indeed, a single synapse would not show up on a CT scan as in this advert.

  I take great offense at this advert, as it is polluting the minds of the public – a public that is already quite ignorant about such subjects.

  - Dr RMDiskin, Descartes Professor of Neurobiology at Paris V Université

• Terri

  

  Said on the 29 October 2007

  the advert is ment to be for a shoe shop, you are getting too involved!!! seriously!!! congrats on being a neurologist by the way thats ace, but seriously its only an advert for shoe lovers!!!!

  ANNE-MARIE BRANTANO RULES ALL!!! HELL YEA!!!

• Dr Rooth M Diskin

  

  Said on the 29 October 2007

  But if as 99% have televisions, consider how many will be misinformed by this.

  There is no such person as Anne-Marie Brantano, indeed…. the company is owned by André Brantegem. Even if there is such a person, she is certainly no Jungian-level psychiatrist.

  This type of advertising should be banned (as fortunately would have it, I don’t live in Great Britain)

• Silky

  

  Said on the 29 October 2007

  Obviously one of the problems with the advert is if you make yourself out to be a fancy professor you can convince people of absolutely anything.

  Isn’t that right, Dr Diskin?

  Cheers for all the comments by the way; TVs Worst Adverts needs more people like you.

• Dr Rooth M Diskin

  

  Said on the 30 October 2007

  Please, call me Rooth!

  and frankly, Paris V is just a stepping stone for me!

• Silky

  

  Said on the 31 October 2007

  Cheers and good luck with the career, Rooth.

• Nathan

  

  Said on the 4 November 2007

  All you haters should be locked in a room with that ad repeating until you find your sense of humor. This ad is fiction, it’s was made to be funny and it shows people that it is a good shop by arranging the shoes in order to make life easier, it even makes my laugh everytime i see it or think of the word “Slingback Synaps”. Proberly you are all dull americans watching our european ad’s (why the hell you watching our ad’s for anyway), everyone knows you americans don’t understand european humor.

  A quick reminder before i go.
  !!!FIND YOUR HUMOR!!!

• Silky

  

  Said on the 4 November 2007

  No, nor do Americans understand our sense of spelling.

• Jean

  

  Said on the 2 January 2008

  I suffer from this terrible affliction advertised. Thank goodness Brantano have great shoes and even better half price sales. Must admit I never appeased my affliction in a Brantano shop until the slingback synaps adverts. Advertising is a powerful tool and only confirms just how weak we can all be, to this clever, yet simple technique to get us to spend our hard earned cash on their products. Thankfully I need shoes, so would have bought some anyway and Brantano is a good a place as any.

• cheryl

  

  Said on the 2 January 2008

  Still has not got new boots and now the soles of me feet are like shredded now from where these old ones i am still having to wear. How’s about brantano getting some size 9 extra wides in their stores, you’d be surprised how many woman there are out there with big feet. I managed to find new trainers in america size 9 first pair i tried fitted right away, unfortunately they din’t have any womans boots.

  come on brantano how’s about getting bigger sizes in. if u did man i would get 2 pairs!

• Ruth

  

  Said on the 11 January 2008

  HI, i work at Brantano tooo – this ad makes everyone at our store laugh wen a new one comes out ! but some are so embarrassin lol The school ad makes everyone complately laugh as i had not seen it and went into work with my hair in plates and my glasses! looked very simular but 3 years older lol Am proud some of the tym to say i work in one ofthe smallest branatno stores in the uk compaired to like wakefiled which is 4x as big lol.

  Cheryl if you still hant found any boot you can look online if you find a design you like and order it in to any store you like and you dont need to buy untill you have tried em on ! this might help

• Brantano Sales Assistant

  

  Said on the 9 February 2008

  I also work for Brantano. The shoe’s aren’t big high street designer as such but they are reasonable for the prices. As to reply to Cheryl’s comment, you can get size 9 shoes from Brantano, and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen boots too. Unfortunately not all stores stock them, your best bet would be to go onto the brantano website http://www.brantano.co.uk and take a look there. If you find a pair you fancy order them to your nearest store and pop in to try them on..if they don’t fit no problem, they’ll just sell it on.
  As for the advert’s, they’re comical and not to be taken seriously. Just a way of getting a point across to people that there is a shoe store out there that has all its products out in designer/size/type order.

• Jen

  

  Said on the 10 February 2008

  This seems to have turned into a huge advert for Brantano! It’s sexist (not every woman has an obsession with shoes), stupid and in the very few times I’ve been in, they’ve never had any shoes that I like in there.

• Christopher

  

  Said on the 28 March 2008

  Clearly there are many different types of people viewing these advertisements who are interpreting them in different ways. Some are potential customers who are interested in the shoes that Brantano have to offer. Others are content just to be entertained by the humour which the had offers. Yet others are interested in the way in which the advertisements work to persuade and I am sure that there are also some who have interest in all of these spheres.

  We should not get angry about these advertisements since such emotions only serve to “wind us up” thereby doing ourselves harm. As some wise bloggers have suggested we should just enjoy the humour and not take it too seriously. Dr Rooth M Diskin, if indeed she too is not an invention, should not be overly concerned about the misrepresentation of science. We English are quite capable of discerning that what is being portrayed here is not real science but merely a “spoof.” What is good for science though is to see more women portrayed as scientists rather than the authoritarian images of the 1950′s which only allowed men to take on that role.

  Research Student
  Sheffield Hallam University

• Helen

  

  Said on the 22 April 2008

  Have you seen the latest ad where she’s coming up with excuses to buy shoes? Brilliant!!!

• annette

  

  Said on the 21 May 2008

  I hate the way women are portrayed as cock-daft shoe-mad idiots in almost everything on TV.

• luci hope

  

  Said on the 12 June 2008

  what a load of crap. worked for brantanos for 12 years and people just want cheap shoes

• Louise

  

  Said on the 2 July 2008

  I hate, hate, hate this advert. To say ‘lighten up, it’s funny’ is no excuse… It’s not funny, it’s an appalling joke!

  It’s just basically saying ‘Women, their mental! So they should buy our shoes’… That’s not a message I want to hear. It’s giving us a terrible stereotype, and I think that my anger if fuelled by the fact that I don’t fit this stereotype, I hate shoes.
  In fact… This advert has done nothing to make me want to go into their shop and buy some.. I just get the impression that I’m going to be patronised and spoken to like a mental patient. Because, as we all know, all women are in actual fact mental patients, and should be treated as such, especially when it comes to shopping…

  And on the ‘no other shops have thier shoes arranged in sizes’ thing, Wyndsor’s world of Shoes does that, and has done long before I’d heard of Brantano.. I’m sure there are others too, but I can’t remember what they’re called.

• luci hope

  

  Said on the 12 July 2008

  Ads crap. head office/marketing need to get in touch at grass root level to know what customer needs. I had never heard of freud or jung before commercial, its a desperate attempt to compete with clarks and make it look scientific.

• Garry

  

  Said on the 1 August 2008

  I think it is important for women with big feet to know where to look foir big shoes.
  Not enough is ever doen to support women with big feet, size 9, 10 and 11. . .
  Women with big feet are very attractive, and big feet are a major turn on for a lot of guys . .(Me included).
  Tall women, big feet . .
  Brantano! – Well done, get some more big shoes in!

• Cathryn

  

  Said on the 12 August 2008

  i think this advert is rubbish to be honest with you, it’s pointless. yes women like shoes but there are some who couldn’t care less what goes on there feet. it’s making the female population look like they are adicted to shoes and other material things when most of us don’t, there are just some who have the money to be. sorry if i have offened anyone, wasn’t meant to.

• Jason...

  

  Said on the 14 January 2009

  I work for Brantano, and i think the shoes arent that bad! im a young lad and like to keep up to date, i sometimes find the odd pair i like, but i always get my football boots from there, and my mum is always buying shoes from there! Overall the style is basic, slips ons…..lace ups etc
  The advert is alright it does the job! its kicked up this much of a fuss, surely this is what the point in the advert was? to get Brantano spoken about.
  Overall i think that when people moan the shoes are “rubbish” you must remember we cater for nearly every size! we cant afford to get the latest styles for every size, its cost effective for us to ‘play it safe’ and make sure we can get the money in the till! by selling plain and simple shoes that we know will sell. Every time we get a stylish shoe in, it doesnt sell as people dont know we stock it, so i just wait and buy it in the sale

• Brantano TV Worst Adverts | Wood TV Stand

  Said on the 31 May 2009

  [...] Brantano TV Worst Adverts Posted by root 32 minutes ago (http://tvs-worst-adverts.co.uk) As to reply to cheryl comment you can get size 9 shoes from brantano and i 39 m pretty sure i 39 ve tall women big feet brantano well done get some more big shoes in cuprinol the wood preservation society middot oatibix my sharona tv worst adverts is prou Discuss  |  Bury |  News | Brantano TV Worst Adverts [...]

• CovertJellyfish

  

  Said on the 10 September 2009

  I know a special someone who deserves a new pair of shoes… I won’t buy them from here though…

• Archer

  

  Said on the 11 September 2009

  Ooooh… are we allowed to guess who?

  My guess is William Shatner.

• CovertJellyfish

  

  Said on the 11 September 2009

  My secret…. How did you know???

• Neurononsense, and the status quo « Urocyon's Meanderings

  Said on the 15 October 2010

  [...] I have wanted to turn off the television every time that hideous “slingback synapse” Brantano shoe ad (UK) has come on. Much like hipster racism, it’s not ironic (nor even vaguely cute) when a [...]