Cuprinol – The Wood Preservation Society
13 May 2009 by SilkyI think we can all agree that nothing evokes the spirit of the Swinging 60′s more than the film “The Italian Job” and the preservation of wood.
Which is why whenever I hear Cuprinol’s version of “The Self Preservation Society” song – from that quintessential 1960′s film – with its new, far more apt lyrics about the preservation of wood, I’m instantly transported back to that technicolored Bohemia:
Oh no, hang on, no I’m not…
But what I do particularly love about this advert is the fact there’s only one idea in it – if you change “self preservation” to “wood preservation” it could be about varnish and still fit the tune.
Brilliant.
So from the moment the hapless actors burst out of the garden shed – each one desperately trying to out “Dick Van Dyke” the one in front but only to succeed in becoming inexplicably more twatish – singing those blood curdlingly awful reworked lyrics to the moment of blessed relief and this horror show of an advert finishes, Cuprinol are banking on the fact that changing “self” to “wood” is, in some way, amusing.
Which, in a “Repeatedly being kicked in the genitalia by Jim Davidson whilst watching Schindler’s List on loop for 7 days” kind of way, it is.
Well done, Cuprinol. Well done.
Just How Bad is this Ad?
(53 votes, average: 4.08 out of 5)
21Responses:
Pavlov's Cat
Said on the 13 May 2009
Reworked song lyrics, unfortunatley a bad advert staple. Although this does take a treasured memory and piss all over it , in a particulary nasty way.
What gets my goat is taking a song completly out of context and adding it to your own campaign.
Example: It’s Not Easy Being Green
No, you fuckers it was never about renewable energy , tree hugging , recycling. so called Anthropogenic Global Warming.
It was about diversity, to teach kids that it’s OK to be different colours, creeds, it was about a frog feeling left out because he was a different colour, but then realising that there’s lots of good things about being the colour green and it makes him happy.
This has been a production of The Childrens Television Workshop
Gordon
Said on the 13 May 2009
I agree – it reminds me of the wonderful advert for Evergreen Lawn care using Day Dream Believer and a dancing frog (frogs again?) to shoehorn some inappropriate lyrics into a tacky jingle.
I hope that the shit Cuprinol advert isn’t repeated as often as the shit Evergreen advert is – year after bloody year to avoid the cost of making a new shit advert.
Anyway, what are so many hideous people doing in the same shed – I thought sheds were for hiding drugs and porn not solving the housing problem for people too ugly and tone deaf to join in with the rest of society.
Another Ad Hater
Said on the 13 May 2009
I was so damn angry when 118 118 ripped off Ghostbusters but this just makes me much more outraged! Cuprinol have taken the excellent “Self Preservation Society” song from The Italian Job, reworked the lyrics and got some of the most annoying people ever to sing it. This is the equivalent of taking an excellent song and doing a crap on it which is what Cuprinol have done!
Thanks Cuprinol for making ad breaks even more excruciating to sit through. I wish companies would stop using really good songs and changing the lyrics to be used in ads.
And yes, I also hated that Evergreen ad. Why must companies resort to putting in really cheesy songs that make you just want to reach for the remote?!
sarah
Said on the 14 May 2009
This advert. gets my vote because it reminds me of my first husband.
He was keen on amateur dramatics and musical shows.The shed dwellers pratting about in this ad.look exactly like a selection of his friends……
It was over 40 years ago, but I still have bad dreams about the rehearsals in my front room……
Jellyfish McSaveloy
Said on the 15 May 2009
You can’t argue that it’s message is plain, simple and to the point though. Even if it does make me want to burst my own ear drums.
The wood preservation society
Said on the 5 June 2009
How can this advert be annoying, this is a classic and my fellow workers and I frequently sing along daily to boost our morale.
Bex
Said on the 5 June 2009
I once saw a group of 14 year old girls do a dance to the Evergreen lawn song in a completely inappropriate public place. It wasnt an impromptu, improvised thing either…they’d taken a lot of time to choreograph the thing! Though I’m sure their efforts won’t be wasted when they win Britains Got (extremely little that are willing to associate themselves with this show) Talent by a landslide. Madness does seem the main criterion. Chips glorious chips! though has to be a classic! And I do spend a lot of my spare time changing words to songs and selling them off as my own…but thats a different story…
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 5 June 2009
You C-A-D
Bex
Said on the 9 June 2009
Computer Aided Design?
Tony
Said on the 9 June 2009
Not only do I agree with the comments above, but they can’t even say Vincent Van Gough’s name correctly. It’s “Gough”, not “Go”. Uncultured philistines.
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 12 June 2009
Anyway, only the thought of a Jessica Alba/Melanie Sykes love sandwich preserves my wood….
Archer
Said on the 20 June 2009
I’ve seen some Vincent van Gogh paintings, and I’ve worked in a warehouse that stocked Cuprinol products. I’m doubting whether they actually offer more colours than Vincent van Gogh.
As far as I remember, they offered ten varieties max. I known the Don McLean song says ‘paint your palette blue and grey’, but surely Vincent used more colours than that?
Tobaila
Said on the 22 June 2009
The song “Wood preservation society” would work just as well in a Viagra ad.
R E Krishna
Said on the 26 June 2009
Great plan!! Painting your fence with viagra would of course keep it up in a strong wind.
Albert Flangebaum
Said on the 3 July 2009
Has anyone noticed that Clarence Bodicker (the bad guy from Robocop) features in this advert? He can be seen in the middle of the picture at 0:14. Brilliant how they’ve managed to incorporate themes from two different movies into one advert.
Mikey
Said on the 14 July 2009
Incredibly bad ad, missing flair, wit and just about everything else.
Dpn
Said on the 14 July 2009
More colours than Vincent Van Gogh has got to be the most idiotically banal and inane line in recent tv history.
The ad’s principal actors don’t come across as lovable eccentrics; they come across as mentally deficient.
What a thoughtless, idiotic low-budget.
Obviously aimed at the half-witted masses who think that anything is funny.
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 14 July 2009
Well it is on British TV…
Ad Hater 2.0
Said on the 4 April 2010
Oh great, this bloody annoying ad is back on our screens again! Wood preservation society? How dare you fucking rip off a classic Italian Job song! Yet another reason to mute the TV!
Dave
Said on the 5 May 2010
Kid “What did you do at work today Dad?”
“Well son I ponced about with a load of absolute tits in an advert for wood preserver making a complete twat of myself”.
“Why, Dad?”
“I get money for doing it son”.
“Dad you could get money for sucking cocks in a leper colony, it doesn’t make it a good idea.”
“Your right son, I’ll just go and hang myself, my will’s in the sideboard.”
“Cheers Dad at least the kids at school will stop telling me my Dad’s a cunt.”
Jordan
Said on the 22 June 2010
I F*CKIN HATE THIS ADVERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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