The ‘Maxwell Tapes : The Israelites’ commercial by Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury from 1990, is a piece I love to refer to when discussing examples of quality work.

For one, most people remember it (unless I am talking to University Students who give me back that ‘Dime Bar‘ face), secondly it gets everything right.

Brimming with personality, humor and honesty. You will be hard pushed to find another ad which gets to the point in such an engaging way as, efficiently as ‘The Israelites’.

It is as simple a they come. One locked off camera, one character and some boards with felt marker on. Yet, it achieves more in these 30 seconds than some of the bloated, celeb laden, gloss-fests such as the recent ad for Nike.

Quickly highlighting the benefits of the products without even showing a cassette tape. The ad is so enjoyable in the delivery of the punch line you don’t even notice you have just been sold a product benefit.

The idea of misheard lyrics is such a universal concept that everybody can understand and relate to, but it is the characterisation that builds the narrative and ultimately the brand. The street he is filmed in, the style of the typography on the boards, how the bloke dances…you don’t have to say ‘this guy is a music fan, just like you’ it is apparent. You relate to him. His passion for music and his emotional and technical problems associated to his enjoyment of his passion.

There is none of the ‘aspirational bull-shit’ that makes adverts today overblown, over stylised, confused and ineffective. It knows why it’s target audience needs their product and highlights the benefits to them, simple. No drumming gorillas. No incongruous animation styles. No pretending to be a loverly, friendly, creative brand either.

Just a bloke, with a problem that the product in question can solve. One of the best ad’s ever made.

I am sure Brand Managers and Marketing Directors across the land have had their eyes set on splashing their summer campaign budgets on one of the many “Our brand / product supports England at the World Cup”.

Why do so many brands feel this is a successful approach to communicating the unique qualities of their product?

There are so many campaigns based around the same hackneyed visual cues and emotional hooks that they are all blurring in to one mass of red, white and silhouettes of nondescript cheering crowds.

I do understand (despite not being the least bit interested in football) that this event is important, and at no point is my argument aimed at the fans. Rather the fact that advertisers somehow believe that you will be more likely to buy a Twix if it were to visibly support England.

I also understand that the World Cup is worth a massive amount of money to a multitude of brands or producers. With the event stimulating purchasing in all sorts of sectors from TVs to Snacks. So I can see why as many different brands would want to tap into this.

Basic advertising thought says the best way to attract the buyers attention is to be relevant to their lives. “This product supports England, I also support England…it has a St George’s cross on it, so I’ll buy it!”

But when all products are supporting England, what is it differentiating you from your competitors?

How can you build brand loyalty, when for a month of the year you communicate exactly the same thing as your competitors. How are new customers introduced to your brand going to be able to remember you and come back to your brand for a 2nd, 3rd 4th time post World Cup.

The effort in terms of brands supporting England is a futile one. At a time when differentiation is at the upmost importance.

To me it feels like an easy and creatively stunted option. Brand managers just see the pot of money that punters have set aside to enjoy the World Cup and think “We need to get in on that action! Stick a flag on it and buy some ads!” it’s lazy, safe and uninspired.

I am tempted to cover the much talked about Nike advert, but there has been enough said about this already. But I will say this, they are a brand heavily involved in football so this was always going to be a great opportunity to improve their already massive brand exposure. I can’t really say the same for some other brands. I for one look forward to seeing what Anusol, the Offical Piles Cream of the 2010 England World Cup Team do next.