The ads for MenuPages’ million euro voucher giveaway are annoying. Ah yes, MenuPages, the website that has been known to remove negative reviews of restaurants. The website that didn’t allow my negative (but in no way abusive or defamatory) review of a restaurant the one time I used the site. Pretty redundant website, in my opinion. Unless for some reason you want to only read glowing reviews.
And don’t get me started on those VHI Healthcare ads. “I’m glad I’m a VHI Healthcare member.” Of course you are, you can fucking afford it.
Found that boards thread quite amusing. I worked there a few years ago. Couldn’t get out of the place quick enough. Lying seems to be a policy. Even their written contracts were a complete joke.
You’ll never see a bad review on a website like that as they get their revenue from the restaurants concerned,they certainly lack objectivity. I once got the folks dinner for two at “possibly the best restaurant in Ireland” (that was according to a certain website), they hated the food, the portions were tiny and it was overpriced. I was told later they went to a chipper afterwards !
I love the ‘Quinn Direct’ adverts on the radio. They generally take two styles:-
1. An aggressive male who sounds like he is unusually and violently offended at the very suggestion that he might switch his insurance from the troubled company to any other provider.
“Oi duz have no reason to change. Oi’ll be sticking wid Quinn”.
2. An adenoidal, perky, middle class female who soothingly coos about the great service she has had from Quinn over the years.
‘They really can’t do enough to help you, etc..”
At the end of each, we get a whispered reminder that the Quinn company is in the hands of administrators and that the real-life customers have received ‘gratuities’ for their testimonials.
AIB are doing something very similar on radio ads recently. Wonder if it’s the same Marketing Agency involved in all of these.
Subject to Terms and Conditions!
If you want cringing, fawning restaurant reviews, you can’t get anything worse than Jimmy Greely on NTL’s City Channel. Some of the worst TV ever produced.