The poetry of Vanity Fair.

[Neville Briggs]

I had a thought to research the presence of poetry in the commercial advertising world.

I know Manfred has done a piece that advertised Vegemite.
And the eminent writer, the late Bryce Courtney was the composer of the rhyming ditty Louis The Fly.
If I remember correctly, Henry Lawson did a poem to advertise cough medicine or some sort of tonic ?

So I went through the agony of sitting down, pen and paper in hand to make a note of any poetic utterances that I could find in the commercial breaks of an hour long TV program. There wasn't any rhyming stuff but I found these examples.


1. Soothe your sore throat. ( An alliteration slogan for Soothers cough lollies ).

2. Switch to the Super that's really switched on. ( alliteration from Westpac.) Who said accountants were not artistically sensitive.

3. This one for the Schwarzhopf ladies shampoo was very romantic poetry,

Incomparable beauty experience
that satisfies my highest demands.
Incredibly strong, radiantly shiny
Simply precious.

And one for a weight loss program. Almost regular metre.

Every time you push that little bit further,
Every time you make better choices,
Every time you say " I can "
You break through your barriers. Change awaits.

[Bob Pacey]

They are Easy Nev.

Charbray Advert
03/08/08

Its tough out on the land mate
That's something we all know.
And you need an edge to make a quid
Don't waste your hard earned dough.

So you're looking for a blood line
That's exceptional in yield
Here's the beef breed of the future
"Charbray" it leads the field.

Parasite resistant, low birth weight
Mate they're not slow
High yielding full beef carcass
Just you sit and watch em grow.

So when you're thinking dollars
Higher yields that can't be beat
Charbray's the breed your looking for
More beef on four feet.




Gunnadoo Hardware

If ya gunna do some painting Go To Gunnadoo
If ya gunna do some building Go To Gunnadoo
No matter what ya gunna do well they’ve got the gear for you
With personnel service just for you, down at Gunnadoo.

If ya working in the garden go to Gunnadoo
or ya need some good advice go to Gunnadoo
They’ve got heaps of stuff for you and they always follow through
Just go and see Pat and the crew down at Gunnadoo.

Bob

[Stephen Whiteside]

I have a feeling C. J. Dennis did a piece for Dulux paint, talking about how many gallons it took to paint the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

[Neville Briggs]

[Vic Jefferies]

Australia's most famous song (which is actually a version of the original) was used as an advertising jingle. From Wikipedia:

In 1903 Marie Cowan was hired to alter the song lyrics for use as an advertising jingle for Billy Tea, making it nationally famous.[17] A third variation on the song, with a slightly different chorus, was published in 1907. Paterson sold the rights to "Waltzing Matilda" and "some other pieces" to Angus & Robertson Publishers for five pounds (the currency of the time).

The song was copyrighted by an American publisher, Carl Fischer Music, in 1941 as an original composition. Although no copyright applied to the song in Australia and many other countries, the Australian Olympic organisers had to pay royalties to Carl Fischer Music following the song being played at the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta.[18][19] Carl Fischer continues to hold the copyright today. Arrangements such as those claimed by Richard D. Magoffin remain in copyright in America.[20]

[warooa]

The rhyming pattern AABBA, of the limerick tradition, was deemed a risky choice in the conception of one of the most popular advertising jingles in Australian history - that of the ad for Word Series Cricket back in the 70's.

Lillee's pounding down like a machine.
Pascoe's making divets in the green.
Marsh is takin' wickets.
Hooksie's clearin' pickets
And the Chappell's eyes have got that killer gleam.

So popular it was that it was released as a single and it topped the charts.

Just when you thought it couldn't get more poetic than that . . . the limerick form was once again used in that famous traditional (although British in origin) sporting chant, but lyrically streamlined so it was impossible for pissed up cricket fans (or anyone) to forget.

Aussie Aussie Aussie. Oi Oi Oi.
Aussie Aussie Aussie. Oi Oi Oi.
Aussie. Oi.
Aussie. Oi.
Aussie Aussie Aussie. Oi Oi Oi.

There is an operatic version of this that is quite beautiful.

Marty

[Neville Briggs]

Marty pleeze . No wonder we struggle to get audiences and readers for real poetry.

Maybe the corporate world has captured verse. Is poetry is only as good as what serves the shareholders and the economy.
I wonder how the remuneration for ad writers compares to the return to humble bush poetry publishers.

Maybe the " dark side " isn't modernist verse after all, maybe the dark side is rhyme and metre in the service of the capitalists.

[Bob Pacey]

What About


Fourex Song

Here's to Wally Lewis
For lacing on a boot
Some times he plays it rugged
Some times he plays it cute

When he's carving through the backline
Like a stradbroke Island shark
There's glue on all his fingers
He's the emperor of Lang Park

And when the blues come up here
To try and make a show
They'll go back scratching their heads
Saying which way did he go?

The next time he goes over there
to educate the poms
Perhaps he'll teach a few to sing:
I can feel a fourex coming on

I can feel a fourex coming on
I can feel a fourex coming on.
Got the taste for it
Just can't wait for it
I can feel a fourex coming on.

[Neville Briggs]

Nah, sorry Bob, no poetry there.

[Bob Pacey]

Ah you just don't have any appreciation of class Nev.

Oh by the way that Charbray advert was used throughout Central and Western Queensland on both television and radio and was used on the front page of their calendar for that year. With a picture of the author of course


Please ignore the blue shirt .

Bob