Who are the people in the advertisements? What exactly are they doing in the iconic images we’re all now so familiar with? Why is the man from Which? wearing a labcoat in a poster about bank current accounts?
In the second part of our occasional series, join personality interviewer Lee Lee as he goes Inside The Ads and interviews the real people starring in popular advertisements.
In part 2, Lee meets Jim and Jen from Nationwide bank’s critically acclaimed “Get the current account the experts rate” billboard poster.
Lee: Hi Jim and Jen!
Jim and Jen: Hi Lee! It’s great to be here.
Lee: You’re both expert financial money analysers, but what we want to know is: How did you get picked to appear in the great poster?
Jim: I sit on the experts table at Which? I was sitting there doing some expert financial money analysering with some other experts when Caroline from our publicity department walked over and asked if I’d like to be in a poster. To be honest expert financial money analysering with some other experts can give me a bit of headache, some days. So I said yes to appearing in the poster straight away!
Jen: My story’s very similar to Jim’s. I sit on the experts table at Which? I was sitting there doing some expert financial money analysering with some other experts when Caroline from our publicity department walked over and asked if I’d like to be in a poster. To be honest expert financial money analysering with some other experts can give me a bit of headache, some days. So I said yes to appearing in the poster straight away!
Lee: Haha! Those are great answers Jim and Jen. But Jen, surely you meant to say you sit on the experts table at Nationwide, not Which?
Jen: Ooops! Silly mistake-to-make-a!
Lee: You’re both experts, so I guess you both “rate” the nationwide current account you’re advertising? Can you tell me why you rate it?
Jim: I rate it. It’s good.
Jen: I rate it too. It’s good.
Lee: That’s great!
Lee: Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?
Jen: What makes you say that? Is it our body language? Is it the way that Jim faces the camera with his broad shoulders, with both his feet planted firmly apart, in a reassuringly manly stance? While I gaze admiringly at him, with my feet together demurely? Almost as if we’re emulating two people in a relationship? Almost as if we indicating that there’s sexual chemistry between us, a hint of tension to give the poster image an added layer of resonance?
Lee: Yes, maybe.
Jim: We’re not in a relationship. We only met for the first time today in the photographer’s studio! But we’re enjoying getting to know each other.
Lee: I’ve got to mention the clothes you’re both wearing. You’re both rocking and stylish.
Jim: Thanks Lee. The ladies love my white lab coat. When I’m sitting at the experts table with the other experts doing our expert financial money analysering we all wear white lab coats. Some people think it’s totally unecessary, but I disagree. I love my white coat. It indicates that I’m an expert at financial money analysering. And that’s important.
Lee: Also on the poster it says “Proud to be different”. What makes you two different?
Jen: I love badminton! All my girlfriends say I love badminton waaay too much. Toxic bile! I also like to fit in a spot of yachting when I can.
Jim: What makes me different is that I openly admit to suffering from severe bouts of depression.
Lee: Those are great answers! Thanks both. One final thing: The present state of the economy – is it good or bad?
Jen: Bad
Jim: Good.
Lee: Thanks both, it was great to meet you!
Jim and Jen: It was great to meet you too! And don’t forget to check out Nationwide current accounts!
See also
Lee Lee meets the two young UK gentlemen featured in the Co-Operative’s critically acclaimed “Dinner bought and cooked in 35 mins. Eaten in 90 mins. Good food within easy reach” billboard poster.
