The lack of imagination in the advertising business

These people, the people who make our TV adverts are hailed as some of the most creative people in the nation. Take the compare the market advert - don't! Don't! Don't sing compare the meerkat in your head.

Talk to anyone about that advert. "Oh it's so creative." Is it really? Oh, how clever, a pun. It did what it what it was supposed to do, it made us remember the brand. But did the original advert, not the meerkat toy, convince you to buy car insurance from them?

The brand that has sprung up, the meerkat toys are really clever, but the film lacks something. It lacks that spark that sets it apart. I find the advert on TV disappointing, endless voice overs over clips that are clinical and don't set themselves apart from other brands

The new OXO advert (though probably not my division being a vegetarian and all) is fantastic. It has simple clear branding. It has fantastic imagery. It has a good use of colour. I also love the fact they don't  need to use that typical, british voice over, it is simple and clear. We know what is selling to us. I think that people rely on that "voice" to make sure that people who aren't watching TV with all their attention are suddenly grabbed by the stunning, atypical woman putting her dirty laundry into a washing machine only for it to come out brilliant white.

There's just always a difference between what is noticed *cough dancing pony cough* and what is well made and the makes me sad. Why oh why will we be influenced by terrible film making? Why are we grabbed by terrible quality puns and bad graphics and persuaded to buy from these people?

There are so many talented people in the world trying to make it in film and these advertisers, the Gods of the retail universe, are getting more credit than they deserve. Marketing is more than a cheaply designed advert, it is a clear cut image. Apple are an example who have done this brilliantly, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't influenced by marketing as I write on my Macbook *cough* pro.

I don't agree with 1/3 of the superbowl being adverts because they're not well made. I know subliminal imaging is illegal, but the intelligence that the advertisers involved used has now been abandoned. We need a new realm (yes, like a kingdom, I pick my words carefully) of advertisers and I am looking at you.

I say you because you are probably still in school, according to my demographics, like me, and we have the power to change the mundane world that current adult life has left behind. Can we please change it? I see so much talent on the web, on youtube and why can't we change television?

Pick a career you will do well in. If you make films now and are really quite good at it, make films in the future. Please do. Our country depends on it. Save us from the Meerkat and bring the Golden Age of the advert.