Comments on: Advertising board doesn’t love Dick: Smith fights ‘censorship’

By: Mark Errey

Mark Errey — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 07:26:21 +0000

@Person Ordinary you are spot on. Dick does not produce anything, these brands are just someone else’s product with his mug slapped over the top. What Dick does is promote Dick Smith, that is his only brand and he flogs it mercilessly. This whole confected furore is just part of his marketing strategy, don’t buy it! I’ll never forget how years ago he got Australian Geographic started with lots of volunteer assistance and donations from the public, then when it was up an running he flogged it off and kept the proceeds!

By: Brad

Brad — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 23:55:34 +0000

Is a double entendre a double entendre when someone doesn’t get it? If the viewer doesn’t get it, what harm is done? If the viewer does get it, then it isn’t anything new. Of course, it could lead to an uncomfortable question ‘Daddy, what did she mean?’…

By: Gerry Hatrick, OAP

Gerry Hatrick, OAP — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:23:24 +0000

Didn’t we have a turkey slap all over TV at some point?

By: Person Ordinary

Person Ordinary — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:31:10 +0000

Dick has to feign the outrage to get the media suckers to push the story along - free coverage - all part of the ploy. A bit of fun, but PG is about right …

By: Salamander

Salamander — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:06:39 +0000

Well spotted dick is Pommie food, so that’s funny.

By: Pedantic, Balwyn

Pedantic, Balwyn — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 07:33:53 +0000

What a complete and pathetic bunch are the dictators of what we watch on the telly.

I certainly don’t agree with all of Dick Smith’s viewpoints, but undeniably his heart’s in the right place and that place is Australia.

There is nothing in the ad that won’t be heard in most Australian homes every day. Nothing that would offend my granny, who has more spunk than most of the PC mob trying to dictate how we behave.

Good on you Dick. I didn’t know that you gave your profits to charity, but it will be a big factor in the purchasing decisions of this household in the future.

By: AR

AR — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 07:22:34 +0000

It’s hard enough to find DS foods on the shelves but, without exception, I find them sugar laden, from peanut butter to ozemite to… everything.

By: K.D. Afford

K.D. Afford — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 07:12:30 +0000

I think he should have used Richard, or Mr. Parker before being so blatantly funny. Our world is now too mature for an off hand, or even hedonistic sense of humour.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 05:51:30 +0000

Pure stunt marketing by the “House of DS”

By: Matt Hardin

Matt Hardin — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 05:21:14 +0000

The boat people joke was in poor taste and the rest quite puerile. After Hungry Beast, I expected more from Dan Ilic; unless there was a deliberate betrayal by “ABC Chaser Lefties” …

By: klewso

klewso — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:24:45 +0000

Starring that bloke with the broken leg - “Limp Dick”?

By: klewso

klewso — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:23:57 +0000

Or the lamb ads?
Of our Olympians “porking” each other?

By: zut alors

zut alors — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:19:57 +0000

The mistake was not setting the text to rap music - it seems to me that strong language and obscenities can go to air in any timeslot on radio or in TV video programmes if they are rapped.

I recall a self-deprecating and highly amusing full page ad Dick Smith placed in the Nation Review back in the 1980s. He has form for getting public attention, good on him.

By: drmick

drmick — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:13:39 +0000

I want to market Dickens Cider, but do you think anyone will touch that.
I dont like dick. I am not a mans man; but I think there is definitely a double standard & just who or what are they trying to protect?

By: Monash.edu

Monash.edu — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:44:53 +0000

Not quite sure why Smith’s insisting on playing violins here. It’s not like the ASB have a vendetta against him — he simply financed an ad that pushed the boundaries of acceptability in a G-rated time-slot and overstepped the mark.

Surely he’s a little old for ‘dick’ jokes? To be fair, I guess he would have heard a few in his time…

By: Roger Colclough

Roger Colclough — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:32:18 +0000

Why not pick on the blatant innuendo in the Pork ads then?

By: Hugh (Charlie) McColl

Hugh (Charlie) McColl — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:08:42 +0000

Seranatopia, I take it that you wouldn’t personally object to seeing the ad at 6pm - you just wouldn’t want to be sitting with your mother or perhaps your grandchild at the time? Is saying the word ‘Dick’ during an ad on commercial free to air TV really such a big deal?

By: Holden Back

Holden Back — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 01:28:13 +0000

@Raphael Cocks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsmtzERXg9k

By: Raphael Cocks

Raphael Cocks — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:26:59 +0000

Also does this mean I would never be allowed to have my own brand of foods, given my similar name to Mr Smith?

By: Raphael Cocks

Raphael Cocks — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:24:58 +0000

Dear Crikey. The video appears to be ‘private’.

By: Serenatopia

Serenatopia — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:15:48 +0000

It really is such a funny advertisement — -and I am very supportive of 100% Australian-Made products and Dick Smith — -

The issue, however, is whether the advertisement is appropriate for early-evening broadcast. While the advertisement is harmless adult fun…it is loaded with sexual innuendo!

I do think that the Advertising Standards Board gets it wrong on other advertisements loaded with sexual innuendo that do get an early-evening broadcast…but, irrespective, of their inconsistencies, they may have got it right here!

If the intent was to capture a wide audience, then Dick Smith should have thought twice about hiring Ilic. Ilic is limited by a style tailored for comedy and late night adult viewing. He should have perhaps declined Smith’s offer.

A word of advice to Dick Smith — -don’t waste your time going to the High Court mate — -invest another $10,0000 in an advertisement tailored for early-evening viewing…(you really can’t tinker with the current advertisement because it is loaded with sexual and political innuendo). You would be smarter if you use this strategy — -one further suggestion — -you can hire me to make that ad for you!