Unable to embed, or archive, the videos to this one, so the commentary is a bit longer with descriptions. Video 1 was seen on ITV. I was encouraged to look at it (with a view to sticking it on here) and decided to
visit their website, where not only was the advert on there, there was a second. And some[0] other bollocks on the website, detailed below.
Video 1:
[Two kids, girl and boy, unwrap an empty cardboard] For your kids, play time is any time, and any thing is a play thing.[1]
All they need is imagination. [The kids get into the empty cardboard box. Scene changes to cartoon box kids on a country road(?)]
Play helps kids make friends.[2] <whistle>[3rd 'box kid' comes along.] Grow in confidence. Be more active. [3rd kid turns into a cardboard car with square wheels] And aware of the world around them, just by having fun. [Girl gets into car. Boy tries, but fails, to push.][3a]
Help make your kids who they are today, and what they'll be tomorrow. [Boy turns crank that moves the scenery making the car appear to move.]
Go to maketime2play.co.uk for great ideas and fun things to do together as a family.[4] Scene ends back in real life with the girl in the empty cardboard box and the boy attempting to push it as his cartoon simile was.][1]
maketime2play.co.uk.
Video 2:
[Two kids, girl and boy, unwrap an empty cardboard] For your kids, play time is any time, and any thing is a play thing.[1]
All they need is imagination. [The kids get into the empty cardboard box. Scene changes to cartoon box kids in a cartoon living room.]
Playing as a family improves kids' verbal skills[2] <whistle> [The TV and chair in the room turn into two more kids.] Raises self esteem [Room changes into a large 3d snakes and ladders board which resembles a pyramid.] Helps solves problems [Die appears and gets rolled.] And ensures everyone has fun whatever what their age.
Help make your kids who they are today, and what they'll be tomorrow. [Kid rolls die again, attempts to reach the summit of the pyramid, and as he reaches the golden cup at the top, the sides turn from a ladder into a snake and the boy slides back down.][3b]
Go to maketime2play.co.uk for great ideas [another kid rolls, and succeeds in reaching the summit] and fun things to do together as a family.[4] [Scene ends in real life with the girl sitting on top of the empty cardboard box and the boy running round her.][1]
maketime2play.co.uk.
[0] Lots.
[1] The whole premise behind these two adverts appears to be to encourage kids to play with empty cardboard boxes.
[2] When they aren't being over-exposed to
stranger danger that is, and being kept indoors to
vegetate and
grow fatter on the sofa watching the TV or playing with their X-Box.
[3a][3b] The only message I'm getting here - is what the characters depicted will be tomorrow is - abject failures. Not too dissimilar to a not
insignificant number of 'kids' these days.
[4] We shall now see what fun things we can do with the family (said family being strangely absent from the adverts,) and have a look at the website. If you want to play along, click "Play Ideas" on the
website if you have it open, otherwise see the images below...
Well, if it's sunny...
and you have half an hour to kill, you could play piggy in the middle[5]. Or you could do the gardening for an hour. Or Wash the car for half a day. Or if you have a whole day of sunshine, you could have a 'play day.' (Does that mean playing for two half days, where you could wash two cars?)
But what if you're in the UK and it's pissing down outside? Well...
if you have half an hour to kill, you could [5]play piggy in the middle. Or you could kill an hour by making the Sunday Dinner, or writing that Aunt you hate a thank-you letter for the awful jumper she knitted you.[7] If you have half a day to kill in the pouring rain, you could build a den. Or if you have a whole day of pissy-down-ness, you could spend the day in the cemetery visiting your grandparents.[6]
But wait! There's more! What if you're on the road with your parents? Well wonder no longer....
If you're on the bus to [6]visit your grandparents, you could annoy the other passengers on the bus by singing. If the journey to the crematorium (you're visiting your
other grandparents) is slightly longer, you could read (
assuming the educational system hasn't completely failed you.)
And if you're on an even longer journey, you could [7]write that letter you successfully put off last Wednesday when it was chucking it down.
You're fucked if you're traveling all day though.
Who's behind this? Well it's the
British Toy & Hobby Association. They're a sort of union for toy makers.
Why are they encouraging kids to play with empty cardboard boxes, instead of pushing their client's products? Fuck knows.
