Patronising, naff, self-satisfied, assuming a level of public affection that doesn’t exist, sexist, stupid. Misfiring irony is one of the worst traits of modern ads, and this one’s dripping with it.
Everything in this advert follows the same false assumption that Richard Branson makes about himself; that he’s quirky, cheeky, leftfield, mould-breaking and possessed of a special place in the hearts of the hearts of the British public.
Actually everyone thinks Branson is an irritating weirdy beardy who needs taking down a peg or two. And this ad engenders as much fondness for the brand as it does for the man.
This ad loves itself almost as much as Branson loves himself, probably in a directly inverse ratio to how much the country as a whole cares about it or him.
Adturd.