We raise a glass to Cobra Beer as our ad of the week choice, with the curry house favourite’s Meet the Boss TV slot gaining our approval for its clever scripting.
The minute-long promotion introduces us to Cobra’s (presumably) fictional boss – who by day runs a successful beer company and by night runs a successful brassiere company. We see the sharp suited boss strolling through the production facilities of both his enterprises, as the voiceover notes how one brews “impossibly smooth beer” while the other builds “impossibly supportive brassieres”.
A light-hearted thread runs throughout the ad. It’s a clear attempt to prove to the audience that Cobra can be enjoyed without the accompanying lamb bhuna and peshawari naan typically associated with it. This is clearly reflected in our sophisticated alpha-male boss’s exotic lifestyle. The promotion doesn’t take itself seriously, and feels like a parodied Hollywood trailer. The exaggerated voiceover sums up a typical 24 hours for our main character: “by day glasses, by night cups” – “he’s the boss, and he never sleeps because he’s living the dream”.
The subtle BraCo anagram as the brassiere brand name put a smile on our face, and the TV slot links the suave boss and his refreshing beer with the inspirational closing tag line live smooth.
Throughout, the script makes effective use of repetition, synonyms, alliteration and rhymes to draw parallels between the boss’s two very different enterprises, suggesting that with Cobra Beer, you can live smooth no matter what.
The tone of voice used is perfect for the product, and follows a common theme found among alcohol promotions to use humour as a means of engaging with the audience. Our previous Somersby Cider and Westons Cider Ad of the Week pieces support the point, and reinforce the need to sell the overall experience and benefits of a product rather than its features.
We say cheers to Cobra for our Ad of the Week and the copywriting that helped it come to life. If you’ve seen an ad worthy of a mention on our blog, get in touch to let us know why.
Ad of the week: Cobra Beer – Meet the Boss
