Adwatch review: Ryvita Limbos

LONDON - Jay Fretwell, creative partner of The Brooklyn Brothers, reviews the Ryvita Limbos TV commercial 'Snack Pack Race', which had the seventh highest recall with the public in thee weekly Adwatch ranking for 5 November.

Ryvita
Ryvita

Everyone needs an enemy: Popeye had Bluto, Huddersfield Town has Leeds United (actually, everyone has Leeds United) and Ryvita has 'regular crisps'. Evil, evil crisps. Dripping with fat and piling the pounds onto our hips, thighs and stomachs.

That's what Fern Britton wants us to believe, anyway.

She's at some kind of sack race between giant bags of crisps and new Ryvita Limbos at a village fete. She extols the virtues of Limbos as they romp home first (because they have 90% less fat, naturally).

They're so far ahead that they even have time for a showboating 'limbo' under the tape at the finish line. The regular crisps are so unfit that they look like they're about to collapse all in a heap.

So, to recap: regular crisps, bad and unhealthy; Ryvita Limbos, good and healthy. Got it?

Hold on a minute: didn't Ms Britton have a 'procedure' involving a band to help her lose weight? Yet here she is telling us mortals that we should be doing it the good old-fashioned way by eating 'healthily'.

Next the saintly Fern informs us that Limbos come in all our favourite flavours. So, they're full of E numbers, then? It all seems a bit confused for a health brand.

I'm all for brand extensions, but I think you've got to get it 100% right. I like Ryvita. I think it's a good product because it's an honest product. You know what you're getting. I'm not sure that I know what I'm getting with a pack of Limbos.

Health sells. We're all more aware of it and a brand like Ryvita fits effortlessly, which is why this feels a little contrived.

Does the ad answer the client brief? Yes. It clearly demonstrates Limbos' point of difference. Is it any good? Well, it got through research, didn't it? But, sometimes, that's the enemy.

Market Reports

Get unprecedented new-business intelligence with access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s new Advertising Intelligence Market Reports.

Find out more

Enjoying ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s content?

 Get unlimited access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s premium content for your whole company with a corporate licence.

Upgrade access

Looking for a new job?

Get the latest creative jobs in advertising, media, marketing and digital delivered directly to your inbox each day.

Create an alert now

Partner content