In the survey of 1000 adults, carried out exclusively for Marketing by TNS, 58% said they found the ad for the consortium of personal-injury lawyers to be the most annoying ad of 2007, up 1% on the previous year.
Andrew Twambley, a director of the firm, defended the ad, claiming that 'another word for irritating is memorable'. Response rates fell temporarily last year when the firm replaced the ad, but rallied when it reinstated the spot featuring a woman grilling a representative about Injurylawyers4u's services.
Other brands to make the top 20 include Sheilas' Wheels, Cillit Bang, Esure, Kerry Katona's ads for Iceland and the Olay Regenerist ads featuring Nadine Baggott.
For the first time, the long-list of 40 commercials voted on by the public was based on nominations from community members at brandrepublic.com.
Not those bloody lawyers again ..., page 24.
To watch the top five ads and a video by Vox Pops International of consumers discussing which ads they hate most and why, visit.