Stupidest Radio Advertisement
And the award goes to… Dialog! And its SMS forwarding radio advertisement, or as I like to call it, “The Machang” advertisement. After hearing that blasted ad about a googol times on TNL (actually it only airs about twice an hour during the ‘Instant Request’ section) I decided that if I did not let out steam I would explode, with cataclysmic results. If you have not heard the advertisement this is how it goes,
Smarmy Bastard #1: Machang, my battery is almost dead. Can I divert my messages to your phone?
Smarmy Bastard #2: Yeah sure no problem
(Phone beeps)
SM1: Is that for me? Is it her? (In an anxious voice)
SM2: (Annoying laugh) It’s a she? Hold on, hold on, Rehan I haven’t checked it yet
SM1: No need to check it machang (in a whiney voice). If the SMS shows +00 in front of the message, it’s a diverted message and it’s for me (sounds put out)
(Dialog voiceover man blabs out propaganda)
(Phone beeps again)
SM2: Ah. +00, another one for you machang.
Now you may tell me, “But John, I am jobless and I do not trust your words so I counted the number of ‘machangs’ in the ad and there are only 4. That isn’t much you know.*”, and my reply to that would be “First, you’re an idiot. Now that we have got past that, there are only 3 ‘machangs’ in the ad. That is 3 too many”. Interesting dialogue you may think? But seriously if you had to listen to that ad morning, noon and night (I listen to TNL a lot) it would drive you crazy. In fact it would make you ‘Buy a gun and shoot all the Dialog execs and the customers’ crazy.
Good thing I’m so well adjusted.
In my opinion, the ad should have gone something like this.
Smarmy Bastard #1: Hey, my battery is almost dead. Can I divert my messages to your phone?
Smarmy Bastard #2: No. Drop dead.
(Sounds of scuffle. Phone beeps)
SM1: Is that for me? Is it her? (In an anxious voice)
SM2: (Annoying laugh) It’s a she? Hold on, hold on. Nope it’s for me.
SM1: OK. Remember if the SMS shows +00 in front of the message, it’s a diverted message and it’s for me (sounds put out).
(Dialog voiceover man blabs out propaganda)
(Phone beeps again)
SM2: Ah. This one is not for you either. By the way I’m meeting her for dinner. Hope you don’t mind.
Short. Informative. Entertaining. All the hallmarks of a great radio advertisement. And not a ‘machang’ in sight. It also highlights the dangers of being a stupid person. And the dangers associated with that like forwarding private messages to another person’s phone.
This is a biased rant.
* A pseudo maddox.
July 18th, 2007 at 11:50 am
You better find a job in a advertising company…lol
July 18th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Well said John. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
July 18th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
its funny “MACHANG”
July 18th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
That is soooo cool - you are good
i shall fwd this link to Dialog may be they will ask you to do their ads for them- but you are only allowed to do freelance with permission 
July 18th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Ya, the dam ad sucks (which makes TNL rock more & more)!!
hie,hie,hie I cant stop laughing men, hey big john it is a very nice one(Finally) keep it up, lol.
July 18th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
LOL! nice one man. u should think of a career change :), any way since ur jobless u can’t call it a career change
July 18th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
heheheh, yeah the whole “machang” thing is sooo lame. nice one there joman =)
July 18th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
true, it’s one of the the most idiotic ads on radio..i can think of another, i think it’s western union.. where the mother calls the father (who is abroad) to tell him the dughter has “attended age”..finally, the ad ends with the father saying “duwa, we’re so proud of you”..wtf?! what is there to be proud of? it’s like saying “i’m proud of you” when your milk teeth fall out…idiotic..long rant..sorry..:)
July 18th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
@everyone
thank you. The credit goes to Dialog for making the damned thing.
@pissu
Maybe the father is under the impression that the girl has a choice of whether to “attain of age or not”! lol
July 19th, 2007 at 10:17 am
A wannabe maddox you are. You’re bitching about radio ads now? Turning into a bitter old man are we?
July 19th, 2007 at 11:20 am
OK, seriously, want a job, Johnny?
July 19th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
@Jahufar
Well I did attribute it to him didn’t I? I just soak it up and go with the flow. The flow dictated that I bitch. So bitch I did. BTW, he posted a new one. It’s been dug a lot.
@David
No thanks :), I’m gainfully employed at the moment. This is just a creative outlet for me since I could not even draw a circle to save my life. I read “A Cause Untrue”, really good stuff David.
July 19th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
I meant as a writer, not art guy.
Glad you liked the book, thanks.
July 19th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
woah! You must be kidding! :O In any case, computers have a stranglehold on my heart. Thanks for the offer though
July 20th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Finally heard it! Yeah it is quite…. chummy, but come on, give them some credit. They don’t have the likes of [insert name of advertising magnate here] in their advertising team do they?
Anyway, I hope it doesn’t drive anyone “Get a gun and..blah blah..shoot the customers” crazy. It would make living under the same roof…. uncomfortable.
Yeah. Great book, “A Cause Untrue”. A pseudo Clancy?
July 27th, 2007 at 9:22 am
hmm maybe its one of those ads produced by a ‘NoCo’ member to bring down Dialog! For your information, NoCo is a secret organization which aims to bankrupt corporates with the help of their employees. Its a big revolution dude. Ha ha! Just read PopCo and see!!
July 27th, 2007 at 10:08 am
I believe I shall look for the book. Thanks for the heads up.
September 27th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Like someone said before just join the ad comp that makes those ad’s