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18Oct/1025

Halifax Isa Isa Baby advert

I simply don't have the word to explain how irredeemably awful this is. Perhaps the word hasn't been invented yet.

There've only been two or three ads in my entire life that have driven me to turn off the television; this is one.

It's unbearable, insufferable, enraging. It makes me incandescent with hatred, despair and impotent fury. It crushes my spirit. It makes me want to vomit, spasm uncontrollably and punch myself in the face. It makes me want to find the people responsible and pound them until we're both crying.

When I see it I think of fire, screaming and post-nuclear landscapes. It makes me long for death's icy embrace and an eternity in endless, unknowable limbo.

It's an awfulness so deep and broad it's like some abstract notion of evil; the merest hint of which is so fundamentally disturbing it would drive kind, sane men to murderous havoc.

It makes me want to kill.

And, still, none of this sums up how awful it is. It's simply beyond me. The only upside it that he have glimpsed the abyss. We have looked into it, and it has gazed deep into our souls.

If we can survive this, we can survive anything.



Posted by Robin Brown

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  • Andy Lycett

    It’s just missing a 70s glam rock singer

  • The Ad Hater

    The annoying bitch of a woman that keeps nodding and singing “ISA ISA Baby” has that face you just want to fucking punch! This advert is beyond retarded and makes me NEVER want to open an account with these wankers! I want to kill whoever is in charge of marketing at Halifax and those responsible for this ABOMINATION of an advert. Absolute CUNTS!

  • zola_the_gorgon

    I too, am mystified by this ad’s ability to inspire searing rage and violence in the calmest of souls. And I am not the calmest of souls. I have to mute the TV when this comes on, because I love my TV and do not want it suffer an involuntary cup-hurling accident.

  • Fiona Miles

    Pure tv vomit

  • Red Mist Man

    I have been known to drift into a kind of trance. In it, I imagine me walking calmly up behind the woman and producing a baseball bat from behind mY back. I then tee up that bat just about an inch behind her irritaing head, just before she goes into her “Isa Isa Baby” routine….then as the music cues her in, I draw back my bat and……. WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!…….reducing her to a gurgling bloody mess. By this time, the fella has scarpered and jumped through the 15 story high window to his death.

    I feel a whole lot calmer after coming out of my little daydream.

  • http://danmcdaid.blogspot.com Dan McDaid

    Everything came together so beautifully here: a terrible song, a rotten half-pun, these two awful actors (who are just familiar enough to be irritating) and their misplaced pleasure with their own brilliance… It’s all totally wrong and therefore completely wonderful. Even the clamminess of their skin, the feverish intensity in their eyes… you couldn’t have designed something quite so monstrous and misguided if you tried.

  • Bloke

    Ha ha, I really love this advert. It’s funny, because I remember the song in it from when I was younger.

    I’ll definitely be opening one of these ‘ISA ISA’ accounts on the strength of this ad. I’ll only entrust my money with zany call centre DJs from now on.

    It’s a good thing the government bailed HBOS out so they may continue entertaining us. Every 15 minutes. On every channel!

  • Biro

    As much as I hate the ad, I think that it ought to be known that I would.

  • mike

    that would be the shittest radio station to work at ever all you do is talk about halifax accounts which takes up 15 minutes of your day then what bored shitless repeating the same drivel much like the how to use your sky remote channel

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  • Greg Spalding9

    I am in love with the author of this review of this shitfest of an advert. It makes me want to swear, and I often do. Even infront of the kids. I’d happily smack the googly eyed bint in the face, maybe in time to her stupid nodding! Gah!! Make it stop!

  • Martin

    I TO DESPISE THIS AD but ill say one thing theres a whole page on this website dedicated to it so its defo got people talking.

  • http://www.robinbrown.co.uk Robin Brown

    It’s easy to get people talking about you. Being a massive, hateful twat gets people talking about you. Doesn’t mean it’s something to aspire to.

  • Adamwilkes

    it doesnt inspire but it works. Plus its better than the one where she drops the cup, now thats what you call awful. The only positive point is the woman with the pretty face.

  • Guest

    To be fair though, the guy was in an episode of Doctor Who with Carey Mulligan, so whilst she gets nominated for an Oscar, he is stuck doing this shite

  • http://www.robinbrown.co.uk Robin Brown

    It doesn’t work. The agency that created it have been booted off the brief.

  • Heatherwarren

    That is the funniest thing i have ever read and bizarrely i am still strangely attracted to the ‘woman’ in the ad. The side ways glance, the cheeky smile and the chest thrusting in time with the music!

  • Richardalva

    yeah but she cute and move her head good

  • Richardalva

    you haters really need t get boxes that can speed past adverts, all that hate over an advert how do u feel when somthing really important happens

  • http://www.robinbrown.co.uk Robin Brown

    dead inside

  • Lamtara887

    you’ll have to wait till I finish being sick !!!

  • EllaRussell

    The M & Ms ad where snacks are thrown out of the cupboard and the man says ‘Get in the bowl’ is INFINITELY worse imo.  Everything about it, from the script to the acting to the very concept (or lack of) is DEPLORABLE.  Possibly the worst ever.

  • http://twitter.com/Maxtaro Max C.

    It’s actually a dub of an American ad. Why? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pRdzQ4B52s

  • Lenny j

    lmao just what ive been looking for like minded bloggers that also understand how fucking annoying this ad is,ive recently refurbed the downstairs loo so that i can keep the door open whilst watching it to take a dump, this ad is the greatest cure for constipation. it’s at the point the coffee mug gets brought i think if it was me i would either pour into the electrics and fry her or just chuck it boiling hot into her face,i wonder if she would be able to nod that stupid head then?

  • Lenny j

    people still speak about hitler to did anyone like him?

  • Guest

    i’m curious now – what are the other two ads that made you turn the telly off

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