AD BREAKDOWN Magazine's review of advertising

Universally loathed?

THE BRIEF: Make sure the Curry's name and pricing policy is firmly lodged in the brain of every Christmas shopper

THE MEDIUM: TV and print

THE SCRIPT: Changing Rooms style guru and "I'm a Celebrity..." survivor Linda Barker - in full "down-to-earth but sexy" mode - teams up with a friendly and unthreatening Curry's shop assistant for a romp through the shop's Yuletide price list

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
Maybe it's the jingle ("always cutting prices!"), or Linda's little "snip snip" gesture at the end, but there is definitely something about this campaign that seems to wind people up.

One Ad Breakdown reader called it "hugely irritating", another said "it sets my teeth on edge". Another called it "incredibly cheap and tacky". And those were the more printable comments.

She's behind you...

The professionals don't think much of it either.

The campaign is "universally loathed" within the marketing industry, according to Craig Smith, editor of Marketing magazine.

Although the advert is not liked, he says that will not affect its ability to sell products. It is already favourite to land the magazine's most irritating ad of the year award.

So a bit of an own goal by Curry's ad agency M&C Saatchi? Not a bit of it.

"Linda Barker was chosen to front the campaign because she is a high profile popular figure associated with style and good homes," M&C says.

More importantly, a spokeswoman adds, the campaign is working.

Lodges in the brain

It is currently third equal, with Kellogs Special K, in Marketing magazine's weekly survey of advertising recall, with a 69% of those surveyed saying they could remember it. B&Q is in second place and Halifax is at number one.

What the survey does not record is whether people find the advert annoying or not.

But in the end that doesn't matter. This is not a brand-building exercise.

"What are we going to do with her?"

In an overcrowded market, it achieves "cut through". It lodges in the brain.

The excruciating banter between crazy free spirit Linda and her unnamed friend will not win any awards, but it might just sell a few extra DVD players and PCs in the run up to Christmas.

And if it irritates a few sensitive souls along the way, then so be it.

In fact, the only brand that is likely to be damaged, according to Hamish Pringle, of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, is the "Linda Barker" brand.

She is also fronting ads for Tesco and DFS at the moment, and may be in danger of spreading herself too thinly.

"You do get celebrities who are overexposed. And if the public thinks a celebrity is just doing an ad for the money, then there is not very much value added," says Mr Pringle, who has just written a book on the subject.

Compiled by Brian Wheeler

Ad Breakdown is after examples of adverts you see, whether on television, in the cinema, on posters or in print. So if you see an advert you either love or hate, tell us about it using the form below.

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