I think it was Adam Morgan in Eating the Big Fish who noticed the absurdities of advertising containing the words “that’s why”. Whenever you find those words in ad copy, the stuff that comes before is never the real cause of what comes after.
The latest manifestation of this in Britain is the ad Alan Sugar is fronting for Premium Bonds. (Translation for non Brits: Alan Sugar is a downmarket Donald Trump figure; Premium Bonds are a cross between a lottery and a savings bond; the interest for all bondholders is amalgamated and issued as prizes to random holders).
Anyway, Sugar appeared on my TV this weekend endorsing the bonds. And ended by saying, I believe in them, that’s why my fee for this is going to Great Ormond Street. (more translation: Great Ormond Street is a children’s hospital).
So is he saying that he’ll only take a fee for himself when he endorses stuff he doesn’t believe in? Who writes this stuff?