Melbourne Cup down brings the usual flurry of tactical ads. But there's something missing this year. The papers have less than a handful between them while the best one, from Volkswagen, is online.
The race that stops the nation, apparently, is upon us and in between clinking glasses at the pub and having a flutter with your hard-earned dosh, some brands decided to capitalise on the event.
Yes, there are, of course, the usual suspects of gambling firms with their enticements to bet with them so we won't even bother with them. Yawn.
The best one spied so far today is an interactive ad from Volkswagen on the Ninemsn website. Spawn from its latest 'Welcome to the Family' campaign, readers are invited to choose from VW's stable of models to race across the enlarged ad. Fun.
Not much in the metro papers in Melbourne Cup themed advertising. Subaru has sponsored The Sydney Morning Herald's Form Guide with four executions bearing the puns: 'Subaru XV, odds-on favourite in all conditions', 'Forrester, it's time to back a sure-fire winner' and 'The SUV that drives a nation'. Very droll.
A financial services ad for McGraw Hill Financial's S&P Dow Jones Indices service was in the The Australian Financial Review and The Australian.
And what would be the Melbourne Cup without a reminder about problem gambling? This one, on the News.com.au website, is from the Victorian Government and it cautions against gambling and teenagers.
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