Vauxhall Zafira Advert

[whitey290375]

What is it that the children in this advert say at the end? Is it "Oh, they're tired" or "Overtired"???

Does anyone know which company made the advert so I could email them?

[ed5079]

Overtired is a word. Words are sometimes used on their own. eg, you can say "hungry?" and people will not look at you blankly. Say you were moving house,the kids are behaving badly, dropping things and snapping at eachother, as the parents (playing the kids) do here. Then they could rightly be called overtired, because they are. In the whole dynamic of the advert, parents can relate to the term "overtired" because its a widely used expression, especially if you have ratty kids. "oh theyre tired" would be a clumsy and pointless ending to a clever advert.

[neural_jam]

you know, I thought it was either "oh! they're tired" or "oh, retired!"

neither of which made much sense to me... the real answer makes less sense though... I don't understand the punchline!
(and yes I'm fully aware of what overtired means... maybe it's the way they said it or something..!)

[juliano]

it definately says star nav i dont actually drive so i neva herd of sat nav sounds made up tho star nav sounds more realistic anyway

[rhona_j]

Okay, I know we have the official line form Vauxhall, but it still sounds, and makes more sense to be 'oh, they're tired'.

Now maybe I've imagined it, but have they not cut out a bit from the original advert? I seem to remember a line, just after the mum berates the dad for dropping the box, their son says:

'it's been a long day!'

to which they all say.....the lines which have caused so much discussion!

Can anyone back me up, that that line did appear in the original advert?

[whitey290375]

Juliano, it definitely does not say star nav. Go to http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=298 88
and listen to it, again and again if you have to. Then you'll see/ hear that its sat nav. Like the 'sat'ellite 'nav'igation system that comes with the zafira, as opposed to the star nav system that fighter class star cruisers have, (snigger)... And you don't need to drive to know that one... Star nav sounds more realistic? Oh dear... Lets move on...

Neural_jam, you don't need to understand the context the words are used in... You just need to know that vauxhall and loweworldwide (advert producers) have both confirmed that it is 'overtired'... If you don't believe that, contact them... For an explanation of why the word overtired works in this context, read my, or brachiopods, or ed5079's previous posts in this thread.

ed5079, thank god some of us are still walking on our hind legs and trying to pretend to have intelligence above plankton levels.... Keep up the good work setting people straight!

TO ALL FUTURE POSTERS:
Please read all previous posts in this thread cos this one must now be allowed to lie down and die... All questions are answered... I'll never forgive vauxhall for this advert, ever...

[whitey290375]

Rhona... There is a short, cut down version of the advert, as there is with lots of ads nowadays (to cut down costs/ fit in time slots?...), but it doesn't make any difference to the context of the advert and the general idea behind it...
And 'oh they're tired' would work in the situation, but not as well as 'overtired'. The ads are called 'little dads' as a series, and the idea is that the parents and childrens roles are reversed. If you were to be stood with 2 other parents, watching the children of one of the parents playing, and the children were to break into an argument, then 'overtired' said jointly and mildly sarcastically fits much better than 'oh they're tired'.
It is ok if you disagree with this, everyone is entitled to be wrong... But don't you think rather than posting here to argue/discuss the point with other people, that it would be better to (as advised previously, ad infinitum!) contact the ad producers (loweworldwide) / vauxhall... Please do this before continuing to argue the point, because then once you are told from the horses mouth I can ignore you quite happily knowing you just have a problem being wrong....

[rhona_j]

Get off your high horse whitey290375!

I didn't say I didn't understand the advert, if you had read my answer, you'd have seen I knew it had been confirmed with Vauxhall, I gave my opinion, and then I asked a question, had there ever been that line in the advert! I didn not as you say continue to argue the point.

Funnily enough I get the sarcasm meant in the advert, I didn't need it explained, but then I suppose it helped you to vent some pent upo anger, sounds like you're the one with the bee in your bonnet.

Get over yourself, everyone is going to disagree on this one!

[whitey290375]

And I had your back on the shortening of the advert...Agreed.... But earlier in your comments you said you thought it still sounds, and makes more sense to be 'oh, they're tired'.... No, it doesn't... That is how this whole discussion started. Of course it sounds like oh, they're tired.... This discussion would never haver started had it not.
For you to say that it sounds like it should be 'oh they're tired' implies that you haven't understood the advert and needed further clarification... Which I tried to give. 'Your opinion' would start with 'I think', a 'statement of fact' would start 'it makes more sense to be'...
People will always argue about this one because thats what people do, just as they will argue black is white... That is neither here nor there....
And anyway, am I not allowed some pent up anger, I have been arguing the toss on this one since September 2005! I'll fight for whats right and just, petty or important! :)
High horse indeed, Harumph! Lol

[Gamesmaster]

I'm sorry Whitey, but unless you have a copy of the script you can't prove either way what the kids are saying and even then, unless you actually speak to the lad who said it in the advert you will never know whether he actually said "overtired" or "oh they're tired". They are too close to be lipread by anybody and with his northern accent and the fact that many kids pronounce th as v it could be interpreted either way.

Also do you really think that someone at 'vauxhall customer care' had a copy of the script to hand when you emailed the question??

[Gamesmaster]

And also, your argument that it is 'overtired' because this is what parents say again doesn't stand up, because I know from experience that my parents as well as many peoples parents used the phrase "oh they're tired" (about me and my brother) far more than ever just saying "overtired".

[rhona_j]

Ooh, you're gonna get shouted at!

Shh, we're not supposed to argue, sorry dicuss this any more!

[bt3121]

My word, this debate is really not a good use of your time! Do what the clever people do, next time it comes on hit subtitles on your remote, and you will see clear as day....'Overtired' no need to email Vauxhall, or spend hours on a forum...I mean, really, what were you thinking!!!!!!

[paulfitz]

My god, I cant believe that this debate has gotten so heated. I work at Vauxhall in the Marketing Department, and actually work for the person who controls all our communications budgets and signs off all outbound TV,Press, Poster communications.
The word is DEFINITELY 'overtired' as comfirmed by our Customer Services dept. You are right, they dont have a script next to them, but we have been asked this question so many times, they are well versed on the response.

Type the word into a search engine, and other examples of it being used in the same context. The sarky and simultaneous nature of the saying is supposed to be a 'knowing' phrase that parents would understand.

[little__bear]

I hate to really anger people further about this advert but i think its "ohh the tyres!" only because they break plates near the tyres! Has anyone else thought that or is it me?

[xx-megan-xx]

THANK GOD i thought i was the only one i had a long long debate with my friends today about what it was i musts end this sight to them i think its OVERTIRED BECASUE if they said oh they're tired they would pause and say..oh.. they're tired?????

[kimbo_07]

i know 4 a fact its "overtired" check out the auto trader website who deel with vauxhall, they confirm it so HA to all you people thinking its "oh they're tired"

[mable287]

I'm so happy... this has been going on for months.... Overtired!!.. yes, I knew it was.... can't believe that I have finally had my opion confirmed. thank you, thank you, thank you. Right. now to tell the disbelievers............ OVERTIRED!!!!! yeah...... ;-)

[Goots]

bt3121 - you can forget about the subtitles argument, subtitling is constructed, whether the subject is live or recorded, by a group of technicians without the aid of a script (where language translation isn't required) and is open to their professional intepretation of what is being said or performed. I know this because a friend of mine is a cameraman at the BBC news centre - nothing to do with the subtitles dept I know, but he does see a lot of how the studio works.

little_bear - "ohh the tyres!" ?? er.... ok....

Referring to the wording of the advert, it is so obviously "Oh, they're tired." The drawn-out pronunciation of the "oh" part of the statement doesn't make sense as part of a single word, even when applying the Northern accent used throughout the series. The timing of the spoken word implies a comma, which would be scripted as "O, ver-tired" which plainly is a nonsense. On the other hand, "Oh, they're tired" makes perfect sense both in the vocal representation and the context of the whole parents/kids role switching scenario of the series.

Sorry whitey290375, I might be wrong here, but all the available evidence contradicts your conclusion, unless of course you have the actual script on letter-headed paper from the advertising production company...