Despite the lurid Pythonesque animation and the creepy voiceover, it actually gets off to a promising start: Clive is a carabao and has a story to tell about how an ageing rockstar from Thailand created an energy drink.
But the exoticism of the creature and the founder are quickly forgotten and instead a laundry list of target consumers is trotted out, complete with their own stock images: woman asleep on train, not-too-bright student, and stressed-out mother.
These are, according to Carabao: "bonkers people with bonkers lives!" Hmm.
The most heinous offence is giving over the last third of a 30-second spot to promoting a cash giveaway: 10 seconds is precious time when trying to introduce your brand to a new UK market. A disappointing debut.
Brand: Carabao
Title: Clive the Carabao
Client: John Luck, chief marketing officer
Agency: Snap London
