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“Cadbury” Idol

There's so much use of purple in Australian Idol this year anyone would think they were sponsored by a chocolate company. Oh wait a minute...

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This sounds like a job for The Gruen Transfer.

Purple seems to be all the rage at the mo…. not just used on this website, but making itself awfully obvious in Australian Idol this year. It’s everywhere.

The stage is washed in purple, there are background purple lights, even some lingering mauve over the semi-final audience too. It’s like the show is turning into the stage musical The Color Purple.

Surely it has nothing at all to do with the fact the show is sponsored by Cadbury? After all that’s the company that had a five year war with Darrell Lea over its use of purple in signs, uniforms and products. Purple was their brand they reckoned. A court decided otherwise.

If you watch Idol you will see the Cadbury mugs in front of the judges (in the US they had Coke cups), reinforcing their sponsor rights.

Then there’s that rather fantastic ad with the gorilla doing his best Phil Collins drum work. As The Gruen Transfer told us some time ago, it won an advertising competition for its originality. As they also explained there’s a subtle use of purple in the background too.

I reckon when they get to the finals, they should do a night of Prince songs. Kick off with Purple Rain.

For the record, Cadbury ain’t sponsoring this website, but I do eat their chocolate…

20 Responses

  1. I must be lucky..
    Having lit and lighting a few shows, No one has ever specified colour choice to me to keep a sponsor happy.
    And…
    I still havent had a chocolate.

  2. Cheers for the extra info.

    It’s also worth acknowledging lighting for Australia’s Funniest Home Videos specified use of purple in contract when Cadburys sponsored the show on Nine.

    I’m still waiting for some Caramello….

  3. I am the lighting Designer for Australian Idol.
    I have come here as someone mentioned this “purple” conspiracy theory.
    As a professional it offends me that someone thinks I am lighting a commercial.
    The shows I light are my business cards.
    Its how I get my work.

    In the Default State when no one is singing.
    The area the contestants sit is RED upstairs.
    The Background on Stage is BLUE.
    The Lights under the stage are AMBER.
    There are 3 PURPLE lights behind the band.
    One PURPLE light next to the Screen.
    The video Backgrounds are BLUE.
    The Beams shooting at stage are STRAW.

    The Audience and Band are LAVENDER and AMBER.
    I have used this combination on various shows over 20 yrs!

    Behind the singers.
    I choose the video backgrounds according to song choice.
    I have used purple.
    I have also used every other colour.

    AND I am yet to get one friggin’ chocolate!!!

    So!
    If I use RED is that Coca Cola.

    One Interesting Fact!!!
    WIth HD and the new camera technology, purple / lavender was a colour that was always seen as Blue before.
    A lot more colours are being seen for the first time.
    We have come a long way since RED BLUE GREEN.

    I am now off to find a grassy knoll and look out for elvis in a spaceship.

  4. @ryano TV Tonight has ads on it? =)

    j/k I turned off the firefox adblocker just for this site, don’t worry David.

    And well, Cadbury sponsoring sponsoring this site might be a step up from some of the damn stupid ads Google throws up sometimes.

  7. I don’t get the conspiracy here….
    Aussie Idols major sponsor is Cadbury, so they advertise the product on the show through methods that have been around since advertising began, they appease the sponsors….
    So whats the big deal?
    It really feels like some people LOOK for ways rich people are trying to spend their money.
    And Neon, if the Tv has gotten anyone hooked ,obsessed and paying attention 🙂 hehe its you !!!

  10. Just to nitpick neon kitten, but just cause you didn’t consciously think of chocolate (or cadbury for that matter), doesn’t mean that it didn’t work. Subliminal literally means that it is below the awareness of most people. There’s arguments for and against, but i still think it is deceptive on the most part (like the arias), and a bit of a coincidence that the show is sponsored by cadbury…

  11. The Australian Idol Logo is also in script like the Cadbury logo AND the gorilla in the ads looks very similar to Kyle!!!

    If I could type the Twilight Zone music I would be doing it now!

  14. To be honest, who really cares all shows use sponsers as part of there shows. Garnier Green Roon on last years idol, Twister Diary in Big Brother, Jim Beam Quiz Footy Show.

  16. And by the way, David, the emoticons are all being thrown over to the right hand side of the following line in comments. Look: 🙂

    And also one which come right after this word 🙂

  17. Now that’s interesting…!

    I’d noticed the different “look” of the show, and noticed the sudden dominance of that really-not-as-good-as-everyone-says-it-is gorilla ad, and I noticed the purpleness of the rather fetching mini-thing the contestant you picture above was wearing, and remember thinking “wow, purple, that actually looks great”.

    However, through all of that, I didn’t once think even vaguely of Cadbury, or chocolate in general. Even now I’ve read the word “Cadbury” I think “meh, don’t feel like chocolate right now.”

    So, ad agencies, networks and law enforcement folks, there’s the proof. Your wicked viral ways don’t work on me, so you’re not missing out on any sales at all from me downloading the first episode of the new season of The Shield last night. I’m sure the more easily impressionable audience will more than make up for it 🙂

    (And to think, people are still banging on about the so-called “subliminal advertising” during last year’s ARIAs, when something like this is way, way, WAY more subversive and worrying)

  19. Oooh, I think you’re onto something there David. Wasn’t half obvious when Kyle lifted up his ‘Cadbury’ Mug when referencing Cafe style music either!
    At least we have some seriously good contenders this year.

  20. I’m quite hopeless when it comes to noticing things right under my nose – but now that you mention it …

    Also, it DOES explain why I had a sudden and severe craving for some Top Deck last night. I kid you not!

    It looks like I’m going to have to watch Idol from a stationary bike this year – just in cases.

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