I remember the controversial "boxing man" Tango TV advert. This one was pulled after a few weeks screening in 1996 in fear of offending our European Partners™.

The spot opened innocently enough with a Tango complaints manager reading out a letter from a French exchange student, identified only as "Sebastian". The gist of the letter was that Sebastian had always enjoyed Tango drinks, and was pleased to see there was a new flavour, namely Blackcurrent. He went on to explain how, when he finally tried some, he found it slightly disappointing. It just wasn't as good as the other flavours. The manager starts talking to camera. He says words to the effect that a lot of people had worked very hard to get the flavour of new tango perfect. That lots of other people liked it, and why couldn't you, after all a visitor to our country, just accept that. He continued in this vein as he left his office and strode off confidently across a field, with a few people tagging a long.

At this point, the music, a thumping dance beat, swells and the manager starts to get undressed. More people run to his side from over the rolling hills. The manager is continuing to opine about Sebastian. I seem to remember phrases like "you come over here" and "is this how you repay our kindness?" being shouted. He is now wearing nothing but boxer shorts and still marching forth with great purpose. One of our hero's supporters (who now number several hundreds) produces a pair of boxing gloves and one of those silky boxers gowns, which the manager puts on.

The camera pans out quite far to show that the crowd is approaching the edge of the White Cliffs of Dover whereupon waits a boxing ring. The manager climbs in and shouts at France, "Come on Sebastian, lets see what you're made of! COME ON SEBASTIAN! COME ON! Come on then France! Europe! The world! We'll take you all on! I drink Blackcurrant Tango. Come and get me!". At this point, 3 RAF Harrier jump-jets pop up from over the horizon, pointing south and hover menacingly over the ring....

Here the advert ends abruptly.


I noded the above from memory. The full text of the Rant is available at http://www.cabbage.demon.co.uk/tango2.html