Ad of the Week: Keith Harris puts his hand up as Farmfoods seeks retro appeal

With public affection for ageing children’s entertainers at an all-time high, frozen discounter Farmfoods has pulled off a major ad coup by signing up Keith Harris and Orville.

In an appropriately cut-price ad, Keith and Orv stroll through a white studio, gamely reciting statistics about shoppers preferring Farmfoods’ fare to the major mults’ offerings. Strangely, the duck’s part is rather underwritten - he only really wakes up at the ad’s denouement, when Harris drops a jovial veiled threat involving pancakes and sauce.

No wheels have been reinvented here, but Harris and Orville still have the retro charm to get Farmfoods noticed in a busy market. Best of all, there’s no sign of Cuddles the monkey.