The variation in purchase decisions of fast-food/'cheap nibble' products is typically considered to not involve much thought, but instead be decided on the individual's opinion and feeling about the brand (low thinking/high feeling). This is different to the decision to purchase a car for example, where feeling plays a part, but is ultimately decided by logical reasoning (high thinking/low feeling) i.e. is the car in my price range? Is it eco-friendly? Will it protect my children if I crash? Is the boot space sufficient? Will it struggle to get across the muddy farmland where I live etc.
Pot Noodle falls under the cheap nibble category. Priced at less than £1, there's no financial burden placed on the consumer so the purchase decision is made in a split-second of seeing the product. In that split-second, the consumer gains an overall positive or negative emotion about the product which is defined as a 'soma' (The Advertised Mind, Eric Du Plessis). This soma is massively aided by the way in which the product is advertised.
DDB global (Doyle Dane Bernbach) define their strategy by breaking down the benefits of the product into four groups: practical, social, sensory and ego satisfaction (Creative Strategy in Advertising, Jewler & Drewniany). In doing so, the agency explores both the rational and emotional rewards the consumer can receive from the product.
Mother's 'Rib it up' spot for Pot Noodle is a tounge-in-cheek take on the U.K's chav-tastic youth and the associated music and visual culture. The commercial appears as a deliberately tacky low-budget garage music video, sporting all the stereotypical adornments i.e. Burberry cap, various bling, shiny tracksuits, blonde groupies with their hoods up, electronically filtered vocals, a shirtless bloke pumping iron etc.
The ridiculously fast tempo of the song, quick MC'ing and vibrant colours give the sensation that a lot happens in a Pot Noodle in a very short amount of time. This suggests that even though you simply add water, there's still a multitude of flavours. The practical benefit of Pot Noodle therefore seems to be that it is quick.
The social benefit is that you spend less time faffing around with dinner on a Friday night and get out with your mates sooner.
The sensory benefit (taste) is implied when the music breaks down and we hear the beautifully crafted vocals, "oooooooooh, with the flavour all over my lips". It's the cute blonde who sings these lyrics so the sexual connotations are obvious. But there could be a deeper meaning for the chaotic song having a moment of clarity - in that amoung all the crap that goes into a Pot Noodle, there are moments where you realise that there is in fact a distinctive flavour. And quite a tasty one at that.
As for the massage to the consumers's ego, I doubt anyone in their right mind would want to identify themselves as part of the culture in the commercial, but the consumer might identify themselves in the type of humor. It could also have implications as to the dynamic pace and energy of youth culture, suggesting that by spending too much time having a proper dinner on a Fri/Sat night, you're missing out on experiences with your mates. The ego-satisfaction therefore, is that Pot Noodle eaters are conscious of the experiences available around them and don't want to miss any of them by eating a nicer meal.
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