Twitter @chuckthomasuk
Robert Dyas’ spoof ad from 2015 makes waves every time Christmas is just around the corner – and people seemed to have fallen for it yet again this year.
A collection of staff and customers from the DIY chain talk directly to the camera for the ad and randomly announce their sexuality while promoting the store.
The first person on screen says: “Hi, my name’s Marcus, I work at Robert Dyas and I’m gay.
″I like going out with my friends and playing volleyball. I also like showing our gay and straight customers our funky range of our Christmas gifts.”
Then another Robert Dyas worker called James appears on the screen and announces that he is straight, likes sailing and baking, along with showing off all of the shop’s Christmas items.
The ad only gets better as random customers – gay, straight and bisexual – announce their sexuality while confirming their love for the hardware shop.
It was even accompanied by the hashtag #DyasComingOut when it was first shared online.
Even though it came out six years ago, not everyone is in on the joke, including actor Laurence Fox.
Cringefest! Isn’t this just a tad too much information? Why are we making our demographics an issue? I kinda wanna go to Robert Dyas now to see what the staff will do. https://t.co/CzbcXlgQyr
— Zakariya Adeel (@ZakariyaAdeel) November 8, 2021
Not everyone has been quite so gullible though.
Robert Dyas is trending because of this 👇Everyone’s getting affronted about a resurfaced spoof from a few years ago. Shocked RD don’t sell drills specifically for bisexuals tho 🤣🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/48I1ItvJv0
— Elizabeth (EC) Fremantle 💙 (@LizFremantle) November 8, 2021
The ad itself is actually a spoof of another spoof advert dating back to 2009, from the North Carolina store the Red House Furniture.
This US clip begins by telling the audience that “we can” all just get along in this particular furniture store, despite our differences.
The comedy duo Rhett and Link harmonise in the background of the clip (an element missing from the Robert Dyas ad) while various staff members talk to the camera about their own racial identity. And their love of furniture.
One man says: “Hi I’m Richard, aka Big Head. I work at the Red House and I’m Black.
“I like pumping iron and pumping furniture into people’s homes.”
His colleague then adds: “I’m Johnny, aka T-engage. I work at the Red House and I’m white.”
It goes on like this, with random customers confirming their own race and explaining how much they love the furniture shop while occasionally shaking Richard or Johnny’s hand.
Oh, and don’t forget Richard’s great line: “Look at this sofa. It’s perfect for a Black person. Or a white person.”
This line was then replicated in Robert Dyas’ ad, when one employee says: “Look at this Christmas tree. It’s perfect for a gay person or a straight person.”
Richard and Johnny even point out at the end that “Hispanic people” and “all people” buy furniture from their store, too.
It remains unclear why Robert Dyas decided to do their own take on the clip six years later, but it appears to have turned into a joke that doesn’t get old.
