Two Sitcom Staples: The Odd Couple… And the Sofa (Again)

Elvie follows the lead of Rick and Morty and Apple and Onion while Sofology’s Owen Wilson is back to doing what he does best… nothing (in the nicest possible way).

Tech company Elvie have taken the problem of a leaky bladder head on with their three-episode animated campaign, creating a girl-next-door in Bobo and her annoying but lovable friend Bladder who stops her from going out to Giggle Planet, Trampoline Land and Run For The Bus.

Elvie’s creatives Mother put all their effort into a rockin’ theme tune with Friends/Monkees jump-cuts showing us what this crazy pair are like, but all of the anticipation of this week’s episode is lost when Bladder pees himself right in the middle of the opening credits. Fortunately, Bladder is a man and he’s got a lovably forgivable Scottish accent. The theme tune lyrics vary to accommodate the episode, but the line that stays constant is “nothing’s going to hold them back”.

As well as nodding at the scenarios created in other Trampoline-based Leaky-bladder Adverts (I really want this to be an advertising award category from now on), there’s a big sitcom trope here not just of the odd couple, but the surreal odd couple which works really well in animation.

A quick look at the Disney XD playlist gives us Phineas and Ferb, Rocket and Groot and Pickle and Peanut, while Cartoon Network have Apple and Onion and Victor and Valentino. Fans of real-life Disney comedies have Zack and Cody, Coop and Cami and Austin and Ally.

Britain had Peep Show, the Gimmes and Bottom. Different league altogether.

The universe created for Bobo and Bladder is upbeat, funky, positive, go-getting, take-on-the-world stuff, the sort of thing that sells well to children that don’t have mortgages and who still believe in parliamentary democracy. Bobo is an affirmation-following girl and Bladder her hard-drinking roommate, but they get along because they love each other really.

When putting two characters that appear diametrically opposed to each other together in a sitcom, it’s never enough to have them argue and make up for the sake of the show or ‘because it’s funny’. They each have something the other one wants, whether it’s the ability to be neat and tidy or they can teach each other something about being a better person or that they’re both down on their luck and need each other more than they’re willing to admit. Either way, until one or both of them learn to be completely self-actualised human beings, they’re both sticking around.

Or, in this case, until Bobo strengthens her pelvic floor muscles.

Following on from last week’s blog on how the sofa represents the calm before the storm in a sitcom world, Owen Wilson reprises his role as a young Jim Royle in the latest Sofology ad. The emphasis now is definitely on sofa design, comparing it to the sleekness of a surf board. But the tagline/catchphrase brings us back to the safety of comfort with “Feel at home on a sofa you love.” You’re in your castle, everything is safe, go back to sleep America.