Some campaign testimonials are direct hits, just like the collaboration between Betty White and TIDE. The campaign shows Betty in situations that are not – let’s put it carefully – suitable for white clothing; such as the sticky and multi-coloured fruit canning in this commercial spot. Deadly for other washing detergents, but no problem for PROCTER & GAMBLE’s TIDE brand.

She also hints at the punch line of Russell BATES c/o CROSSROADS FILMS UK’s spot – the apocalypse predicted for 2012 – followed by a charming wink. She is thus super busy canning all this food for her time in the bunker, just in time for doomsday. If you look at her shelves, she’ll be in there for about three decades. Marvellous.

Ms. White says: ‘that’s my Tide, and that’s how I break the rules of white,’ closing with the fantastic: ‘Deal with it’. Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, part of Publicis Group, was responsible for the campaign.

CD Susan Young on the commercial: ‘Ms. White is 'the ultimate rule breaker and has always bucked the trends and done her own thing with her signature humour’ – and if it’s only about her fearless white attire. She continues: ‘there are unspoken rules about what you shouldn’t do in white clothes. You shouldn’t change your oil in white clothes, you shouldn’t sit on the subway, you probably shouldn’t barbecue and by breaking the rules of white, you’re wearing them when you want to.’

Betty White explains: ‘they came to me with the offer and I’ve had Tide under my sink for years. And with a name like ‘White’ I thought Tide White and Bright was appropriate.’

And a little info on the side: after a very successful Facebook campaign in 2010 to make Betty the Saturday Night Live show presenter, she appeared on the show and confessed that she didn’t have any idea what this Facebook thing even was: ‘I didn’t know what Facebook was, and now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it sounds like a huge waste of time.’ And to prove that she means it when she talks about breaking the rules, she then had a one-time appearance on the social networking site for TIDE following the campaign.

Also here on GoSee the nice and spooky WALLMART commercial – director Katie BELL c/o CROSSROADS FILMS UK - happy belated Halloween!