As someone who has been writing about cars for more than two decades now, I am often asked by people for my opinion about various models.

When it seems as though they have been seduced a bit by the pretty baubles, I ask the most important question when it comes to buying a vehicle: What are you going to use it for?

That will often help them think logically and maybe even amend their decision when I nudge them back to the real world.

And, other than one or two aberrations (sorry about that Peugeot recommendation, Phil), my advice has generally been heeded, with one or two very thankful new car owners along the way.

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The toughest sell: Electric vehicles

Perhaps the toughest sell in the automotive world these days is electric vehicles, and the people who are prospective buyers are mainly, I would guess, successful and thorough and possibly still sitting on the fence when it comes to making that commitment to go fully electron-powered.

The last thing these people will be swayed by will be glitz and glamour – they want someone who can assess the cars and give a fair opinion.

BMW's reality ad wins with authenticity

And who better to do that than a retired engineer who drives one?

That’s the idea behind the “reality ad” currently being featured on various platforms by BMW to support its campaign to sell its electric models.

John Mariott, said retired engineer, clearly knows what he is talking about when it comes to things that move – and about quality and longevity, as he notes when boasting about having restored a 120-year-old church organ.

He sets out, in unemotional, engineer language, how an electric vehicle like his BMW ix1 pairs perfectly with home solar, is brilliant to drive and is the right thing to do for the environment.

Even I was convinced – and I am a cynic when it comes to electric vehicles.

Apart from the fact that the whole ad has that longed-for, but seldom found, advertising gold: Authenticity, it probably cost a fraction of what is needed to produce the slick, fashion-dripping executions we see so often these days from carmakers.

Orchids to BMW and to John Mariott, especially for the lesson that you don’t always need hyperbole to sell your product.

When an Onion becomes an Orchid

This one started out as an Onion, but ends up as half an Orchid (you’ll see why soon), while I down a solid piece of sexist humble pie.

I was baffled, frankly, by a Burger King ad for one of their new, massive meaty and veggie-loaded burgers, which features two young dudes looking at each other as one contemplates the burger.

I heard something about “his girlfriend” but couldn’t see her around and wondered why that line was even thrown in there, when the camera quickly focused on the burger’s winning ways.

Dumb advertising if I don’t get it.

That was my initial thought.

However, a little question at the back of my mind made me ask my wife to look at it and tell me whether she also thought it was silly.

And so began the informative lecture about how men have “no EQ” (presumably Emotional Quotient), and how could I not see what was going on?

After some gentle prodding and watching the ad again, I saw what I had missed.

This was the one oke agonising about his break-up or troubles with his girlfriend, while his mate had to have all of his discipline about him to concentrate on the tale of woe, as opposed to being riveted by the burger.

“Keep eye contact” was his mantra… because he could not give the appearance of being bored out of his mind.

There it was then. I had missed all of that first time around… and probably would have continued missing the point if I hadn’t been brought up short by a member of the More Sensitive Sex (and that’s apparently OK to say now, according to a court in the UK…)

Then, she added, the burger looked really delicious. In Orchid terms, then, job done. A great product shot gets punters to buy.

However, it is only half an Orchid for you, Burger King, because on the evidence of this, the ad is only going to hit spot-on and first time around with said Sensitive Gender.

For the rest of the boys, you’re going to have to explain it.