Halifax’s new advert: Fred Flintstone comes out of retirement

After all this time it turns out Fred and Wilma are in need of extra cash

There used to be a time when Hollywood stars, in order to pay off a divorce or an Ecuadorian drug lord, would accept clandestine advertising gigs in obscure parts of the world. The idea was that the star would schlep out to some hell-hole – the UK, say – boost a brand of toilet cleaner, then get paid without any harm to their precious reputation. That time is long gone, thanks to the internet but also a cultural shift that means it’s OK to shill for any corporation on Earth, unless they’ve made some faux pas on social media. No doubt Fred Flintstone sensed which way the wind was blowing before making his decision to come out of retirement and, in the company of his wife Wilma, pretend to live in Britain and be desirous of changing his bank account.

The ad sees Fred enter a branch of the Halifax and, with the assistance of a Friendly Geordie, accept £125 to jump bank. Fred promises to spend the windfall on his car, which is as British as it gets. But in what can only be described as another manifestation of our post-truth era, the punchline reveals that, actually, the money has gone on trainers. So what if the car is foot-powered? I bet Fred voted for Brexit.