It’s sad, I know, but on occasions the PVR remote with its fast forward button is just too far out of reach – usually because the toddler has ‘relocated’ it – I amuse myself by watching the teev ads and trying to guess where they were filmed.

Certainly, most of the car ads, and many of those for other products and services, look like they were filmed far, far away where the sun always shines, seas always sparkle to the horizon, roads are always clear and houses are mostly timber-clad bungalows. With the aid of computers, the producers add in familiar UK street furniture, such as red [pillar] post boxes, but these are now so rare here it’s not very convincing.

Today, we learned of yet another foreign shoot, this one for the upcoming new Nissan Micra, which we will now get imported from Thailand rather than shipped down from Sunderland. This article says the car is ‘UK spec’ but the car looks left hand drive with a registration plate that might pass for French. But, as funny plates and left hookers do show up in UK car advertising, this article may nonetheless be correct.

Why all the overseas shoots and the less than convincing post-shoot digital doctoring? If you’re in the biz and you know, answers on a post card please.