Ants in your pants is, as the dictionary definition indicates, either a pretty innocuous term, taken to mean agitated, or else it is a rather sexy term.

It is highly unlikely that Benson and Hedges were primarily interested in trying to associate their cigarettes with the notion of being agitated. They would, however, have been quite happy to get their customers agitated, so that they might smoke more if they perceived smoking as a means of relaxing. But to trigger conscious reflection or even preconscious ideas about agitation? NO! NO! NO! No Way!

If viewers associated the ants in this ad with 'eagerness for sex' or 'sexy' then Benson and Hedges were on to a winner. The likelihood is that they succeeded if their preparatory research into the language, interests and activities of their potential and actual customers was effective.

Numerous other Benson and Hedges ads also pursue an association with sex. A number of these are illustrated on this site. Some were relatively obvious such as the twisted electric wiring seen on the Goldbrik page and elsewhere. Others were more covert and semi-subliminal in nature. Nevertheless, all were intended to associate Benson and Hedges in the minds of viewers with sex and position Benson and Hedges as a 'sexy' brand in the market. This ad is unlikely to have had any other primary function.

Note: Definition b) above, gets my vote as the more likely source of inspiration for this ad.

Whilst many ads are associated with a number of different notions it is rare to come across a visual representation of two key colloquial terms in one ad. But, as with the other tools ads illustrated or referred to in Part 1 if this page, the Benson and Hedges ad illustrated alongside is more than a mere collection of nuts formed into an image of an ape. As an ad for a leading cigarette brand produced by one of the leading ad agencies in country, the ad has to express meaning over and above the sum of its parts.

Nuts of course, as the dictionary definition states, is a euphanism for balls. And there are plenty of these forming the ape in the ad. The ape is of course, also holding a tool in his hand. Tool, as discussed on the previous page, is another useful euphanism. Tools can also be used for crushing balls. This ad thus also manages to convey an anixety raising message about potential aggression in addition to a sexual message.

The appearance on the face of the Ape however is notable and seems more appropriate to when balls are being cradled rather than being crushed. Only a masochist would therefore find an aggressive meaning the most pertinent.

There is not much scope in the ad for the extraction of meaning related to the second dictionary definition, relating to Ape(shit). There is no indication of rising passion or excitement. The figure of the ape therefore is largely irrelevant, other than as an additional means of triggering 'dictionary units' in ones memory related to the