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Home / Business / Companies / Banking and finance

Sisters in Nationwide advert get death threats, big-ups

Daily Mail
9 Mar, 2018 03:07 AM3 mins to read

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Nationwide Building Society advert featuring Flo & Joan. Source: Facebook / Nationwide Building Society

UK building society Nationwide say they will talk to police after Twitter users got so angry about a pair of singing sisters on the building society's adverts that some even said they wished they were dead.

The songs by comedy duo Flo and Joan to promote the society's financial products have provoked rare online ire, as one user wrote: "So who's chipping in to get these two singing sisters from the Nationwide advert brutally murdered?"

Another said: "I don't condone violence of any kind. But it'd benefit us all if the women off the Nationwide advert were left on an uninhabited island far, far away. For the rest of their lives."

Their piano-and-percussion act has been compared to Flight Of The Conchords.
Their piano-and-percussion act has been compared to Flight Of The Conchords.

A third added: "Hypothetically - If #floandjoan (the two singing witches from the Nationwide advert) were to suddenly go missing in mysterious circumstances, there'd actually be 60 million suspects."

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The pair, whose real names are Nicola and Rosie Dempsey, do have some fans. The pair have been described as Marmite due to their ability to attract love and hate, the Daily Mail reported.

One user, Tyler Brogan wrote: "Love the Crimbo advert, so catchy."

Emma Scott added: "Awesome work."

Ross Fotheringham said: "Well done Nationwide. This is excellent."

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Nationwide's Chief Marketing officer Sara Bennison told Ok! Online: "When we saw an audition tape for Flo & Joan, gut feel told us all that they were a delightfully fresh take on things like loyalty which are at the heart of Nationwide.

"Social media has provided a great instant barometer of reaction - good and bad. The huge amount of likes and shares have been great.

Whenever I see someone on Twitter who enjoys the #floandjoan adverts. pic.twitter.com/CMYrrYxn3T

— Andy Sheppard (@sheptastic74) March 4, 2018

#Nationwide are working my last nerve. First the naff poetry, now the singing abomination that is #FloAndJoan. Fair to say that I'll never be a customer.

— Mary (@MaryMinifie) March 4, 2018

"But then there are others who have chosen to post the most vile, abusive and misogynistic comments about the duo. It is not just our Flo & Joan adverts that generate these comments, it is also our adverts that feature people of different colours, backgrounds and perceived sexuality, which attract the most criticism.

Can we have a petition to get these two annoying bastards off the TV! #FloAndJoan #Nationwide pic.twitter.com/ZWrZ6PHzr5

— Lewis (@lewisiantyree) March 4, 2018

"That's why it is important to call out those persistent offenders who put out vile comments on a regular basis and who should really know better.

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"That is why Nationwide is looking to work with other brands, industry bodies, such as ISBA, and the Met Police to look at the true scale of this worrying trend to spread hate from behind a keyboard and attempt to create a solution to tackle the issue.

"It's one thing not to like an advert, another to threaten to kill the stars of it. Abuse is abuse and that's never OK in our book."

I like ‘em. We need this. Chill out Britain. #floandjoan #nationwide #nationwideadvert

— Liam McCabe (@MOSMcCabe) March 6, 2018

In real life Flo and Joan are British sisters Nicola and Rose Dempsey.

They are veterans of the Edinburgh Festival, have performed with success in North America and their 2016 Song became a massive online hit, attracting 46million views across social media.

Their piano-and-percussion act has been compared to Flight Of The Conchords and Flanders and Swann.

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