Ads for government departments are always a little awkward. When you fill your TV advertisement with regular public servants, most accustomed to working quietly in the background rather than taking centre stage, it's not surprising that they're hardly Oscar-quality productions.
But the latest offering from the Department of Finance has quite outdone itself with an ad for its graduate program featuring paleo pear and banana bread, a buddy program and some seriously awkward banter.
We start with some wide panning shots of the interior of the (admittedly rather nice) Finance building. Three staffers meet on an overhead walkway, with one woman inviting the others along for a "paleo pear and banana bread".
"No thanks, it's a little fancy for me," replies an older woman.
The other two head down the stairs, parroting back the memorised lines full of dense government jargon. They bump into David Fredericks, the deputy secretary for budget and financial reporting, who seems the most at-ease and believable in the entire ad.
It goes on for a bit until we meet a man greeting a woman in a corridor.
"Hey buddy," he calls. "Sorry I do that every time, it's because we're in the buddy program!"
We won't ruin it any further. Just feast your eyes.
On the other hand, if the ad has inspired you to get involved in the Department of Finance's grad program, you can check out more information here.