Great post. It seems to me that this tone is symptomatic of businesses loosing confidence in themselves. A company that is happy with it's perception by others wouldn't feel the need to lower its tone. The example you show from Anglian Water is a step too far. No-one wants their bills talking to them in a 'quirkily' honest way (let alone 'love every drop'). I see Anglian are also guilty of loosing their capital letters. Grrr.