After I posted the other day about the bad Chick-Fil-A radio commercial I’ve been thinking about posting more good or bad commercials I see or hear. It probably gets on Shawna’s nerves when we occasionally sit together and watch some TV – I’ll critique every other commercial that comes on as either good or bad and why. Advertising is of interest to me because I work in printing and I like to see what is the latest going on in the business world – especially when companies are doing it very creatively. Commercials in particular are of interest to me because it is a competing advertising media to print and again – I like the creativity.
Obviously I’m not the only one noticing commercials. I was glad to read this post by Tim Sanders in which he takes note of what is going on in advertising and how new technology will impact TV commercials.
I’m no expert by any means, but I think I’ve got enough business sense to form my own opinion of good or bad advertising. Sometimes I wonder what company executives are thinking when they allow some of the commercials I see. Here are a couple of examples I’ve recently noticed:
1. The new Cheesy Beefy Melt at Taco Bell might be a great tasting item on their menu, but the TV commercial ruins it. That isn’t real cheese in the commercial and whatever it is they used to look like cheese looks disgusting hanging out of those peoples mouths. I like cheese and beef but that commercial makes me want to avoid the cheesy beefy melt for fear that I might throw up in my mouth again like I did when I saw the commercial. (just kidding – I only had a slight gag reaction)
2. The TV was on the other day and I was in the room, but not watching. But you know how you can hear what’s on even though you’re pre-occupied. I heard something like “…that itch you can’t scratch, that terrible smell…”. I was startled (or shocked – we have kids in our house) so my ears perked up like a curious puppy. They were advertising Vagisil. I’ve got a better idea – partner with a tampon/pad company and put a print ad or samples in their box. Better yet follow the example of Gillette. They send all males a razor in the mail when they’ve reached a certain age when they should be able to use it. Vagisil can send a sample tube of stuff to girls who have reached the age when they might need to treat that itch they don’t want everyone watching TV to know about.
3. Again the TV was on but I was just listening not really watching. I heard something like “…Being careful is very important to me…because I have genital herpes…” It showed all these couples who are ‘looking out for each other’ by taking Valtrex to prevent giving their partner herpes. I couldn’t help wondering if the people in the commercial really do have herpes. If they do I hope the people they are with in the commercial are their spouse already because nobody who watches TV is going to touch them with a ten foot pole now.
Some things just don’t need to be advertised on TV commercials (Vagisil and Valtrex). It doesn’t matter how normal, nice, happy, friendly, or whatever these commercials look with those smiling people hugging in the park or whatever. You have to get a perscription for valtrex anyway so why don’t they just rely on doctors recommendations. Why do they have to put that commercial on TV for the majority of people who don’t have those issues to see? Whatever happened to keeping privates private?
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