Valentine’s Day brings us new and more alluring commercials. More perfume, more candy, more flowers, even an ad to indicate that the couples pictured should “Get A Room”.
Ahhh, commercials. Did you ever wonder who writes these things? Who approves them? Are there so few bright, intelligent individuals in that business that stuff gets to broadcast before anyone sees the unintended messages being sent?
I remember doing a local radio commercial once where the premise was a female character as stuck in a ditch somewhere wanting to get to an event. I mentioned to the producer that only the day before a woman had been found dead in her car in a ditch along the highway in that same town. She had been injured but her car was not visible from the road and help didn’t get there in time. Perhaps this wasn’t the best premise for a local commercial. A change was made.
One recent commercial shows a man driving golf balls off a high rise terrace in a large city. Well, wonder how many folks down below might have been greeted with a knock on the head.
At one time I saw back-to-back commercials both featuring the same drug. The first was the basic lawyer’s ad for a class action suit pointing out the danger in the side effects that people had suffered. The second was the ad promoting the positive efficacy of the very same drug. Hmmm, who should I believe.
I’ve written before about the ads proclaiming “real people, not actors”. I presume that is meant to impress the viewer of the authenticity of the product. But, the advertisers will use well known actors for products, assuming we believe that this particular STAR takes some pill, uses some lotion, drinks a certain beer, etc. The underlying message to my mind is: Real People (not stars) and Real Stars (not people?) are the people who will make the best impression. The fact behind the hype – a paid spokesperson – whether well known or just well paid, will say what they are paid to say. The question is, would I? In almost every case, the answer is yes. (I have a few scruples.)
So, watch with a discerning eye, chuckle at the more inane ads. Many are more interesting than the commercial programs they accompany.
Signed: A person not real enough to land a commercial.