Whilst watching TV a while back, we started a competition ‘name that item’ and it is proving as difficult as ‘name that tune’. Just what is happening with the adverts on TV?
I had considered the car manufacturers to be the worst offenders, until today when I saw an advert that was new to me. It was a fast paced advert with young ladies tumbling out of rooms, dancing or doing acrobatics and wearing eye catching clothes. I waited for the inevitable clothing brand to be confirmed – yet again slim young things being the focus of the advert and then did a double take. The advert was for a door company. Doors! I had not even noticed any doors so I don’t think they were anything special. And would slim young things dancing about encourage me to go to that particular door company? Absolutely no for me.
For some time it seems that the trend has been telling a story and hoping that the story evokes something in our memory banks that persuades us the item is just what we want/need/desire. The car manufacturers go to elaborate lengths but do mix it up with work, play, passion, or clever technical stuff. Problem for me is how long the adverts are and how I personally lose interest the moment I guess it is about a car. I don’t lust after a new car – I just want a reliable, comfortable, cost effective car, but am I in a minority? I must live in an alternative world as I know very few people who consistently buy brand new cars and I have yet to meet anyone who has been influenced by these adverts in buying a car – we just wait for the advert break to finish or make a cup of tea.
Another one that baffles me is one for Lucozade. It has been aired for many months and I watch it through every time now in an attempt to discover a tangible relevance. My assumption is that the main character is a father who in an unfathomable manner has lost touch with his son and goes looking for him. We are taken through various scenes, perhaps even in different countries, and then the father goes to a disco party, or perhaps even a rave, and his son sees him in the audience, smiles and goes back to his DJ turntable. Then the Lucozade credit comes up. So was the father’s tenacity due to Lucozade? Did the son leave home because he did not get enough Lucozade? Were the people at the rave supposed to drink Lucozade? Does the advert make me want to buy or drink Lucozade? Well, no, not at all.
Tell me, how influenced are you by the stories these adverts tell? Do you prefer the straightforward marketing ones? I personally love the Haribo ones where they replace the adult voices with children’s, my favourite being the Rock Band. And yes, I have bought Haribo for myself and I know my favourite flavours.
Are you moved by the Mentos push to give Mentos away, get a Gym Buddy and share Mentos, make someone’s day by giving them a Mentos even if they don’t even say thank you?
Are you influenced by nostalgia? There is a new Mango advert (I think it is new but it is in black and white a lot) and it features beautiful people doing beautiful things in nature, then having a beautiful meal, strumming and recreating a Donovan scene with Donovan singing in the background. Real 1960s/70s stuff. I was a huge Donovan fan but never one of the beautiful people. I could not guess what the advert was marketing until the final credit at the end, which said Mango, an it won’t get me buying their stuff, but does it work for you?
I would just love to hear.
