Ok, I’ve never posted before, but I’ve been told this is the place for a rant so here goes…
In the last year, I have seen several commercials that really make me wonder about the advertising industry. Let me give you a few examples…
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A recent cruise line commercial used Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life as the background music. Tell me, is a song most recently associated with mainlining heroine really supposed to make me want to take a cruise?
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Chilis recently had a commercial for ribs that used Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire. Once again, is a song about going to hell thanks to alcohol and drugs suppossed to make me hungry? Addmittedly that “burning ring of fire” is a catchy riff…
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Some jean’s company recently used CCR’s “Fortunate Son” but cut off the tune after “Some folks are born to wave the flag,
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue.” All patriotic, right? But what about the next two lines: “And when the band plays “Hail to the chief”, Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord.” What’s the message? That you aren’t going to be a fortunate son if you wear the jeans?
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A while back, MasterCard was doing a series of commercials where two guys travelled to all of the ballparks. The commercial showed two guys in a VW van driving accross country. The tune was “Everybody’s Talkin” from Midnight Cowboy. Once again, all I could think about was that if I used their credit card, I’d end up a male prostitute and have to live with either Dustin Hoffman or Jon Voight. Talk about turning me off of a product.
So I ask, is it just me, or does anyone else see this as wrong?
Well these campaigns are rigorously tested by focus groups, which I’ll assume are composed of the same type of sheeple they are targeting their drivel at.
Opps forgot a “Welcome to the boards”.
I thought the “burning ring of fire” was a nice tie-in to the gastronomic day-after side-effects of Chili’s food.
Stupid?
Nay. They know their audience.
1 - You would have to string me out on heroin and threaten to cut off my stash to drag me on one of those retarded cruise ships.
2 - The only way I’d step foot in Chili’s for food, is if I was so hammered I couldn’t see. And I’m going to hell anyway.
3 - I wear jeans all the time. I am not the “fortunate one”. Why, my dad isn’t even a senator.
4 - Jon Voight was kind of cute in that movie. I’m not gay or nuthin’, but I’d blow him.
So you see? They know prescisely what they’re doing.
Hey NameAlreadyTaken! Welcome!
My favorite is the Allergy medicene commercial with the music from The Who’s Tommy playing in the background. So, I am forced to wonder if taking the medicene will make me a Pinball Wizard, or deaf and dumb… Not much incentive either way.
So far everyone has been far too kind to point out that you make fun of “advitisers” for being stupid.
I, however, am fond of subtle irony. :rolleyes:
OED, baby. Look into it pre-rant.
Well, looking at it in preview mode only helps if you can actually catch your own speilling errors… 
And the award for “cheap shot on the newbie” goes to… 
Thank you, World Eater for giving me my new favorite word: “sheeple” - it just sums up so much!
(btw - welcome, Name - your first assignment is to look into the definition of “Gaudere’s Law”) 
Ring of Fire is about the hell of drugs and alcohol? I never got that from the lyrics.
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I always took them in the literal sense of being about love. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I’ve never heard that interpretation myself.
Mine too MLC.
Lighten up Chast, its a fucking typo, and occasionally humans make them.
Hey, if I was sitting around watching all those moronic commercials, my brain would probably be pretty fried too.
You carving a turkey or joining the crusades Jin?
I’m getting ready for a new photoshoot, deary.
Great now I’m going to have nightmares.
I’m ready to go skewer me some advitisers, baby.
