How have TV commercials changed in the past six months?
Asked by
Jeruba (
56112
)
March 16th, 2009
When I used to be a regular TV watcher, I viewed commercials as a kind of cultural pulse, as well as information about the demographic that was expected to be tuned into the show I was watching. (Car and beer ads are for one expected audience, disposable diapers and hand cream for another.) Now I see them only when I watch TV once every 4 years: Olympics, presidential elections. So even if I tuned in now, I wouldn’t be able to make a comparison. I’m curious, though.
A surprisingly consistent theme I’ve observed in American television advertising in the past (10 or more years ago) has been essentially this: “You deserve, are entitled to, owe it to yourself to have or enjoy this {luxury | convenience | pleasure | benefit}.”
I am wondering how the advertising message may have changed during these worried times. Is there less emphasis on the indulgent, more on the practical? Is there a twist toward inexpensive luxuries? Is there a big trend toward (low-cost) escapism, as there was during the Great Depression? Is the predominant theme to save, save, save money? Or is it about denial and optimism?
What are your impressions of how television advertisers and marketers have changed their tunes to suit the times?
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16 Answers
The phrase I’ve noticed a lot of is “now more than ever,” with regard to saving money.
Now more than ever we need to save our rollover minutes. Now more than ever you need a better warranty. Now more than ever such and such a bank has customized options for you.
commercials today are about fast pay, bankruptcy, affordable cars (and not trucks), gas mileage and economic ways to cook and enjoy food at home. how you can maximize your cell phone advantages and where to go for bargains on furniture or how you can cheaply spruce up your home. ten years ago or more, we had to have the clothes, the house and the “look.”
more commercials about weight loss and drugs with “quirky” names that curb that sinful habit or prevent that thing you always did back in the day. .
If you live in the Las Vegas area, every other commercial is for a law firm. Tells me:
a) People are way too litigious
b) Lawyers make waaay too much money, considering the cost of prime-time air-time
c) You can make money off people even when they file for bankruptcy already
i’m noticing a lot more tv commercials geared to “look viral” or integrated with web content. the attitude i get from these is sort of a “look at this ad! now, go to our website for more of this ad!”
examples: http://telus.ronronn.com/ and http://www.doritosguru.ca/
to be clear, i think both of these campaigns are absolutely brilliant.
There are ads that are so clever as to be incomprehensible, endless plugs for meds (with hideous side affects, like death, mentioned as an afterthought), cars, phone carriers, teeny bopper cosmetics and clothes, and pseudo food. (And that’s just for the one hour a week I devote to network TV.
I love the quirky and just oddball commercials like the Burger King commercials with the Silent King. The Geico Lizard, the Cavemen Also the subject matter is more honest and less prudish- The Huggies commercial with the baby boy pissing to the ceiling is very funny.
The amount of Tampon commercials still hasn’t changed. They must work.
Favorite one lately-McDonalds, Fish on wall singing to bearded guy, “Give me some of that filet o fish…Give me that fish”...That one kills me.
But is there a different tone or style or slant reflecting current economic realities? Are they pushing savings over the luxuries you deserve? Are they avoiding certain kinds of language? Are there other signs like “now more than ever” cited by Mamradpivo that reflect an awareness of the precarious state of the economy and how people are reacting to it—including shopping less, eating out less, indulging less, and saving more?
Not that I have noticed. And my personal take on that Billy Bass singing fish for McDonald’s was “Pass the Pepto.”
What kind of a fish exactly is a filet o fish?
@Jeruba
Well for one thing there is an increasing number of infomercials in primetime because of the difficulty selling air time. Maybe some of you have noticed that you’re watching your favorite show and suddenly you think you’ve changed the channel because there’s this 3–4 minute infomercial..
@gailcalled
But You’ve got to tap your feet!
The focus is increasingly toward the dollar menu in the Mcdonalds and fast food ads…
@SeventhSense: I took one look at the tubby guy eating his fish sandwich, saw the stuffed Bass wiggle and turned off the TV. Maybe the Bass will get to host his own reality show, “What Food Group is This, Anyway”?
(What is that fish? Supermarkets now sell something called “sea food.” You do not want to read the list of ingredients.)
@gailcalled
How about the Van de kamps Filet Commercial
An adorable little 3 year old girl who says, “Minced Fish?” “Have you ever seen a minced fish?”
@SeventhSense: Missed that one too (thank goodness).
Often, I will watch a commercial and have no clue as to what product is being pimped.
I always have the TV on when I’m on the computer. It’s on my right pumping subliminal ads into my head.
When I have watched CNN during the day, the ones for the Fortune 500 companies and for the banks are playing up the “social responsibility” angle more. I saw one for some computer company, I don’t remember which, that had kids communicating with each other over the web in large public spaces, and had one of John’s better solo songs as the theme music (not the one with the “animatronic” John speaking, though that one appalls me as well). The whole thing was maudlin.
And I was upset for a second that John had been pimped out like that yet again.
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