Monday, March 15, 2010

What is a smart commercial?

What do commercials aim to do? They aim to get your attention and sell you their product. As viewers most of us hate commercials and with fairly recent technology we have the ability to fast forward through them. If we see a commercial that interests us do we still fast forward through it? No not always. Some of us are sick of seeing commercials talking about different types of cancer because why is twenty different people scrolling across the screen going, "I have (fill in the blank) cancer" grabbing our attention? To many that I have come across, it isn't and how many times can we see it portrayed in the same way? After a certain amount of time viewers lose interest. Viewers only give a commercial a certain amount of time to grab their attention, the first five or ten seconds are crucial, after that if we feel we have seen it or heard it already why watch it?

Most people think that the only way to advertise is to be direct and to the point. At this day and age sometimes you need to be more creative than that to get this society's attention. Even with the most serious subjects a direct commercial is not enough. For example telling people to donate money to the ASPCA to help stop animal cruelty won't work, but with actual footage of animal cruelty, a sad song and a worldwide known sponsor, that might just work. Is it unfair that this commercial is shown on ABC Family while a young child might be watching full house? Yeah it is, and in some ways I believe that it should be taken off that channel but on the opposite side a child is more likely to be persuaded by this commercial and then run to mommy or daddy to see it.

You see a perfume bottle, whose attention is it most likely to grab? I would have to say women. So you watch the commercial thinking it is going to be some fabulous commercial about a very popular perfume, only to find out your wrong. No, that commercial is not about the new Escada or Dolce and Gabbana perfume, but it is about cervical cancer. We are taken by surprise not only because we think it is about perfume but the music is happy and the model has a smile on her face. Do perfume and cervical cancer connect in any way? Not at all, but that is the whole point that the advertiser is trying to make. The advertiser knows that having people scrolling across the screen saying " I have cervical cancer", " My sister has cervical cancer", "You can prevent cervical cancer", isn't working anymore. They had to take a new approach, something that takes you by surprise. I have watched peoples reactions to this commercial and they all seem to have a similiar one, "What was that?" or "That was just ridiculous". Is it though? Are these commercials ridiculous, or are they smart? The whole point of commercials is to grab the consumers attention. In my opinion, goal accomplished.





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3 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 28, 2010 at 8:56 AM

    I agree with you Lauren. I like the cervical cancer commercial. The reveal at the end is startling, and I think that's what the advertisers were trying to achieve. The commercial also would appeal to the target audience: the young high risk group. Even if viewers laugh, or find the commercial ridiculous, the message was still delivered.
    Dr. Leanne Warshauer
    SUNY Suffolk

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  2. SamumumMarch 28, 2010 at 8:40 PM

    This was very eye opening. I have seen these commercials and when I first saw the cervical cancer one, I looked up the website to see what was going on.

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  3. AnonymousApril 12, 2010 at 6:44 AM

    These 2 commercials you use as an example to illustrate the use of emotional engagement with viewers are excellent. Advertising is 90% psychology - and in a few seconds, it leaves the viewer with a feeling... good or bad.. these feelings spark thoughts and then actions. PERFECT formula - these are genius. I believe that cause marketing, such as the ASPCA one, are necessary means of communicating need to the public. They do it beautifully. Any animal lover will be hooked and that's the sole purpose of advertising... to emotionally hook and then pull you in to take action. Now, if we could only use this formula for more well-intended purposes. Great examples Lauren.

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