I always think of it as the “car commercial syndrome” because it seems like the automobile market makes a habit out of it. It’s those commercials that cruise along, usually with beautiful video and impressive music, without ever mentioning what exactly it is that is being advertised. At the very end you’ll get a quick look at a logo or a few choice words telling you what wonderful product you should have fallen in love with this time. The problem is that I usually remember the beautiful visuals and or the stunning audio and completely forget who the spot is for.
Most recently I have been grooving to a TV ad that uses music from a favorite movie. You’ve probably seen it. It features what look like children’s drawings of monsters and aliens peeking around buildings at this young guy who looks rather depressed. The soundtrack comes from the original Willy Wonka movie. It’s Gene Wilder, who played Willy, singing the song “Pure Imagination”. I realized recently that I had been watching that ad for weeks now, singing along with the song (which is a favorite from that movie) with a smile on my face. The spot made me feel good, it made me happy. The downside was that I had absolutely no clue who or what the spot was actually advertising. Turns out it’s for AT&T. I went back and watched the spot on YouTube just to see if I had just missed something. Nope.
Having looked at it I’m not sure now what the connection is between imagination and creativity and my fifth birthday (that’s from the commercial) and my cell phone company. I know AT&T is more than just my provider but that’s how I think of them. And this ad doesn’t change that. Except by adding some confusion along the way.
My bet on these spots is that some clever Melvin at the ad agency really wanted to do something “creative” and then did a very good job selling the benefits of being “creative” to the client. Plus by the time you finish playing the song they’re probably smiling just the way I did. And the deal is closed.
Somewhere along the line everyone forgets that the purpose of advertising is simple. It’s to make the client buy, not smile. If you don’t know what you’re supposed to be buying then the commercial, no matter how clever or creative, is a waste of time and money. Commercials that don’t make clear the message and how it relates to the advertiser and the consumer are a dead loss. Believing anything else is pure imagination.
Call that the View From the Phlipside.
"The View From the Phlipside" airs on WRFA-LP Jamestown NY. You can listen to WRFA online HERE
Copyright - Jay Phillippi 2010
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