Funny How...

I thought I watched the Superbowl yesterday. Except, we talked a lot during the game. Which we watched on DVR so of course someone had called to tell us who won before the end. And we skipped the halftime show, and the singing at the start. Which was apparently too bad because the rumor is Christina Aguilera messed up the lyrics? Seriously?

Anyhoo, I did pay attention to the commercial. Maybe it was my one-semester stint as a marketing major. Maybe its just about how much I watch TV (trying to cut back. Really). But commercials fascinate me. Like, why can't there be a good local commercial? Why do some commercials make you laugh AND make you want to buy something (oh haii Old Spice Guy). And some just make you want to run screaming from the room?

So, here are my favorite commercials from yesterday. Which, btw, wasn't a great commercial superbowl. Pepsi particularly made me sad. They're usually so reliable.

I think I liked this because I have in my life watched a LOT of HGTV:


We actually rewound so my friend who was putting out kiddo fires, could see:


I loved this one too:



If you want to see the full rundown, check out this site.

Perhaps I'll post some failures tomorrow. But honest, who wants to watch them?

PS--I still think the best commercial was the VW force one below. Honestly. It won hands down.

Creepy

I'm not a big fan of commercials for fine jewelry. In fact, post awesome DeBeers shadow commercials (do you remember those? With the violins?) I feel that jewelry commercials are pretty much the lowest common denominator. I'd rather see a local businessman dressed up in an animal costume. Really. Also, and unrelated, why is it jewelry commercials and coffee commercials all have the same feel? Over-emotional, rather sappy, insipid and pointless?? Except, usually coffee commercials are a little better.

On to my point. Kay is the biggest villain when it comes to evil advertising among fine jewelers. Just as I wrote that I remembered some of the heinous "he went to Jared" commercials and shuddered. They are ONE of the biggest villains in evil fine jewelry advertising.

Last year, I saw the commercial below. Note how, at the beginning, there's an overdrawn sense of suspense. The first time you view this commercial it is possible, in the first few seconds, to be entertained. You figure there's a punchline here somewhere, and with all the over-the-top creepy camp it had better be good.

No punchline. These people are taking themselves W-A-Y too seriously. This commercial is supposed to be romantic, I think. But, creepy stalker boyfriend is NOT romantic, despite popular misconceptions.

Bottom line: be careful how you execute. Romantic getaway in the mountains, storm raging outside while two people cuddle together sounds like a good premise for a romance novel jewelry commercial. But this commercial is more horror movie crossed with date rape PSA.

Breathe

So, I was just watching a Spiriva commercial, which is an inhalation-type of medication for COPD. The earnest-looking actor in the commercial told us, "COPD doesn't just make breathing harder, it makes a lot of other things harder too."

Um, yeah. Because, you know, BREATHING is important to most things. In fact, I can't think of anything that breathing isn't an integral part of. Except, well, dying.

So, yeah, commercial fail. I'm not going to post it because the rest of the commercial is incredibly boring.

But the whole thing made me think. When we're trying to craft the perfect sentence, the perfect pitch (the perfect query letter) how easy is it to make some claim that is a well, duh moment. After all, if you've got COPD you KNOW how difficult normal tasks are with it. The commercial didn't have to spell it out. So who were they talking to?

Audience. Its important. Don't forget who you're talking to.

How to Use Nostalgia

I haven't blogged about a commercial for a bit. But, I was feeling ill and watching a little bit more tv than normal, and I happened across a Macy's commercial. And yeah, I've seen it before. But I'm not going to lie: it works on me everytime.

When I was a kid I spent quite a bit of time with my paternal grandparents. To say that my grandma had disdain for any media produced after 1960 wouldn't be overstating things. She hated modern sitcoms, movies music...and as a result, I watched a LOT of old musicals at her house. Lots of "I Love Lucy." When I see Bob Hope's face flash across the screen, I'm back in my grandparents's living room. Safe. Warm. Happy.

So when I see this commercial, it isn't about a department store. It isn't a crass attempt to get me to spend my hard-earned money (except, of course, it is). It's a reminder of who I am--who we were. And a subtle hint that we can get there again. Back to the good old days. If only we shop at Macy's.



What do you think? Does this commercial work on you, or is it just more noise?

I'm Sorry

Sorry to post about feminine hygiene. I know I probably lost one of my dirty dozen followers with that sentence. Goodbye. You are mourned. 


Ahem.

I was thinking the other day, for NO REASON AT ALL, about feminine hygiene. And I was thinking about those horrible Mother Nature commercials Tampax runs.


Maybe, there's nothing wrong with this commercial. But let's be honest with each other. It's creepy. Not only seeing "mother nature" as a vindictive *not young* woman, but that somehow her little "gift" is just to ruin our lives, and if we can somehow get over, you know, being a WOMAN things will be better.

In contrast, there are these commercials:


Bravo Kotex. Bravo for pointing out that its all a marketing thing anyway. That the whole point of feminine hygiene products is to, well, work. They don't make it so that suddenly you are free to jog up a mountain or run around in clubs in skin-tight pants, dancing until dark. Can't we be honest? Periods suck. They make you feel yucky and bloaty and gross. But, I love that I'm a girl. Love that I've got kids. So, whatever. I'll deal with it an move on and all I freakin' need is something that does what it says it will do and then can we all please move on?

Also: if I choose to hang out in bed and eat a carton of Ben and Jerry's on that day of the month rather than cavorting in a club with my cronies, well, I will not be made to feel I've given into some vindictive force outside my control, or that if only I had the right protection I would feel different.

Thank you.

(PS, Kotex, A. Tampax...C? I'll let you know when I'm less irritable)

I Wish...

Sometimes marketing works a little too well. There's this Walmart commercial where the whole family is getting ready to watch the "big game." They're unpacking unhealthy, pre-packaged, snacky goodness out of their enviornmentally friendly blue bags, and tossing around a football. The whole family is involved. Everyone is beyond excited to sit in front of the tv for hours watching men throw a football around.

I'm jealous.

The truth: I can get excited about a football game. I tend to like college football, and if I've got a vested interest in one of the teams I will cheer and squeals.

But...

Even when I was in college, I tended to come late to a game. Seriously people, four hours on my feet or with my bum in an uncomfortable metal bleacher? And, I tended to do more people watching than game watching. Or at least equal parts.

The truth is, I aspire to be a real sports fan. It looks like so much fun. And there's Chips! And Dip! I should be involved in something that includes so many fun foods. But, I can't quite get there. And, the hubs doesn't help. He thinks sports are pretty boring unless you're playing (weird. i know. who would prefer getting actually sweaty to watching other people do it while you lounge around eating snack food? C'mon! I wish I could exercise the same way: watching others while I munched). And, my kids are pretty little. At their age, if Daddy doesn't care, why should they?

So, my future as a sports fanatic looks pretty shady. And really, like eating at Olive Garden, the commercials make it all look rosy and happy and the reality is much...less so. Still, it is probably a result of the messaging in commercials like this one that every year I try to throw or attend a Super Bowl party. I usually don't even know who's playing until the day of, but hey--we need more reasons to party in the dead of winter.

So, I give this commercial an A. Well executed, happy, and it always makes me want to consume copious amounts of chili and potato chips. Win!

I couldn't find a good quality video, but you get the idea:



How about you? Is there something you wish you liked? An activity that always looks fun until you try it? What do you wish?

What Frozen Biscuits Taught Me About Characters...

So...

On my theme of commercials, I submit to you this gem from Hardees (except around here its from Carl's Jr):


*smile*

(admit it, he made you smile).

Here's the thing. There's no angst. This earnest young man, can't you just see him scurrying around the counter to help a Little Old Lady with her tray? You know he shows up for dates (no just hanging out for him) with flowers and has never ever broken curfew. He is a Manager. He's Going Places. He went to employee training, and when they talked about synergy he felt a stirring inside. He might not already own a Tony Robbins DVD, but he will.

I like him. I like that every time I see him, telling me about the joys of frozen biscuits, I feel like there's a friend in my living room. The kind of friend who might be more in the fringe than in the group, the kind of friend you set up with the girl you're afraid might turn into a crazy cat lady if she doesn't get off her current trajectory, but a friend nonetheless.

And that, my friends, is a character study disguised as a commercial for a breakfast biscuit.

New Direction

Okay. I'm going a new direction with this blog. I'm not going to blog about my writing, or my journey to "real" writerhood or whatever I thought I was going to blog about in the beginning. nope. Nope. There are many, many excellent blogs with advice on how to write, on how to get an agent, what to do once you've got one...and let's face it, my voice wouldn't contribute all that much. Besides, I write YA books. It seems to me, most of the people reading other writer's blogs tend to be...other writers. Which is great. Really, I mean, I Love Those Blogs. I've learned so much from the online YA writing community.

But.

I have nothing to add. So, instead, I'm going to blog about (to paraphrase a song popular when I was WAY younger. Scratch. Not even ALIVE. I'm a mere babe! So youthful!) things that make me go hmmm.

Like commercials. I admit, I watch too much tv. Especially this last year, because I had a new baby and was nursing her okay whatever I just really like tv. Judge me. Go ahead. And I noticed a few things. It turns out, some advertisers are amazing. Really. They can tell a WHOLE story in a 30-second spot. Like this AT&T spot:

Now, I'm not a big fan of AT&T, but I love how they tell the whole story, in flashbacks, in 30 seconds.

Then there are the the completely misguided commercials. Like, these office depot commercials:


At first, seems funny, right? Yea for the little guy! Except, isn't Office Depot kind of the paper supply equivalent of the Super Cutz place? Aren't what they saying in this commercial exactly the same as what the evil $6 hair cut place was saying? Haven't they ever seen the Office? Dunder Mifflin FTW.

Which, brings me to my point. Which is...I have an opinion. On everything. Stick around, you'll get a few more of them.