Advertising gone awry?
Because my computer is still malfunctioning, I’ve been watching a little bit more television lately than normal. Maybe it’s due to what I see as the generally dismal quality of most of the television that I see, but I’m really paying much more attention to the commercials that I watch, and I’m starting to wonder what in the world is going through the minds of people on Madison Avenue.
Two sets of commercials are confusing me (on top of my already large amount of confusion regarding the pink-haired chick who touts online car insurance mentioned earlier).
First, there are ads for ED treatments. I vaguely recall them being fairly straightforward when I used to only half pay attention to them. Now that I’m watching them, maybe somebody can answer me this: When did sex start being about sitting in matching, side-by-side, claw-footed bathtubs outside? That’s a weird question from where I’m sitting, but take a look at the commercials sometime. There was one I watched where the couple ended up sitting in white bathtubs, not touching, while overlooking a vineyard from a grassy rise. Another had a couple who went to the beach and sat in matching, side-by-side claw-footed bathtubs in the surf. I mean, I’m no stranger to the idea that there are people out there who have some unusual proclivities, but outdoor bathtubs? What’s the deal?
My second confusion also deals with a commercial for medication. There are enough people out there with sleep disorders to warrant advertising sleep drugs on television (if there’s ever an acceptable reason to advertise prescription-only medications via a television). For one medication, the commercials seem to be somewhat standard. It shows someone trying to sleep in bed in the dark. Inevitably the person is sleeping with the window open. Suddenly, in through the open window wafts a head-sized, neon-green, translucent butterfly which, inexplicably, heads straight for the sleepy person. Once it gets close, they touch it and they fall asleep.
Is there anything less likely to get you to fall asleep than the idea of gigantic ghostly bugs touching you in bed? I think I’m not alone in thinking that this idea is enough to make the skin crawl. What’s the message here? Taking this drug is like being touched by massive glowing insects? It’s just creepy.
Two sets of commercials are confusing me (on top of my already large amount of confusion regarding the pink-haired chick who touts online car insurance mentioned earlier).
First, there are ads for ED treatments. I vaguely recall them being fairly straightforward when I used to only half pay attention to them. Now that I’m watching them, maybe somebody can answer me this: When did sex start being about sitting in matching, side-by-side, claw-footed bathtubs outside? That’s a weird question from where I’m sitting, but take a look at the commercials sometime. There was one I watched where the couple ended up sitting in white bathtubs, not touching, while overlooking a vineyard from a grassy rise. Another had a couple who went to the beach and sat in matching, side-by-side claw-footed bathtubs in the surf. I mean, I’m no stranger to the idea that there are people out there who have some unusual proclivities, but outdoor bathtubs? What’s the deal?
My second confusion also deals with a commercial for medication. There are enough people out there with sleep disorders to warrant advertising sleep drugs on television (if there’s ever an acceptable reason to advertise prescription-only medications via a television). For one medication, the commercials seem to be somewhat standard. It shows someone trying to sleep in bed in the dark. Inevitably the person is sleeping with the window open. Suddenly, in through the open window wafts a head-sized, neon-green, translucent butterfly which, inexplicably, heads straight for the sleepy person. Once it gets close, they touch it and they fall asleep.
Is there anything less likely to get you to fall asleep than the idea of gigantic ghostly bugs touching you in bed? I think I’m not alone in thinking that this idea is enough to make the skin crawl. What’s the message here? Taking this drug is like being touched by massive glowing insects? It’s just creepy.
posted by The Academian | 10:35 PM
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