TV advertisements are the parts of programming which are usually skipped over. Personally, when I see them is usually when I turn the volume down and interest myself with something else until my desired programming return? So watching four hours of television with the intention of noticing the ads was informative, and it said a lot both about advertising companies, the corporations that they work with and the society that they are marketing to. There is such a vast variety of TV commercials that it is difficult to make overarching conclusions about them. But as a person watches and notices, certain patterns tend to emerge. This essay analyzes archetypical patterns that emerged of predictable advertising that markets the same or similar products in a similar way.
The category in which TV commercials remained the most consistent was car commercials. With few exceptions, car commercials featured the last amount of imagination than other commercials. The standard car commercial features a shot of a car driving along a scenic highway. As this is happening a narrator explains the major features of the car. Then at the end of the commercial there is a shot of a showroom version of the car with bullet point details about financing a car.
One of these car commercials was for the all-new Genesis. The narrator spoke about new beginnings and how you need a vehicle “To take you from point A to point b, to close yesterday’s chapter and begin tomorrows.” The camera followed the Genesis along scenic city streets and then ended when it pulled up to the house, and the attractive driver looked out the door. There were quite a few car commercials that followed this same pattern.
Car companies spend huge amounts of money to advertise their products. So it seems strange that so many of their commercials seem so unimaginative. Knowing that these companies also spend large amounts of money to market test their advertisements, these unimaginative adds must be what is selling the most amount of cars. These types of advertisements are perhaps effective because of their predictability. It may be that when it comes to cars, consumers are less inclined to take risks. By showcasing a car in unfamiliar contexts, it might turn away more consumers then turn them onto purchasing a particular model of car. In this context, I would say that these advertisements are effective.
Personally, I was more inclined to desire car commercials that when outside of the box. The car commercials are so similar that they seem like the same monotonous drone, and my inclination when I see them is to immediately tune them out.
There were also the feel good commercials. They featured dramatic human expressions and music designed to elicit emotional responses from views. These commercials often tell a narrative. Products being advertised on TV in this way include insurance advertisements, advertisements to help a charity, and also Budweiser. This was a departure from the majority of beer commercials. One of these featured a puppy and a horse. This Budweiser commercial feature a golden retriever puppy that escapes the house where he is to run into the stable where a Clydesdale, the hallmark horse of Budweiser, is. The narrative is that the puppy wants to be a horse. There is soft acoustic music being played by the popular independent artist passenger. The lyrics sing, “Only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low. The end of the commercial flashes the Budweiser logo. People love puppies. This seems to be a very effective advertisement that is a departure from the regular beer commercials.
But my personal reaction to this advertisement is a negative one. I dislike commercials that try to monetize good feelings. The advertisement has nothing to do with beer. Advertisers should at least market the product they are selling rather than trying to subconsciously attach the attractiveness of a puppy to their product, which has nothing to do with puppies at all.
Another very popular genre of television commercials is a category I will dub food porn. With food porn, it is either a fast food restaurant or food company that is trying to sell their product. These often feature delicious shots of their product that try to trigger the hunger instinct in tis viewers.
One classic one is a Burger King commercial for an “Italian Original Chicken Sandwich.” And upbeat voice says, “At Burger King, a five dollar bill just got a whole lot better.” The commercial then explains the different sandwiches that can be purchased 2 for $5. There is nothing too remarkable about these commercials. Like the car commercials, it seems that the advertisers have found a formula that works. I suspect that these commercials might not be effective. I do not know of anyone who has ever gotten into his or her car to purchase a sandwich after seeing a commercial like this.