281 TV commercials miss the mark

 

TV commercials miss the mark

When did TV commercials become so much more tedious and uninspiring! Some of them are so annoying that I vow every time I see them to never buy that product if I can figure out what they are truly selling. 

Sometimes it is difficult to figure out what is being advertised.  They are so subtle I wonder what it is they want me to buy or think.  Probably because I am viewing through rather bored eyes as I wish for the actual program I want to watch to start or continue.

The history of TV commercials dates back to the 1940s. The NBC-owned station WNBT in New York aired the first legal commercial on July 1, 1941.  This commercial was a short spot called the “Bulova Time Check” during a Brooklyn Dodgers-Philadelphia Phillies game at Ebbets Field Watch this ad, hit control and a click to access link   https://youtu.be/lsjc2uDi1OI 

Bulova paid $4 for air fees plus $5 for station fees which was a steal at that time, according to businessinsider.com and Slate. WNBT was the only station to air an ad on that day. That commercial was quick, to the point, and interesting.

And from that date, TV viewers have been bombarded with ads about everything imaginable from foods to insurance, drugs, and services. 

One area that is especially prevalent is the pushing of pills and drug hawking. I can definitely tell what they want me to do--hassle my doctors to give me a prescription for those wonder drugs that cure just about any ailments. Plus, these ads seem to go on forever or at least several minutes.  I have never timed them but they seem to never end. 

I know repetition is the way we all learn but please give it a break.  Sometimes the same commercial will run again in less than a two- to three-minute cycle.  Not sure what the thinking is but again I vow to never buy that product.  A recent commercial with a cow and a very cute little girl urging viewers to buy ice cream was shown twice almost back-to-back.  Therefore, I wrote them off my grocery list.

I am not mentioning any brand names in this blog, but a couple of commercials have to be called out including one where a man is part motorcycle and an emu that is run all over the country trying to convince viewers about whatever!

Insurance advertising has taken on a whole new level that viewers cannot watch for any amount of time without being berated on what one should buy.  I wonder if insurance companies could save the ad money to give clients a break on rates.

There also has been a rise of topics advertised of late with sports betting adding to the competition.  At first, I was briefly tempted but then reason took over, and I decided to forego the temptation. The fat-shrinking service still peaks my attention, but I am sure the price is over the moon.  One can still dream.

The most unbelievable claim is the pointing to get rid of junk or unwanted items.  Several companies promise that this will happen.  I would love to see this, but we all know it takes more than pointing.

Please spare us the bodily function product ads that promise earth-shattering change.  Maybe these products do accomplish what they preach, but I cannot imagine!

It really seems to get even worse after 10 p.m. as ads are repeated constantly. Witness statements fill the airwaves about how companies will buy dilapidated houses. I bet those prices are very low. There should be a warning before these ads!

To counteract the time these commercials absorb of a program, we record most shows so we can fast forward through the hype of advertisers. We mute if we haven’t recorded the program -- this at least keeps us a little bit saner as we can’t hear the information.

But we would love to see a clever ad that might draw us in, but that seems to be improbable. The Super Bowl ads seem to be the only ones that ever reach the mark.  Of course, that is once a year, and the cost is exorbitant.

If the intent of these commercials is to turn the viewers away from the products, then they are highly successful. I wouldn’t touch most of them with a 10-foot pole!

Frances