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The Most Objectionable Commercials BARF
AWARDS Each of the commercials below have something in common which makes them despicable. Advertising in general has tried to turn our society, and especially our young people into unthinking, mindless purchasers. As Robert Batemen states in his recent book, Thinking Like A Mountain, "...corporations, through their advertising campaigns, are goading teenagers to go beyond the limits of self-discipline and self-respect, turning them into mere consuming machines." Some advertisers, not just satisfied in conditioning teenagers and young adults towards unbridled consumerism, are now also preying on any areas of society that might offer a more balanced lifestyle. By belittling things like spiritual awareness, family values, views that promote a more non-commercial approach to Christmas, and the importance of personal relationship, advertisers are manipulating viewers to be biased against these things, thus weakening resistance to their pro-consumerism efforts. "Pioneering TV advertisers soon discovered that they could train teenagers to have special needs: special foods, special beverages, special clothing, special music, special movies. So successful was this strategy that the advertisers soon broadened their targets to include pre-teens and post-teens. They have now persuaded eight-year-olds that they are already teenagers and twenty-five-year-olds that they are still adolescents. Though the miracle of television advertising, these human beings have been fine-tuned into market "targets". (Bateman, Thinking Like a Mountain, page 60)
January, 2005 Over the past two months I have had never ending battles with retailers who use a complex system of special deals and manufacturer rebates to completely confound the buyer. You've got to have the literacy level and mind set of a layer to understand this, and in several cases the store employees didn't even understand them. Guilty of deceptive advertising is Hakim Optical, Best Buy, Future Shop, and especially MDG Computers. In the last case, the MDG salesperson actually told me to disregard the flyer once he realized that he was dealing with someone who actually asked questions. "Let's just put this aside and cut through the tricks and phoney deals," he said to me. I said, "See ya!" which is my response any time I feel manipulated or lied to.
Some from 2001 SONY "Honey, I'm Comin' Home" So let's do a commercial that glorifies entertainment electronics at the cost of personal relationships. Man writes that he's comin' home, and woman acts totally happy. Man practically bowls her over on his way to the TV set, clearly making his preference and values known. It not only glorifies trivial materialism, but degrades meaningful relationships, not to mention men. (Come on, women! You really do believe that men are like that, don't you!?) Lesson learned: We make fun of people who act like this, but deep down isn't this the way we all feel????
VISA "...Just In Case You're Wrong..." Is Christmas too commercial? Have we lost touch with the real values of the season? ...Things like family and friendship. So let's reaffirm them and assert their value in a commercial. Let's talk about some of the real values of Christmas. But once we've done that, let's use the last line of the commercial to throw that away, make fun of it and say "Just in case you're wrong, don't forget your VISA card." Lesson learned: You don't really believe those guys who say things like "The best gifts are those that are hand made." or, "It's the thought that counts.", do you????
WENDY'S "Release your inner child..." Dave, the Wendy's guy, is sitting with a bunch of white clad meditators and a pretentious guru who is obviously leading then. When asked what they most want the first few ask for inner peace and the like. Dave, though, is looking for a hamburger. In a different context he would look like a shallow buffoon. But in this context of an unconvincing guru and easily swayed meditators, soon Dave has them all heading for the nearest Wendy's. Gee, they were probably even vegetarians, ...but that Dave is just so darned convincing!! The lesson: Don't pay any attention to those nutritionists or those promoting a life style that won't give you a heart attack (like Dave had). Hamburgers are more important than inner peace, ...aren't they??? Here are some
good references to read more about Thinking
Like a Mountain, by Robert Bateman Adbusters
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