This post first appeared on my former blog Nov. 22, 2010.
Am I the only person who, while watching television, sits through the commercial breaks and analyzes each commercial?
I’m hoping one or two other people raised their hand out there. My husband just shakes his head. “Why are you trying to work out a commercial character’s motivation?”
“Because if they’re going to make a 30-second story out of a commercial, then it should make sense.”
There are good and bad commercials out there. And not all of them have to include a linear story. The now-famous Old Spice ad is really just a series of images with a message of how your man can be super cool if he uses Old Spice body wash. The ad was so popular, Sesame Street spoofed it(starring Grover—worth the <1 minute!)
One of my favorite commercials lately is last year’s Super Bowl Snickers commercial featuring Betty White: It’s clear, concise, has action, conflict and a resolution.
And Geico doesn’t need 30 seconds to tell you their tagline (come on, you know it “Fifteen minutes…”), but they give a great visual with the gecko and his cell phone.
I’m not sure when exactly commercials went from straight sales pitches to 30-second stories. Last season on Mad Men, Don Draper wins a coveted Clio Award for his Glo Coat floor wax commercial. In it, he portrays a little boy pretending to be locked in jail behind dining room chairs while his mom is waxing the floor. Whether or not the turning point in commercials really happened in the early 1960’s, I’m not positive, but Mad Men makes it look good!
A lot of commercials make good use of comedy to keep you entertained and watching. Others create a mood–often for luxury items.
And if you’re curious about the Clio Awards, here’s a great ad for Luv’s that I’ve never seen on television, but it’s a stitch. It’s about adding a new member to the family.
Do you have a favorite television commercial? Or are you one who uses those short TV breaks to change laundry loads?