Did You See the One About The . . .



Who knew?  Trying to be hip and edgy could get you into so much trouble.

The advertising world, that's who didn't.  In this cutthroat industry where it's become so hard to slash through all the stuff that comes our way online and on TV, advertisers have resorted to ads that open our eyes wide, and mouths to complain, according to The New York Times' Stuart Elliott and Tanzina Vega.

Take the commercial for Mountain Dew that showed a battered white woman trying to pick her assailant from a lineup that included black men and a goat.  Sounds offensive to me.  (Full disclosure: I haven't seen it.)  Or the one from GM for its sport utility Trax, set in the 1930's and sold in countries including Canada, that uses a "modern remix of a song from that era that included references to Chinese people, using phrases like 'ching ching, chop suey.'"

The companies have all done mea culpas and yanked the ads, with their defense being it was the only way to grab attention. But really, has anyone seen Geico's ads?

I love them.  They're cute and funny and slightly sly and don't offend anyone, except maybe pigs.  There's the one with the pig driving the convertible being pulled over by the cop who asks, "Do you know why I'm pulling you over?" and the pig saying, "Because I'm a pig and I'm driving a convertible?"  Don't know why but that sends me into hysterics every time.

Or the new one (which I love) of Dracula working the blood bank and the terrified donor he's about to get a donation from.

Face it, there are truly great commercials out there.  I also love the Allstate ones with Mayhem falling through snow-covered roofs and down stairs and texting while driving the pink car as a young teen complaining that Suzy has her boyfriend now before crashing into another car.  (Maybe it's just the deep, booming voiceover, but something sure is sexy about those commercials.)

Clearly, I spend too much time watching TV (and commercials). But it's fun and doesn't hurt anyone, at least the ones I watch.






















http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/business/media/trying-to-be-hip-and-edgy-ads-become-offensive.html

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