Posted on 03/16/2022 5:44:31 PM PDT by nikos1121
I took an advertising course in college. The prof gave us an assignment to make a radio or tv commercial on any product we chose.
He was an old school guy, who told us that the rules of advertising hadn't really changed since the Clark Gable movie, The Hucksters, came out especially when it comes to "funny" ads.
He said funny ads don't work. People may laugh at the commercial, but they won't be persuaded to buy the product by comedy.
And his next thought stuck with me. People may remember the humor, but they won't remember the product that goes with it.
I think of him every time a "try to be funny" ad comes on the air. You've seen them. It's usually a white pajama boy who is totally clueless, and his wife or girl friend sets him straight.
The ad might start out serious and actually may be pretty good, but they're compelled to finish it with about ten seconds of some goofy gag line.
Then you have those car insurance or cell phone ads. They all try to be funny, and a few are, but the next day, like my old prof said, you can't remember the product.
These companies are paying millions of dollars to these advertising agencies for commercials that are stupid and insult your intelligence, and probably do not sell their product as well as if they presented the product in a straight forward honest manner.
I'm not talking here about a catchy phrase, like "Where's the beef", or "I'd walk a mile for Camel." Those are clever and the product sticks in your mind.
Which brings me to the latest Infiniti Commercial. It's not funny or even clever. It just makes you scratch your head wondering, who thought this would sell their cars.
If you've seen any of their latest ads they seem to be marketing to mainly snooty, rich, white women.
This is the company, that some years back, had this great idea to introduce their latest car, BY NOT SHOWING IT!
Instead, the commercial was silent with words on the screen that said "The Car is Coming!" and "It Will Change Your Driving Experience Forever" etc. before a backdrop of a winding country road.
The current commercial is called "The Band Recital," and it depicts an orchestra made up of these cute well groomed middle school kids who are trying to play the 2001 Space Odyssey Theme. Unfortunately they're playing it badly, and way out of tune, but they don't know it.
They play their little hearts out reminding all of us of those times we sat at a concert of our own kids. We would never think of doing what this gal does in the commercial.
First of all, she has her QX60 parked in front of the band. They're not outside, they're inside! Who drives their car into a school auditorium to listen to their kids band?
That's weird enough, but it gets worse.
This gal has her windows and moon roof opened, but as soon as she hears the cacophony of this little orchestra, she closes the windows and roof, and with a smile of pleasure this rich b*tch turns on her car stereo playing the 2001 Theme by a professional orchestra.
The thought of this commercial, for sure, will remind me of the Infiniti product, but it doesn't make me want to buy one of their cars.
My favorite car ad is a Volvo one that uses the Queen Of The Night aria from Mozart’s “Magic Flute”.
Nothing like a song about terrible revenge and threatening to banish your child to sell cars!
I remember the Lincoln Car ads where they use Matthew McConnaughy. Instead of being this straight guy, they show him shooting pool, and making a Masse shot.
Of course, he’s not the one making the shot, which makes it even more rediculous.
Well after Saab went out of the car biz, somebody had to fill that slot, LOL.
Yes, it did my too, but then she rolls up the windows, and plays the real tune on her stereo, while the little kids are up there playing the best they can.
The bottom line, I wouldn’t be caught dead in an Infiniti.
LOL a great asset to our state of Indiana, 6000 jobs at the main plant and quite a few others at affiliated suppliers.
Back in the 90’s we used to say the only difference between a Lexus and a Toyota was about $5000.
I actually saw that commercial while working in a government office, with the sound off, and I could not figure out why the car was in the auditorium. I guessed it was to show how quiet the car was, but it really left me with more questions than anything else.
I remember at GM when we bought the first LS400s to benchmark. The paint finish on their door jambs was better than on the hood of a Cadillac. Toyota put huge money into engineering and building those and it really put them on the consumer map.
True that. The Big Three did more to increase foreign market share by turning out high priced crap. Aside from pickup trucks most American cars are worthless by the time they hit 100k miles.
Meanwhile I got 300,000 miles out of my 93 Volvo 850 and the 2007 S80 that replaced it is just about broken in at 180,000 miles. And it’ll still do 150+ when I’m on US 95 going to Idaho.
Try that with any 2007 American sedan.
And to think that GM could have bought Toyota with what they poured into Saturn...
No way would the Japanese govt have let that happen.
Toyota was/is a national treasure for Japan.
They did let faltering Nissan and Mitsubishi fall into bed with Renault.
Some time try to pay attention and notice how many ads have people dancing. It’s astounding. I’ve personally never been so excited about purchasing a product that I was inspired to dance about it - but maybe that’s just me.
I will confess that I don’t really appreciate dance as an art form. Yes I understand how difficult it is, how physically demanding it is. And I can appreciate that as a health/fitness regime. What I’m saying is I just get absolutely nothing out of watching dance of any kind. I’d actually rather watch synchronized swimming. Yes, what we need are more commercials featuring synchronized swimming.
Perhaps, but the price would have been in that ballpark. Then GM turned Saturn into yet another one of their nondescript corporate drones.
A different kind of car company, a different kind of car.
Until the MBAs get ahold of it...
ha! every time this commercial comes on i grab the remote and hit mute! Extremely annoying ad!
Infiniti sucks; it’s just an up-priced Nissan, like Acura is an up-priced Honda.
I’d say dancing and moronic shticks make up the vast majority of commercials.
I hate them.
“It’s not funny or even clever. It just makes you scratch your head “
It makes push my mute button almost as fast as I do when Fauci comes on.
Aren’t are ads intended to raise brand awareness, the when you go the dealership they try to sell you the car.
“Well after Saab went out of the car biz, somebody had to fill that slot, LOL”
Not sure what you are trying to say?
I have owned most pre GM Saabs
Not sure why they’re advertising… they have horrible supply chain issues. Each dealer gets one or two a month. But pretty nice small suv.
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