Boycott stupid commercials!

[Wandrail]

[RANT]
i only partially agree with you, naf. you seem to make the assumption that if some adverts are silly, the whole advertising "world" is silly and there are no positive aspects. i don't want to spoil the fun of the thread, but let me just mention a couple of positive things about the adverts that are seldom considered and that can partially answer your post: loads of tv programs wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the commercials, magazines would cost three times their price (at least), not to mention all the cultural/social sponsorships. a second aspect often forgotten is that the adverts are (or at least are also meant to be) useful for the consumers, providing them the information required to make a better choice. then, if you see an advert and run to buy that product, well, that's human frailty, who do you want to blame?

Is it a continental european who doesn't think capitalism is evil?! Just kidding. I completely agree, on the serious side of this, and the fact that people CAN spend money frivilously is a testament to the extreme level of prosperity in western capitalist society. Our 'poor' classes rivals the lifestyle of average people from most nations. I used to work in market research, I know a bit about the field. I'll tell you when it comes down to it, people buy what they want to buy and what they need to buy, not just because they're idiots who want what's flashed at them by the boob-tube. Except teenagers. They're different because they're so damned impressionable.

However, in keeping with the silliness of this thread - nothing is worse than these damned Subway commercials. Especially the "How spicy is it?" one. If you've seen it, you know the ulcer inducing pain of this horrible commercial, not to mention the other Subway commercials. Their ad execs should be drawn and quartered. I also hate those Dell interns. I never thought i'd MISS the "Dell Dude".

 

[Wandrail]

Oh, and Sculp[ted, the one thing wrong with your logic - no guy knows what size undergarments his girl wears. I was married for years...thought about buying stuff once...realized I had never even given her size a thought. I instantly wrote off the idea. Harharhar.

 

[mourningstar]

Also, the women watching will no doubt, in most cases, be able to figure that their men find it attractive and stimulating watching the commerical. A Victoria's Secret ad is aimed at women/couples who are more likely to have an active sex life, or a conscious desire to feel sexy otherwise, so that target market (especially the femmes) is more likely to respond by wanting Victoria's Secret and buying it. The women in the ad arouse the men, which in turn lets the female know what/how to please their guy (or it could just come down to jealousy of course; the female possibly believing they are/can be as attractive as those in the commercial). So it works out very easily.

pretty good analysis.
and again, i do believe that the "i wanna be like her" is the factor which plays the greatest role in those commercials. at least on a subconscious level.

*goes out and buys some underwear for herself*

 

[SculptedCold]

Oh, and Sculp[ted, the one thing wrong with your logic - no guy knows what size undergarments his girl wears. I was married for years...thought about buying stuff once...realized I had never even given her size a thought. I instantly wrote off the idea. Harharhar.

Yesm Wandrail, that's why I said such an attempt was 'doomed to failure' =)

 

[nafnikufesin]

Another stupid commercial...the Mentos commercial with sheep driving lawnmowers over dogs. What the hell does that have to do with mints?

 

[Wandrail]

ALso bad are the european commercials that get put on here in the States and dubbed poorly. they're always corny as hell, too...Stork Chocolate Reisen...Some asshole reminiscing about eating a piece of candy lik eits a pivotal developmental moment.

Here in the US, all fast food chains have commercials that are mostly geared towards black people, and usually in a pretty patronizing way. I would be annoyed if I were black that everyone thinks they need to rap and dance for me to understand and like their product. In fact, it annoys me anyway to have to hear it.

 

[Black Dragon]

Yay, I can vent about this:

Ok there is this car commercial, I don't remember what company but it gets frequent play. Its starts out with this STUPID CUNT HUMMING AND IT SOUNDS LIKE SHIT AND IS ANNOYING AS FUCK.

Ok, thats all.

 

[Narg]

But if you boycott all stupid adverts you'd buy nothing but beer

Mobile Phone and car adverts are the worst

 

[xenophobe]

Personally, it's all the stupid commercials with scanitly clad orgasm faking women selling shampoo or body sprays or seeing sexy pool playing girls give you seductive looks because of what beer you might be posing with, or whatnot, is what I DON'T mind seeing. Animals flying around getting squashed, begging for beggin strips, or just acting generally stupid ARE the commercials worth watching, because they at least provide SOME kind of entertainment while waiting for your (free) favorite program to return...

Like I need to see some lady doing her wash and saying "Wow, it smells spring fresh" or seeing some kid spilling chocolate on a brand new white carpet "the quilted picker upper"... or see how the latest mop technology will help imrove my cleaning behind toilets will make my life better

Sure, it's part of society. IT doesn't mean I have to agree with it or like it, but it does pay the mulitimillion dollar salaries of my favorite sitcom entertainers, without whom, I would just find something better to do with my time.

 

[Voice of God]

So who are you going to boycott?

Ads. I don't listen to radio, I don't watch tv, I skip them on papers and I don't allow pop-ups on web. Only kind of advertising I have to see unwillingly are billboards and web/adware-banners. (and I'm so used to webbanners, that I ignore them almost automatically) Both of them are pretty mild forms of advertising, so they don't bother me.

Being massmedia-free is easy nowadays that there's nothing but crap coming out of them. I haven't watched tv in three months and only thing I'm missing is Conan O'Brien.

Edit: I have to add that yes, I do realize those I mentioned aren't the only forms of advertising, but they're the main part of it as far as I know. And what comes to boycotting the actual products... I boycott 90% of everything, because I'm always broke.

 

[Black Dragon]

Geico commercials can get annoying after awhile.

 

[Profanity]

true