It seems like every time you look up, someone is writing about the demise of TV as an advertising vehicle. I even posted about it yesterday. As did fellow blogger Colbert Low, making the excellent observation that you can’t lay all the blame at the doorstep of TiVo, RePlayTV, and DVRs. He claims that it is actually the ever-changing ways humans absorb information which is killing the effectiveness of TV advertising, with many arguing it’s because technology affords us a plethora of choices. To which I answer… Choices of what? I have satellite TV, which gets me about 500 channels, but there’s rarely anything worth watching. And that’s the programming! When it comes to the ads, it’s actually got worse over the last few years. Remember David Ogilvy’s immortal words… “The consumer isn’t stupid, she’s your wife!” Of course today’s agencies have no interest in your wife; they’re too busy going after 18-26 year old male Neanderthals with spots that feature semi naked chicks’ mud wrestling (Miller Lite.) So here’s a novel idea… Why not do advertising that is so ball-busting inspired and unique, people will watch it, talk about it, maybe even be influenced by it. And you know what? If it's that good, you can run it on TV, or an iPod, or the back of a bus. You just have to make sure it doesn’t suck like everything else out there!
Animal Planet... With the laugh tracks and idiot presenters? You must be joking!
Its definitely something that agencies are doing here in the UK. People like Wieden + Kennedy, TBWA, DDB and Euro RSCG have been producing some much more interesting ads recently.
Posted by: Rob Mortimer | January 9, 2006 12:55 PM | Permalink to Comment