Message Appeal

Nowadays companies take different approaches in reaching their audiences through the content of their commercials. What works? What doesn't? Here are a few examples that I personally like or don't like based on their message appeal.

I absolutely love the new Volkswagen commercials with Brooke Shields. It's a good example of how humor and celebrities can be used in a positive fashion. I love how Brooke tries to be all serious in telling the audience that these women are getting pregnant just for German engineering. It is a funny and innovative way for a car company to sell cars when most of the other commercials focus on the serious facts about why their car is so much better or what they are doing to save the planet.

Another set of commercials I like are the new Burger King commercial. For the longest time Burger King has been the underdog to fast food burgers but I love the approach they are taking to advertising their recent menu changes over McDonald's serious, "we're finding ways to make you think our fast food is healthy even though we know it isn't" commercials. They use humor in a great way that keeps your attention while also getting the message across. For example, the commercial with the King reverse pickpocketing people. By the end you are entertained and know that Burger King is saving you money. And even though the newest commercial about the Mushroom 'n Swiss burger is a little out there, you can't help but be intrigued (even though you're asking yourself "what the hell are you watching" during the whole commercial) and watch the entire thing then see the burger and want to go get one.

I think the new truth ads about tobacco truth and safety are ridiculous and annoying. They are trying to get a valid point across using a commercials that turns into a musical halfway through leaving me with a "what just happened to my tv" look on my face by the end. I'm left asking myself why they even made a commercial like this that I'm actually overlooking the message they tried to convey about how a tobacco executive said that "maybe some men would beat their wife if they didn't smoke." This is an example about how humor shouldn't be used in a commercial. It isn't appropriate, it distracts the viewer from the real message they are trying to send out, and doesn't give any credibility to the source what so ever.

Another ad that doesn't work for me is the new Axe chocolate commercial. I find this commercial extremely offensive and I think it used sex appeal in the wrong way. After watching this commercial, I am once again left with the "what the hell" look on my face. It shows a man turning into a human chocolate bar after spraying on the new chocolate body spray. At the beginning the commercial seems like it could have potential but it's the way the women act in the commercial that disgusts me. It shows a woman dipping a strawberry into his melted stomach, a woman biting a chunk of chocolate off his butt, and two women groping on him and licking his face off in the movies. I just find the sex appeal to be very crude and uncalled for.