AdJack: News/Blog: Ad Valorem, Ad Nauseam? Which Is It?

AdJack News/Blog

Ad Valorem, Ad Nauseam? Which Is It?

Share this post Apr 25, 2008 | Comments (3)

Why is it some folks say they hate ads? Last night at a big feed I was engaged in conversation with several strangers at my table. When the inevitable question of what I do came up, and I answered I write a blog about commercials, everyone at the table immediately tuned in, and they all had a story about a favorite ad.

One guy described a car ad someone sent him that makes him laugh every time he thinks about it. Another described an ad for a gymnasium that graphically suggests a woman could develop vice-like glutes. Just the scenario made the whole table burst into laughter.

Could it be that the same folks who don’t like ads don’t like jokes either?

Not that all great ads are based on jokes. “Failure”:/ad/failure, a Nike ad starring Michael Jordan, is a 30-second inspirational speech, a subtle pep talk, and a comforting reminder that even Jordan is human. I enjoy the technical whiz-bang of “Serena”:/ad/serena and “Popular Year for Gold”:popular-year-for-gold, HP’s ads that feature Serena Williams and Shaun White. You get a cleverly produced glimpse beyond the headlines into who these celebs are, and they seem pretty cool.

Let’s talk about dumb ads. Like everything else, one person’s dumb is another’s brilliant. Send me an email at “Jack@adjack.tv”:mailto:jack@adjack.tv and tell me which you think is which. Or just post your comments here.

I gotta go.

Share this post Comments (3)

Comments

Link to comment Posted by: Jack, One Smart Ass on May 7, 2008 3:59 PM

Yea! Signs of intelligent life out there! Hello glasswings and trackermo. Thanks for weighing in on what's dumb--and effective--in advertising. I'm thinking this week on just what is a dumb ad, so stand by...
Link to comment Posted by: glasswings on May 4, 2008 12:56 PM

What exactly is a dumb ad? Is it the ad that makes you groan, look to your left at your best friend and say Oh, that was stupid...and then somewhere in the back of your mind it lingers. You are out later in the day, walking the aisles at your local grocery store and lo and behold-there it is. That product that is part of that really, really dumb commerical you sat through recently. In the cart it goes. So, define "dumb". It worked on me. Isn't that the whole idea. Keep the ads coming Jack! glasswings
Link to comment Posted by: trackermo on May 2, 2008 4:59 PM

People have long had a love/hate relationship with Ads... it's just a fact: we're stuck with them, but some are worth it. I know I have favorite ads and when they come on I will stop what I'm doing to watch them. (Right now, I love the "Thriller" ad that's currently playing-- it's just so fun to watch those lizards doing the 'monster' to Michael Jackson's Thriller. It's even better than the original video!) I'm not that thrilled with the Serena ad, nor the whole series... they're okay. I guess they've just never done anyone who interests me-- yet. That would make a difference. As for dumb ads... hmmm. Let me think about that one.