Published: June 07, 2009 11:12 pm      

Advertising considered the bane of living

In really olden times, there were two major advertising programs and catalogues. One came from Sears & Roebuck and the other from Montgomery Ward. Prices were fixed and buyers could comparison shop for nearly a year.

Things have changed, not always for the better, and the message remains. Stripped of rhetoric and superlatives (in living color, no less), the object of advertising is to separate you from your money. Need seldom enters in and want rules supreme.

The unrelenting attack on your visual and auditory senses is totally non-stop. Estimates I can not substantiate suggest the average person (an obvious fiction) is exposed and subjected to possibly 3,000 ads per day.

Some TV ads are truly entertaining; perhaps more than the original show. The commercials sell the paying client first, consumer second. Paying customers are the measure of success.

One commercial raises more questions than it answers but it must be effective. This ad shows two adults in matching bathtubs on a beach, holding hands and watching a sunset. Consider the rest of the story.

When was the last time you saw one or two bathtubs on a beach? Do you wonder how the tubs were filled with water, or drained? The absence of clothing and towels indicates a long stroll back to the house.

Moving right along, we can vision the picture unfolding. This reality overlooks a number of elements. You diagnose your problem.

You pay for a visit to the physician. The doctor will probably issue a prescription. You pay for the pills. Insurance companies may or may not help with co-pay.

It is noted that true medical ads are factual. Just try using bifocals when trying to read the fine print. The message is a constant. It may or may not address your apparent condition. Chemical cocktails in each dose of medicine must be powerful just on the basis of weight.

A list of side-effects may not list all known potential problems. If it does not work, consult your doctor again until you find something that works. Keep paying.

Automobile ads on the tube or in the mail? Their fine print is tiny. For the real story, call or visit your friendly auto dealer. Literally, if it is a good deal, any good sales representative will work with you. If it is not that good, he will tell you and both of you can move to better things.

The statements about gas mileage have been defined, somewhat tested, and approved by the federal government and the manufacturer. The disclaimer takes away all suggested implications when it states “your actual mileage may be somewhat different.”

Once on a rainy day, I decided to exercise my exposure to some few ads. Just for fun, I counted “full page” ads in a monthly magazine. My count, subject to minor human error, revealed 80 (almost 90) pages out of a total of 264.

While this was appalling to me, I considered counting the sheer number of ads (minimal size up to full page) that appear in Texas Monthly or Oprah-The Magazine. Rather quickly, I decided this would not be a fun activity.

Quite truthfully, commercials and ads deliver strong buying messages to prospective buyers. Without these communications, how else would you know what to buy?

The message is one costly element closely followed by the cost of delivering the message. The Internet is probably the cheapest method for reaching and annoying huge numbers of consumers.

Television has outlets big enough to support full-blown campaigns. Radio almost demands attention but can be readily turned off. The print media remains partially successfully as they compete with other venues.

Surely some wise guru will take time to re-examine the world of advertising. Consumers and potential customers are suffering from sensory overload. Vendor coupons are moving from the print media to the internet. In addition, most 30-minute TV shows include a full seven minutes of too many commercials.

I have “surfed” the AM radio dial looking for music and/or conversation.

After 10 minutes of hopping through the dial unsuccessfully. I switched to FM. That was more effective. It took only a few minutes to discover and isolate any number of stations offering golden oldies, classical music, Spanish speaking, and rap. Most were offering commercials.

I am not angry and do not carry a grudge. It is more important to have my own choices on a tape or CD. And no, I will not talk nor text on my cell-phone while driving.

All is not lost. The USPS continues to deliver ads targeted to specific markets. We have been on cruises and receive ads soliciting travelers.

We bank and every bank in the hemisphere wants us as a customer. Including insurance and other come-ons, we receive at least 30-40 pieces per week. Most are fed into the recycling maw.

If those organizations had to pay the same rates as you and I endure, I suspect the USPS deficit would disappear and the load of junk mail would almost disappear.

Please excuse me. This week’s column will be somewhat abbreviated. I have a commitment to write advertising copy for a paying client.





Grady Easley is retired from gainful employment and can be reached at page65@att.net