05.08.06

Bad Ads, #1

Tagged as Advertising, Humor

Advertising fascinates me. I like to think I’m not unduly influenced by advertisers’ claims, but as a medium, as a subject of study, I’m simultaneously drawn to and repulsed by it. Although I own a TiVo and normally fast forward through the ads when I watch TV, every once in a while I leave the remote alone and watch a commercial break or two, just to see what’s what in the advertising world these days. And what I love most are the really, really bad ads.

You know the ones I’m talking about: the ones that disgust you, confuse you, just plain don’t make sense within the context of a sales pitch. They don’t just fail to make a convincing case—often they do the exact opposite. They put bad associations in your mind. They make you want to use someone else’s product out of spite.

Here’s the latest example I’ve seen:

The Setup: We’re in a doctor’s waiting room—“Dr. Ray’s office,” according to the receptionist’s voice from off-screen. A woman glances furtively at a much bustier woman beside her. Then we’re inside an examination room, where Dr. Ray himself is speaking to the camera. He takes some measurements, expresses some surprise at how small our breasts are, and says that while there’s nothing wrong that, he thinks we might be happier with bigger—or much bigger—breasts. The perspective changes, and we see that he’s talking to a chicken.

The Pitch: “Naturally larger chicken breasts, on the Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich. New at Carl’s Jr.”

My Comments: Am I the only one who gets a mental image of chomping down on a mouthful of silicone? Is this at all appetizing to anyone? Did they consult any women about this ad? I can’t imagine this is a happy association—major cosmetic surgery and fried chicken sandwiches—for most of them. I can only assume that, like the restaurant’s previous ad campaign (“If it doesn’t get all over the place, it doesn’t belong in your face”), this one’s targeted mostly toward the stereotypical young, middle-American male. I guess it worked for Hooters.

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