Copywriting Hiccup!

I find it so interesting when you happen to notice something in a commercial that strikes you as being somewhat off-kilter, then you see the same commercial a couple of weeks later and the perceived problem has been fixed.
A current example: a few weeks ago, I was watching television with my boyfriend and we saw the new commercial in Bud Light's "I'm In" campaign. There's a scene that shows the main character texting to his friend and on his screen he clearly types out: "Two words: I'm in." My boyfriend is studying his Masters in English Literature so he clearly had a few issues with this statement. This set off us on a little discussion about how "I'm in" is actually three words because "I'm" is a contraction. I proposed that they probably opted to say "two words" instead of "three words" because given their target audience, writing "three" would probably confuse people more than "two."
Now skip ahead to last week, when I happened upon the same commercial, except this time, instead of typing "Two words: I'm in," the commercial was edited to only say "I'm in," clearly abandoning the "two words" part.
I suppose the little detail caused enough outrage from the public resulting in enough complaints that it made sense for them to channel the funds into having the commercial edited. They always say that for each person who actually files a formal complaint, there are at least 25 people who are thinking it.

Sexism Still Rampant in Present-Day Advertising

I must say that I am always a bit shocked and dismayed when I see examples blatant sexism in current advertising. Yesterday I saw this 30-second spot for the 2012 VW Passat. The ad features a woman and her husband driving to the emergency room. The woman is going into labour and is in obvious distress and discomfort. Upon arriving at the emergency room, her husband and the paramedic ignore the woman's pleas and instead, take their time to marvel at the apparent magnificence of the 2012 Passat. At one point, the man even shuts the door to muffle his wife's cries.
I find this ad to be absolutely disgusting. It's meant to be funny, but it's hard to imagine that any woman would laugh at this. Having a baby is one of the most intense, painful and life altering experiences for a woman. This advertisement diminishes the significance of childbirth and shows little regard for the comfort or feelings of women. I personally expect a much higher caliber of advertising from Volkswagen, who are known for their impressive, innovative creative. It's hard to believe that this idea ever made it off of the drawing board.

Self-Aware Ad Copy That Works

I should think it appropriate to kick off this blog with an example of what I feel is effective advertising copy. The particular commercial that I am referring to in this instance is Leo Burnett's new television ad for Ikea Canada from the Long Live The Home campaign (click here to view the 60-second spot).

   First, we should take notice of the abrupt departure that this ad takes from Ikea's established advertising style. In the past, Ikea has been known for its commercials that are quirky and funny. This ad is far from that. Instead, the Long Live The Home campaign redefines the term "emotional appeal." From the loyal family pet to the teenage heart break, as viewers, we are inundated with copy and images that are emotionally charged. The ad is absolutely brimming with gratuitous, saccharine descriptions of the significance of home. Long Live The Home doesn't tug at your heart strings – it's too nice for that. Instead it embraces your heart strings because it's just that nice.
   The funny thing is that as an advertising student, I feel as though I could literally reproduce the creative brief that Leo Burnett worked from to make this ad. The idea itself is really not that groundbreaking. However, the execution is immaculate. The copy is simple, but so effective. As viewers, we are fully aware that we are being served a huge portion of sticky, sweet sap, but somehow, it is so heartwarming that we don't even care. In some instances, when poorly executed, emotional appeals in advertising can backfire in a big way. If the audience is aware that their emotions are being exploited in a cheap try for their pocket books, they will dismiss the commercial altogether. But in this case, it is so well done that while self-aware, the audience still takes the bait. It's simple, it's sappy and it works.