Ad nauseam: as consumers, our purchasing behaviour is becoming ever more sophisticated and discerning, writes Ruth Prickett. So why do so many companies continue to risk alienating us with their intelligence-insulting television commercials?
| Author | Prickett, Ruth |
| Position | Opinion |
According to H L Mencken: "No one in this world has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people." Or, as P T Barnum paraphrased the same sentiment: "There is a sucker born every minute."
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If anyone doubts that this is as true now as it has ever been, I suggest that you switch off Newsnight and start watching more channels that have commercial breaks. If you haven't watched any for a while, I offer a health warning: some of the things that you'll see will shock you. They will display a level of stupidity, misinformation and poor taste that's likely to damage your sense of humour, positive attitude to world progress and faith in human nature. Worse still, some of these horror stories may be promoting your company's products.
I have no idea whether the standard of TV advertising has fallen or whether I used to be more tolerant of poor examples. I suspect that some have got less interesting as they try to work in many different languages and across national cultures, but I can't prove it. They are a hugely expensive way of communicating the merits of your brand to a vast number of people, yet too many firms seem to believe that the best way of doing this is to portray consumers as greedy, envious, constipated morons obsessed with cleaning products and miracle cures.
I find this surprising. Even if their assessment were correct, I would have thought it a more sensible policy for them to present a flattering view of their customers. Political correctness means that we are, quite rightly, becoming increasingly aware of the pitfalls of stereotyping people by ethnic origin, religion, sex or sexual orientation. But many advertisers seem to have no qualms about portraying women simpering over softer toilet paper; working themselves into near mania to prevent their loved ones from encountering any germs; admitting that their social life depends on the quality of the air freshener they use; or discussing their bowel problems with friends in the middle of a busy restaurant. In what way has our society progressed if women who can hold down demanding jobs, raise families and deal more than capably with their finances are still portrayed as going to pieces about the state of their chopping boards?
Similarly, these modern women--some of whom, I assume, earn their money as accountants, doctors, lawyers and scientists--are supposed to relate to someone waxing lyrical about how a beauty...
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