The consumers are watching

I get to write my blog entry right after the Super Bowl; one of the occasions when the advertising industry can either shine or come across as total morons.  There have been some stupendously horrible advertising blunders, which have been broadcast across the nation during past Super Bowl’s which makes you wonder "what were they thinking".  Click here to view this year’s Super Bowl ads.

Someone had to come up with this brilliant idea, pitch it internally at their Agency and then convince presumably savvy corporate executives that, for example, a talking baby would propel their brand to the next level.

I have always been very proactive when it comes to letting corporations know when I am either happy or displeased with their product.  Lately I saw an ad on TV for an auto insurance company.  It featured three women driving in an open top car and none of them were wearing seat belts, so I sent an e-mail to the company telling them that I thought this was poor advertising.  They responded, most don’t.  I can only presume that my e-mail was one of many but their ad now has a disclaimer saying that as it was an older car it only had lap belts and they were wearing them.

I also wrote to a Jeans company telling them that their ads, which they ran at Halloween about a store dummy following the buyer of the jeans home and even entering the house, was creepy…I suggested their tag line should be "buy our jeans and you too can get your own stalker"….they didn’t respond but I read on-line that the ad had been pulled because of complaints.

I have been told that I just didn’t understand what a particular ad was trying to tell me, well no kidding, doesn’t that mean that it’s a poor ad? Cute ads are great, funny and many of them are memorable, but how many do you see where you have no idea what they are trying to sell you.

Anyway, the most important time of the year is upon us…DAYTONA!!!!! NASCAR’s banner event is on February 18th, with February 10th being the Budweiser Shootout. This year marks the entry of Toyota into the Nextel Cup Race, the Car of Tomorrow, which will be featured in 17 races this season, and a change in the points system, in the race for the Chase.

This blogger is hoping for big things from Dale Ernhardt Jr. this year. He has been putting in some good fast practice sessions and doesn’t seem to be having any issues with his cars. So, good luck to the Number 8 Budweiser, Wrangler, Menards, Bass Pro Shops, Sherwin Williams, Sunoco, Sharpie, Freightliner, Kennametal, Chevy Monte Carlo.