Tuesday, May 13, 2008

I'm Blue, Bear With Me . . .

Certain subjects are off-limits here. So it is against my better judgment that I draw your attention to the most un-believable ad I have seen in a long time. I don't mean unbelievable as in good, amazing or weird, I mean unbelievable, as in -- it's not believable.

Have you seen it?

Four or five men between the ages of 40 and 50, all country-music musicians, are sitting in a circle jammin' on their guitars as friends do. One of them, obviously the leader, starts singing about Viagara. He just starts playing the guitar and singing, like he was Waylon Jennings and the other guys join right in and start jammin' along with him. About Viagara. They are not being sarcastic, they are not joking, they are jammin' about a medicine for men and they are being serious.
This ad is stupid for many reasons, including:

1. There is a better chance of snow flurries in hell than a scene like this ever happening.

2. No self respecting man talks about Viagara with anyone except, and this only under duress, his doctor.

3. If he is drunk he might talk about it with a very close friend.


4. Never, ever, ever would he talk about it with more than one guy present. Ever.
Why? The two guys listening will turn and look at each other, start laughing, and turn the occasion into a barrage of ruthless fun-making. Immature? Maybe, but accuse a couple of laughing guys of immaturity and they will only laugh more. We can't help it. Our maturity governor stops at age 15.

Why does Viagara's manufacturer think this is a good commercial? Are they appealing to men? Impossible. Woman? Why? I don't get it.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're talking about Viagra when you typically would not have ever mentioned it...seems like the ads are doing exactly what they are designed to do, draw attention to a certain product.

Francis Shivone said...

You are right -- stupid ads get people talking -- maybe that is the point.

Anonymous said...

It's like that ad selling something I don't remember what, but it starts with "the generation that said it wouldn't grow old, didn't" and ends with some fit, gray-haired hipster with a surfboard shooting the peace sign and saying "never trust anyone over 90".

Singing in a band with your buddies, surfing, sex... it's the never-ending 60s, and we'll never die. Though we will buy what these incredibly hip slick and cool guys are selling, just as we have for 50 -60 years.

Being part of a demographic bulge is so tiresome. :-(

Francis Shivone said...

Rambler -- I couldn't agree with you more. The lean, perfectly coiffed 50 - 60 year old men are always with a 35 - 45 year old woman. It's the same ad, different product, and as you say, it is tiresome. Another annoying one to me is the drug commercial for guys who have to go to the mens room too often. They are out riding bicycles and the guys are stopping too often.