Thread: TV ads that insult your intelligence

Every Romney ad I ever saw...

They don't do the ads to waste money. They have focus groups and hire psychologists and know how to pander to a certain population. The fact is a certain population of folks aren't the brightest bulbs in the pack and will respond to these things. Besides, it's that old saying tell a small lie and people won't believe it, tell a big one and they will. I think it was Mr Hitler who said it.

In modern times if you lie and it's backed by big money and repeated enough it becomes the truth and then people are invested in it and even when shown the truth folks will balk and still accept the lie.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

They don't do the ads to waste money. They have focus groups and hire psychologists and know how to pander to a certain population. The fact is a certain population of folks aren't the brightest bulbs in the pack and will respond to these things. Besides, it's that old saying tell a small lie and people won't believe it, tell a big one and they will. I think it was Mr Hitler who said it.

In modern times if you lie and it's backed by big money and repeated enough it becomes the truth and then people are invested in it and even when shown the truth folks will balk and still accept the lie.

I really like the ads telling me I can save 6 grand on a new car today, by spending 19 grand on a new car today...
I also like coupons for perishible items buy 4, get one free. Knowing full well I'll have to eat all five today if I'm gonna enjoy the "savings".
Then there's my friendly neighborhood grocery store which prints every price tag with the header Price Cut!!, regardless of the current price, the previous price, or the price it will be tomorrow. 50 cents for M&M's in June..
PRICE CUT!! $1.50 in August. lol.
My examples aren't nearly as weighty as the issues you guys are talking about, but hey...foods the most important thing I got going.

Just about every ad insults my intelligence and we got too many of them on TV. Plus, the channels are allowed to make the commercials louder than regular programming so you have to babysit them with the remote so you don't generate noise that'll bother your neighbors or wake up somebody in the house. That is why I cut the cord. No more commercials for me

To expand on the previous post.. We have a chain called Crappy Tire or China Tire.. They used to mark big sales with yellow price tags on the shelves until they conditioned the regulars. Now, many regular-priced items are tagged with yellow tags.

P.S. What's the deal with Christmas music in August?

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

P.S. What's the deal with Christmas music in August?

Some people just have a death wish. That junk is acceptable from December 10-25th and then it needs to cease.

The only commercials that really annoy me are the ones that paint men as incompetent, bumbling dads/husbands/caretakers.

Originally Posted by bharner

Some people just have a death wish. That junk is acceptable from December 10-25th and then it needs to cease.

I'd say a week before, a week after and that's it. Also all that Christmas music and then saying "Happy Holidays". Eff you and your 'holidays'! It's Christmas! Call it for what it is! If you wanna cover additional ethnic groups, wish them theirs as well at the appropriate time! Rant over

There's on on Australian TV at the moment I'm currently ranting at. A young fit housewife, arms full of grocery bags, little kids in tow, walks into her kitchen whilst talking on her phone. She's enquire about life insurance. The guy asks her if she's a smoker (she smugly replies she's not) gives her age, etc. The guy on the line asks her how much money she wants to insure herself for, she replies 'Oh, well blah blah blah, 250 grand sounds about right' or words to that effect. And hangs up. The ad is advertising how easy it is to get life insurance. So this lady has come back from grocery shopping, and while walking from the car to the house she's decided to ring the insurance company on a whim. She plucks a figure out of the air and hangs up and the whole deal takes maybe 20 seconds.

I'm sort of thinking I'd have put the bags down first...

I'm not sure I'm smart enough to have my intelligence insulted. If it has happened, I'm pretty sure I missed it.