Blog@GraceJunction

First, the caveat: advertisements (ads) are deceptive.

Now I know I didn’t let out a well-hidden secret as a favour. Rather everyone’s aware of it some or the other point of time. Yet, allow me to rest my case.

Recently I saw a television commercial (TVC) that went something like this:

“What if there was a button for everything?

A button for LOVE

A button for HOPE

A button to FIND YOURSELF

A button for COMPANY

A button for PERFECTION

What if there was a button to uncomplicate life?

Among a flurry of TVCs bombarding their products here, I thought, was a TVC that talked some sense. I mean, isn’t it love that we are looking for? Isn’t it hope that we are looking for? At least I do, and I know most of you would agree with me.

And just when I thought the ad had hit the bullseye, it blew up (or did it?). Here was a promo that talked about a button for all the necessary things in life. In fact, how easy life gets indeed when are things are under control, especially with a button. You would switch on a smiley or switch off loneliness.

For once, I was touched by the sheer thought of somebody issuing more public interest ads that highlighted such personal issues. But in seconds, I stood corrected.

The ad went on to talk about a new air-conditioner from Hitachi called ACE. Yeah, right, so much for the attention! So it was after all another product that was being pushed down the buying psyche of the viewer. Does it matter to the seller to have played with the emotions of the viewer, though? I don’t think so. As long as the product is registered in the mind of the viewer, the seller cares two hoots.

Gone are the days when the product was sold simply on the basis of what it could do or give. Not that here the a/c cannot cool us down but then is there any point in talking about love, hope, company, perfection, etc., when all you want to say is that this product cools you off?

I think there is.

The kind of lives that we live beyond Mach-3, it is imperative that we look to restore those core values in us. Even ‘self-actualisation’, which came at later stage in life, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, seems to have climbed a couple of stairs down. With our basic, social and security needs getting fulfilled in a jiffy, we tend to look within to fulfill the need of the person in us quite early instead of waiting to hit the retirement age.

Funny it is but while we may not be able to fulfil these needs and desires, these unfulfilled longings are used as bait by the sellers to attract our attention. Most of the time, they succeed (just like Hitachi almost did in my case).

Advertising gurus, Al Ries and Jack Trout, talked about positioning. They say that more than changing something with the product, it is about changing the mind and perception of the consumer. A product will only succeed when it is placed at the top of the mind of the consumer. Now since the time is such that it is issues like love, family, friends, loneliness, company, estrangement, belongingness, insecurity and hope that preoccupy our minds, the sellers have to take the same route. No wonder they ‘position’ their products accordingly.

So the next time you got exams, heartbreak or something like abandonment on your mind and find them on TV, just remember, there’s some premium pen, tissue paper or a gadget being sold to you and more often than not, it will not reach anywhere near what all it claims.

Lastly, the caveat: advertisements (ads) are deceptive!!

Tags: ads, advertisements, buttons, cavet emptor, deception, desires, hitachi ACE, longings, needs, positioning, self actualisation, TVC

This entry was posted on Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 10:50 am and is filed under Articles, Purpose of Life, Society, Thoughts, Vinay. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.