Advertising Week: Is It Necessary?
Published September 20, 2005
On the flip side though, try to separate advertising icons and slogans from the products that they endorse. If you are able to, then you might be able to appreciate the sheer creative genius which has been illustrated in our American advertising explosion over the past forty years.
In terms of art forms, advertising is where many writers and artists have gone to flourish. Why bother writing a novel when you could write ads that net you an six figure salary? Why bother trying to be a sculptor or painter, when creating the new Coke can becomes the highlight of your portfolio? It makes perfect sense to me, even if I haven't been able to capitalize on this theory myself.
Additionally, the icons and slogans of ads all have an aesthetic value that has persevered over generations. While we may not know the person who created the Jolly Green Giant, or wrote the Cingular slogan, the creators themselves know--- and amongst creative people, such infamy is golden. To know your creation is everywhere, yet you will never suffer the backlashes of fame for it... priceless.
So, my conclusion is that while I do my best to not let advertising influence me when purchasing products, I still can appreciate the creative people that live behind the legendary icons and slogans. That is what, in my opinion, makes Advertising Week necessary.
P.S. I voted for the Kool Aid Man and "Time To Make The Donuts".
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Mark Sahm writes and sacrifices chickens so he might make six figures one day at Blogimus Prime. He also paints, takes photos, and makes self-depreciating podcasts.
Mark Sahm is a creative soul lurking around New York City. His various projects include: Somrod (art), Creative Psychosis (blog), and Magic Junk Radio (podcasts). His first novel, The Art of Getting Bent can be purchased at Amazon.com, or through his site. Despite all of this, Sahm will not save you any money on car insurance.
- Advertising Week: Is It Necessary?
- Published: September 20, 2005
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Culture
- Filed Under: Culture: Arts, Culture: Business and Economics, Culture: Society
- Part of a feature: Creative Psychosis
- Writer: Mark Sahm
- Mark Sahm's BC Writer page
- Mark Sahm's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
Re Comment 1:
Is it a joke? Or sarcasm? Or irony? Or satire?
Having just been trapped into listening to the same ads for erectile disfunction, fertility clinics, various overpriced & oversized gas guzzling cars, and other dweebs trying to out scream, outslither, & outcroon each other in their mission to separate me from my money, at the moment, I'm dead serious. This may change.
But how do those infringe on your right to privacy, Nancy? As long as you keep your radio on, you're inviting ads in.
Nancy, the question for you then is: have you purchased any of the products whose ads you loathe?
So far, no. I make it a point that anything being advertised is not a good product, therefore requires the extra "push" of advertising hype to try to con people into wasting their money on whatever it is being peddled. And why should I have to tolerate interminable ads invading my radio or TV space? Most of the time I DO turn it off rather than put up with it, but it's getting more & more invasive & intrusive, as you probably are well aware. I do NOT exist for their goddamned marketing, and I resent everything I do being 'tracked' by these vultures without my knowledge or consent, let alone that they peddle it around to everyone for profit, also without my knowledge or consent - and it's MY private, personal data!
I might - as soon as I can get that lousy damned jingle for Tiny Jewel Box out of my head *groan* worse than the Andy Griffith theme....
But that's a specific wing of the advertising industry, Nancy. It sounded to me like you were saying that the very principle of advertising itself is a violation of every individual's privacy. Which is not the same thing at all.
BTW: I voted for the Trix Rabbit and "Takes a Lickin' and keeps on tickin'."
What's a specific wing? I don't understand what part you're referring to. You mean the data collection?
I voted for the Bud Clydesdales, having met them several times 'in person' - & lovely advertising reps they are, too. Them I can stand. I have a lot of tolerance for the Keebler Elves, too, especially the John Wayne imitation. But man, I can't STAND those !@#!$%@ CAR ADS, and it doesn't matter if they're on radio or TV or what. What IS it about those idiots that they feel that someone talking in a fake voice & semi-hysterical Walter Winchell scream is going to move anybody to actually pick up & buy one of their pieces of junk? Talk about lame. Another jerky kind: the fake "talk show interview" with this doctor & patient or that, usually for some medical group or other. They speak in the hushed, halting, pretentious tones of the radio talk shows. Turkeys. There's a new type lately, that features a female voice with the nasal, high-pitched vocals & slightly sloppy enunciation of a typical high school or young college babe. Don't remember what she's selling, but the voice is very irritating. But the worst has got to the be the damned car dealers - NOW! GET IT NOW! HURRY! SALE ENDS NEXT MILLENIUM! Yuh, right. Get out of my life - NOW!
What a tough decision to make...I couldn't decide between Juan Valdez and the Seat Belt Dummies. Maybe I'll go back and vote for Juan tomorrow.
I voted for the Seat Belt Dummies. Does anyone remember the toy line that came out of those commercials? My brother had the car and the two dummys.
Anyway, I also voted for "when you care enough to send the very best"-Hallmark. That was a great slogan...totally made you feel guilty/cheap to send anything else! I'm sure it had a few people turning the card over to check if it was a Hallmark.
One of my all-time favorites has to be the "Marshmallowed Meatballs". The other is for Great White fax paper, with the guy standing there holding the fax dangling from the sheet of paper saying "Son, hide this...." On the radio, an ad I DO like is for a local volvo dealer, which involves the announcer doing a long series of very clever puns on one particular theme extolling the virtues of this particular dealer & the car. If I had the money to buy a volvo, & were in the market, I might even consider them. But not the idiots bellowing about "PARTY WITH THE BIG DOGS - ". I liked the Frank Perdue ads ... he looked so much like one of his own chickens. I loved a KalKan ad for cat food, which featured a tiny kitten popping around with a relatively large ping-pong ball, then cut to a lion galumphing with a beach ball - which it accidently ruptures, and the ad ends with the lion sniffing the ground & the flat beachball. Very clever.
Here's the final 2005 winners:
Icons--- Juan Valdez and the Geico Gecko.
Slogans--- "Imagination at work" (General Electric) and "When You Care Enough To Send The Very Best" (Hallmark)
Looks like S.Rod (comment #12) is a prophet. Or is accurately tapped into the American consciousness. :)
Heck yeah!! I'm glad I went back to vote for Juan! Do I get a prize for picking the winners??? ;)
Your prize is a 7-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico and the Cayman Islands!
Please note: You might have to pay for some of the trip. :)
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Advertising is a violation of every individual's right to privacy. All advertisers should flame in eternal hell with their own damned ads eternally & unrelentingly screaming at them.