Add narration from a grizzled old guy like Sam Elliott or Donald Sutherland and you’ve got a deeply sincere commercial for a generic corporation that sells stuff. To consumers.
Slightly OT, but has anyone ever wondered why companies like McDonnell Douglas or Boeing advertise on TV? I mean it’s not like someone is sitting around in their jammies with their hands elbow deep into a tub of Cheetos going ‘Wow, I forgot I always wanted to buy an Airbus. That one looks nice.”
Why?
Axel
March 30, 2014 7:30 pm
That wasn’t really Sam Elliot, was it? Sure sounded like him
Administrator
Author
March 30, 2014 8:41 pm
“One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
Econman
March 31, 2014 3:35 am
I think that was a commercial for Bullshit.
Thinker
March 31, 2014 12:19 pm
HSF, there’s a difference between consumer advertising, corporate image advertising and business-to-business (B2B) advertising.
Consumer advertising sells products to people — laundry detergent, ice cream, fast food, cars. Most of the time, they incorporate messages intended to get people to associate the product with “belonging,” “security,” “happy” or some other desire that is deeply inherent in humans. Think of the McDonald’s “lovin’ it” campaign — all about being cool, sharing with friends. Cars like Subaru sell on security features, particularly to families with kids. And I swear I’ve seen at least 7 ads this morning, from Nutella to Trident and many others. “Happy” resonates best when times are tough — think about the “Happy Days are Here Again” from the WWII era.
B2B advertising is designed to sell products and services to purchasing agents within other companies. These ads usually incorporate messages like “winning,” “security” or even “hero.” You’ve probably seen ads for Xerox or FedEx or Intel or any company that sells primarily to other corporations that motivates them to buy based on protecting information, having more effective sales presentations, getting documents where they need to go faster, as well as saving the day by quickly resolving all the issues that come up at the office. All these tap into human traits about how they want to be seen as professionals, their career aspirations, even something that helps them rise above the doldrums of their boring lives to become superheroes for their companies.
Corporate image advertising is what you usually see for Boeing or ADM or McDonnell Douglas. These might reach some B2B buyers, but more often, they’re designed to reach investors and prospective employees. These ads are all about getting across brand image and vision messages — “making a better world,” “bringing good things to life,” “strength for America,” etc. They result in creating demand for the company’s stock, in distinguishing them from competitors, in making people perceive them as trustworthy companies.
.
The thing about advertising — or marketing in general, since it includes other disciplines — is that it’s all designed to help sell one product over another. To differentiate it. To increase demand. To build loyalty in a target customer base. Sometimes, just to raise awareness that it’s an option.
Which is worse, companies trying to sell their products and company the best way they can, or the people stupid enough to not understand the motivations behind it? Just think of “brands” like the Kardashians or Justin Bieber (sp?) or Lady Gaga or even the NY Yankees or the Democratic National Party… that’s all marketing, too, and there will be brain-dead idiots out there who buy into it and want to be just like them, to be part of their fan base, a member of that tribe. Because that’s how humans have always been.
Bernays would be proud!
Add narration from a grizzled old guy like Sam Elliott or Donald Sutherland and you’ve got a deeply sincere commercial for a generic corporation that sells stuff. To consumers.
Slightly OT, but has anyone ever wondered why companies like McDonnell Douglas or Boeing advertise on TV? I mean it’s not like someone is sitting around in their jammies with their hands elbow deep into a tub of Cheetos going ‘Wow, I forgot I always wanted to buy an Airbus. That one looks nice.”
Why?
That wasn’t really Sam Elliot, was it? Sure sounded like him
“One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
I think that was a commercial for Bullshit.
HSF, there’s a difference between consumer advertising, corporate image advertising and business-to-business (B2B) advertising.
Consumer advertising sells products to people — laundry detergent, ice cream, fast food, cars. Most of the time, they incorporate messages intended to get people to associate the product with “belonging,” “security,” “happy” or some other desire that is deeply inherent in humans. Think of the McDonald’s “lovin’ it” campaign — all about being cool, sharing with friends. Cars like Subaru sell on security features, particularly to families with kids. And I swear I’ve seen at least 7 ads this morning, from Nutella to Trident and many others. “Happy” resonates best when times are tough — think about the “Happy Days are Here Again” from the WWII era.
B2B advertising is designed to sell products and services to purchasing agents within other companies. These ads usually incorporate messages like “winning,” “security” or even “hero.” You’ve probably seen ads for Xerox or FedEx or Intel or any company that sells primarily to other corporations that motivates them to buy based on protecting information, having more effective sales presentations, getting documents where they need to go faster, as well as saving the day by quickly resolving all the issues that come up at the office. All these tap into human traits about how they want to be seen as professionals, their career aspirations, even something that helps them rise above the doldrums of their boring lives to become superheroes for their companies.
Corporate image advertising is what you usually see for Boeing or ADM or McDonnell Douglas. These might reach some B2B buyers, but more often, they’re designed to reach investors and prospective employees. These ads are all about getting across brand image and vision messages — “making a better world,” “bringing good things to life,” “strength for America,” etc. They result in creating demand for the company’s stock, in distinguishing them from competitors, in making people perceive them as trustworthy companies.
.
The thing about advertising — or marketing in general, since it includes other disciplines — is that it’s all designed to help sell one product over another. To differentiate it. To increase demand. To build loyalty in a target customer base. Sometimes, just to raise awareness that it’s an option.
Which is worse, companies trying to sell their products and company the best way they can, or the people stupid enough to not understand the motivations behind it? Just think of “brands” like the Kardashians or Justin Bieber (sp?) or Lady Gaga or even the NY Yankees or the Democratic National Party… that’s all marketing, too, and there will be brain-dead idiots out there who buy into it and want to be just like them, to be part of their fan base, a member of that tribe. Because that’s how humans have always been.