Let me start this week's blog with a YouTube video:
Did you enjoyed the video? :) Well, it never fails to humor me personally and it is actually one of my favorite foreign commercials. In this week's post, I decided to write on this intriguing form of communication which is present almost everywhere in our daily lives.
From surfing the internet to watching television, we are constantly bombarded by commercials and product advertising by many different companies. Unable to reach out to each of us personally, these companies resort to commercials in order to persuade us to purchase or consume their products. It really is amazing how effective and creative some commercials can be in promoting a certain product to us consumers. Here is an example of a creative Thai commercial:
Besides that, it is intriguing that there can be several different versions of commercials for the same product in different countries. The product is the same but the way it is advertised is totally different. Take for example this Bridgestone tire commercial:
I am sure that this commercial which contains certain scenes involving the dogs would not be allowed in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. This brings us back to the issue of intercultural differences where a commercial can be accepted in certain countries but not in others. These are just my two cents worth regarding this topic and I can't wait to hear what you all have to say. :) Signing off with another great and funny commercial:
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Thanks for this very entertaining post! You provide a good range of videos for discussion and our consideration (and amusement!). Like you explain, commercials are very creative, and apparently, effective in convincing an audience to buy a product. I've always wondered about that though: how can the vendor be SO sure that the impact of a commercial is the one expected? I guess that the assumption is that brand exposure, no matter what the nature of the exposure, is what is important, as long as there is entertainment value. So even a scripted canine suicide attempt has impact.
ReplyDeleteFunny...but crazy!
Hi Wee Siong! :)
ReplyDeleteI've watched the first two before and yes, the Berlitz Language Centre commercial also ranks as one of my all-time favourite foreign commercials! XD
This post certainly touches on a particular aspect of communication which can be found virtually everywhere we turn to. I agree that commercials are an excellent means of sending out a message to a very large group of people instantaneously and simultaneously.
These 4 commercials may be in different languages, but I noticed that they share one thing in common: the use of humour. Especially in gloomy economic times like these, I think people would especially welcome things which bring a smile to their faces. In fact, I believe appealing to one's sense of humour is a very effective means by which you can grab an individual's attention. Once the commercial has captured this, it can then carry out its primary objective of disseminating its message to the public.
But yes, even advertising has its limits. It has to respect intercultural boundaries or risk public outrage/outcry. Likewise, I also doubt that the Bridgestone tire commercial would be screened on local television due to its suicidal connotations.
Nevertheless, the power of advertising should never be underestimated. Companies pour millions of dollars into this, in the hope of reaping many more millions of profits. But, as always, it is always important to exercise caution and take care not to offend any groups of individuals in the making of the commercials.
Mark ^^
Hey Wee Siong,
ReplyDeleteHaha, thank you for such an entertaining post. Yes, even with much cultural understanding, sometimes we still like to poke fun at people of other countries or other races.
Adverstisements are indeed a form of communication. Companies use such communication in the hope of gaining a loyal customre base, or sometimes just to pique the interest of the consumers. I would say that humor is one of the most effective tools, but can be a double edged sword if it pokes fun at a particular group of people. Such advertisements have to be careful not to turn tongue-in-cheek amusement into malicious discrimination.
Thanks for the great post, and bringing a smile to me while reading the post!
-Daniel-
Dear Wee Siong,
ReplyDeleteVery entertaining post. It is very true as to how commercials can convey their message across so effectively. Have you ever seen the Rolo chocolate commercial? Or the famous Pepsi Vs Coke commercials? Thanks for sharing this post and the commercials with us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuJ700_V7eI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMo6o0BtFG8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAP2yVsgI6c&NR=1
Dear all,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments so far. Appreciate it!
@Brad: I don't think that any vendor can be 100% sure that their commercial would have the expected impact. I think that the vendors just hope that people will remember their commercial (and hopefully their promoted brand). One way of sticking a commercial into someone's brain is by using humor, I guess. You definitely got it right when you said, "Funny...but crazy!" :)
@Mark: I do agree with you that one should not belittle the power of advertising. You are also right that companies need to be careful with their commercials. They certainly do not want public backlash over their commercial. Thanks :)
@Daniel: I am glad that you liked this post. You have the same point with Mark that companies need to be careful whenever making a commercial. I guess the responsibility lies with the Marketing head of each company. :)
@Dinidu: Haha. The commercials you posted are very funny too. Glad that you enjoyed reading my post and thanks for the additional videos. :)
Hey Wee Siong,
ReplyDeleteThis post is simply hilarious!! These are a few examples of commercials that are obviously impactful enough for people to take time to upload it to youtube to share it with others. I agree that commercials can have an unpredictable impact on the audience. For example, when I was watching the commercial with the dogs, I actaully felt sad!! I know it isn't real and the dog didn't really want to commit suicide, but I honestly felt sad! Not that I foresee myself buying tyres in my life, but if I had a need to, I'd think twice about buying this particular brand! Just because of the fact that the dog could potentially be hurt or something like that!
snll
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteSorry for the very late reply to your comment but as people say, "better late than never", right? :)
I am glad you like the post and the videos in it. As you and the others mentioned in your comments, the impact the commercials have on the audience can be very unpredictable and may vary from place to place. So, companies must be very careful when advertising as they certainly do not want to offend the people they are trying to sell their product to.
ws