Truthful Advertisement

Are companies so desperate to get people’s attention that they inadvertently tell the truth in their TV commercials? Take the car ad that has a car buyer locking himself and the salesman in a minivan and gesturing wildly just to pretend to be negotiating forceful for fear that his wife may see what a pushover he really is. The ad wants us to think that the car is worth every penny of its listed price. But if we look carefully at it, it is really saying that only a dumb coward would pay the listed price for that car. If you want to be a bumbling fool, then by all means rush out to the lot and buy a minivan at whatever price they are asking. Or, consider the fast food ad wherein a man drives up to the takeout window with two kids to pick up a bucket of chicken. He dumps the chicken into a pot and says “and mom thinks daddy doesn’t cook.” It is cute and all but is it telling us that their customers are impotent idiots who can’t even lie convincingly? More telling is when you put them together and the conclusion is inevitably that if you believe their ads, you are nothing but an idiot! So finally, there is a hint of truth in advertisement, however hidden and untended. Maybe one day, they will tell us what crappy cars they make and we will still rush out trying to outbid each other for them. Now, that would truly be the brave new world!