Commercials- Say it loud, say it clear
Posted January 24, 2011
"I want to feel like the new mop they are advertising on the screen really can make my floors sparkle as well as the ones on TV..."
Give me a salty bowl of popcorn, a hair raising scary movie or intriguing crime scene investigation drama on television and I am all in. I enjoy watching television to wind down from the day therefore I see my fair share of commercials. If there is an opening for a commercial critique somewhere please point me in that direction. Being in marketing, I can’t help but analyze 
every aspect of a commercial as if it were a contender for an Oscar nomination. Any commercial with bad actors, poor sound, business owners’ kids or pets gets a big thumbs down from me.
Graphic design plays a significant role in marketing in both print and digital media. In commercials it helps create subliminal undertones of continuity by matching colors, themes, or the correct placement of elements within the viewing area to create balance and consistency in branding without the viewer realizing it. Video graphics are eye candy that you can’t help but watch as they move across the screen. The marketing industry knows watching something that moves keeps your attention longer than a stationary object. You can test this theory by watching any of the latest pop music videos. The camera doesn’t focus on one point over a couple of seconds before moving onto a different scene, different lighting or the artist in a different outfit or scenario.
Not only do commercials need to keep your attention but they need to be somewhat believable. If they pull you into the scene like a good action thriller then I believe you are more open to the message because it feels credible. I want to feel like the new mop they are advertising on the screen really can make my floors sparkle as well as the ones on TV even though deep down I know it is all lights and magic on a set somewhere and the producer is doing his best to sell me on the product. If he does a good enough job I might go buy one and give it a try. However, if I can see through the façade of a poorly written script and business owners who think they are actors in search of their 15 minutes of local fame then I am not as open to purchasing their product or service. I have to be convinced before I let go of my hard earned consumer dollar.
Imagine you are watching a B rated western movie. Ok, so the dialogue and plot leave a lot to be desired but you can buy into the horses, dusty plateaus and cowboy hats. Now imagine that you are viewing the cattle drive set in the late 1800’s as they face the 
treacherous perils of the open trail. You are in to it, right? But wait, off in the distance just above the horizon you catch a glimpse of a semi tractor trailer barreling down the road on its way to deliver a load to some big box store in the city. Not so believable anymore is it. Everything has to work together seamlessly to sell. Script, wardrobe, talent and design are all equal parts of a well produced commercial.
If you choose to take the marketing leap into television land then keep these things in mind and hire professionals to conceptualize and produce the few seconds of air time you have to create trust and credibility in the eyes of the consumer. Big money commercials are not immune to my suggested criteria. Too many times I have watched a high budget commercial only for my husband and I to turn to one another and say that we don’t get it. That is a shame and a waste of good marketing dollars. Take the time to think it through from not only your point of view but from the point of view of the consumer. You may know your product or service inside out but the consumer doesn’t. Spell it out for them in plain English. You can still be creative in the way you deliver the message but make sure it stays true to your corporate branding and flows properly.
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