This Doesn’t Make “Scents”

I was watching tv the other day and a commercial came on. I usually don’t watch commercials because I can just fast forward through them, but this one caught my attention. A pretty young woman was in a room and this blissful and light music started playing. All of these shiny and shimmery lights were dancing around the screen and she followed them up some stairs and into a bedroom. It gave off a very happy and romantic vibe, and was very reminiscent of a perfume commercial. (which I think was their goal) She found her self faced with a big bottle of what looked like perfume until it spun around and presented her with the words “Cervical Cancer”. And then a woman’s voice started talking and said “Maybe it’s unfair to get your attention this way, but nothing’s fair about cervical cancer….” And then she went on and spat some facts about it.

To me, this commercial was in very bad taste. Cancer isn’t something you can make light of. It is a serious issue and to get people’s attention about it like that isn’t right. I thought it was kind of disturbing but I guess they got the point across.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HumoHUC8yQ

“Daddy Like”

After taking a few communications classes at SMC I now find myself noticing things I usually would not have ever paid attention to. For example, the other day I was driving down Wilshire and one billboard in particular caught my attention. It was a huge one, lit up with bright lights. On it a mini van was pictured and the words “Daddy Like” were displayed huge and bold. Nothing else was written or pictured. I began thinking about the target audience. Usually mini vans are ”soccer mom vans” and aren’t portrayed as glamorous. Usually the commercials or adds are geared towards woman since they are the main people who drive them. This billboard though took a new approach. By stating “Daddy Like” it is giving the impression that this mini van is more attractive, or acceptable to women or men. I just thought it was funny that they would target men for a car that is so much made out to be a womans’ vehicle. I have also seen a few commercials where mini van companies are targeting children as well. They focused mainly on the tv and back seat room so the kids would enjoy it more.