By this point, everyone has probably seen the newer Old Spice commercials. I absolutely love this commercial and chances are I am not the only one who will be focusing on this ad. With this ad, the person who is negated would be a) females, because this ad is not directed at them since the product is for men only and b) the men who already smell like this fancy man. This ad sets some pretty high and ridiculous standards. It kind of establishes that women want their man to be amazing and handsome and be able to turn tickets into diamonds. That isn't always the case. And with the tickets to diamonds that is never the case. These standards are ridiculous, but so is the commercial in general. These standards aren't really fair, but I don't see them necessarily as an ethical issue either.
I agree with the standards you are talking about because these commercials are pretty extreme. I think what makes them so funny is the ridiculousness of them. Obviously, tickets aren't going to turn into diamonds and those things have nothing to do how a man smells. These standards are unattainable so therefore they are unfair like you said. Also, I do not see any ethical issues with the commercial either.
ReplyDeleteThe standards being unattainable I think adds to the humor and desire of this ad, sort of like a rebuttal to an argument. It plays with the sterotype that these are all the things a woman wants along with a good smelling man, so use my body wash. I think that by appealing to our paradoxical culture with youtube and SNL, the ad makes a stronger point. In the end it is just saying "buy this it may not do all of these things but its great".
ReplyDeleteThis ad could also be largely appealing to females because they are in part of the consumers of male products, especially things used around the house such as toiletries. The humor in the ad by turning up the hyperbole can make the viewer curious of how the wash really smells. I know I was curious, so next time I was in walmart I picked up a bottle for my boyfriend. I do not know if it was because I remembered the ad's humor, or I self consciously wanted him to have all of the things the man had in the commercial :-)