MONEY

Three TV commercials that have people talking

By David Bohan
For The Tennessean

One of my first children's books told me to "see Spot run." I still like to "see spot run," but "spot" now is a video advertising spot

Today's commercial spots are powerful marketing tools that can intrigue or repel. They can make us laugh, make us cry, make us act or react. They can reinforce our beliefs, or they can change our minds.

It is interesting to observe the media world and read what people say about video advertising. I'm speaking of journalists who write about commercials' impact on popular culture, not industry insiders who critique commercials.

Let's consider three recent ones.

A recent Cadillac commercial got plenty of ink. The spot, titled "Poolside," featured actor Neal McDonough, someone advertising writer Barbara Lippert called "a brash, flame-haired guy without pity."

As the actor walks out of his ultra-modern goody-filled home to his Cadillac ELR hybrid, he delivers this line: "It's pretty simple. You work hard, you create your own luck and you've got to believe anything is possible. As for all the stuff? That's the upside of only taking two weeks off in August. N'est-ce pas?"

Reaction was swift. Writing for Advertising Age, Michael McCarthy said, "Fans on the political right see 'Poolside' as an unapologetic ode to American values. Critics on the political left see it as Ugly American chest-thumping at its worst."

Fox Business News contributor Jonathan Hoeing praised the spot as "a tremendous celebration of profit seeking, productivity and, yes, enjoyment of material goods."

The Huffington Post lamented that, "Cadillac made a commercial about the American dream and made it the American nightmare."

Another reaction came from a competitor — Ford.

Ford produced a send-up of the Cadillac spot, but it featured its less expensive hybrid and a real person, Pashon Murray, the founder of Detroit Dirt, a company that recycles waste into compost for use in urban gardens.

Ford didn't even buy any television time for its spot. It put the spot on YouTube and let social media spread its message.

Murray's closing lines painted a different picture: "It's pretty simple. You work hard, you believe anything is possible, and you try to make the world better. You try. As for helping the city grow good, green, healthy vegetables? That's the upside of giving a damn. N'est-ce pas?"

My second spot to examine takes a trip back to the 1980s.

You may remember Radio Shack's Super Bowl commercial featuring 1980s icons Mary Lou Retton, Hulk Hogan, Cliff from "Cheers" and a host of others stripping a store of electronics of their era. With that visual was some great advertising copy: "The '80s called. They want their store back."

Then, the spot cuts to a modern 21st-century store that showcases today's smartphones, tablets and other merchandise. The message is that Radio Shack has changed with the times.

My third example is from Taco Bell. It, too, uses an image from the 1980s to introduce breakfast service at Taco Bell.

An actor — who resembles Don Johnson from "Miami Vice" — pokes fun at the seemingly unchanged breakfast menu at McDonald's by singing, "I've been eating Egg McMuffins since 1984."

The spot's payoff is when the actor says he needs to "get with the times" and switches to a new Taco Bell product, a waffle taco.

"Nostalgia is a fun area to play with because it's relatable and brings back great memories, while also reminding us how quickly the world evolves," Taco Bell Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt told The New Yorker.

Taco Bell also followed Ford's parody approach by hiring real people named Ronald McDonald to praise its entry into the world of fast-food breakfast.

My message to advertisers is that they should consider the power of video to engage consumers and start conversations.

As Ford proved, you don't even have to buy any TV time to pack a punch with video.

David Bohan founded Bohan Advertising in 1990. He has worked in marketing and advertising since earning a degree at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 1970.