 Hugh is at it again. Okay, not really, since I think this design came out before the last one I put up, so I guess technically Hugh hasn't stopped being at it for quite some time. Nonetheless, Hugh and the state of being "at it" have been closely intertwined for a good long while now. What do I like about this design?
As Seth Godin points out over on his blog, it is more than just advertising that would make people hit you in the face. I'm not sold on how extensively Seth applies this motto, but I do believe that advertising and marketing are big-time offenders. TV adverts that shout at you, direct mail that taunt you, radio spots that assume you are truly and deeply mentally incompetent... It is the one-way communication that is really guilty of the "punch in the face" attitude.
Seth's point is a bit off the mark for me. Yes, people are rude when there is a perceived barrier between themselves and the object of their ire, but this isn't why advertisers are rude. It seems to me that adverts are rude because they want them to be, not because they feel protected in some way. People make 'em rude and more rude and ruderest because they want to be the "it" company. The company that is in your face. The company that zigs... and zigs bigger and louder than all the other companies are zigging. The whole idea that I get irate when someone cuts me off in my car (behind my shatter-proof glass), but only grumble when someone cuts in front of me in a grocery store is interesting and valid, but not in my mind strongly related to Hugh's point. My thoughts? Shock-and-awe advertising is worth very little today. It takes a huge amount of effort and risk to get noticed in this way, it alienates your targets, and it is easy to be out-done by the next guy who is willng to go further than you are. Let's put this in branding terms. Is your company really founded on the principle that yelling at people is a key ingredient to success? The military can get away with it because once you sign up they own you. The rest of us tend to be smart enough not to sign that renewal form if we're treated badly. ...and Lord knows that when those screaming people come on the TV trying to sell us cars or free money from the government we all turn down the tube before they can mention the product. Aside - You know your advertising method has jumped-the-shark when the medium you use to advertise actively moves to inhibit you. See also Smart Volume TV, pop-up blockers, commercial skipping, spam filters, and the ability to block calls from blocked phone numbers. The only reason companies are being intentionally rude in their advertising is because they believe it will work, not because they're too lazy to be polite. Let's show 'em that they're wrong. Ignore the impulse to rage back. And vote with your dollars. Tate Linden Principal Consultant Stokefire Consulting Group 703-778-9925 |
