There is no doubt that Don Draper could sell ice cubes to eskimos. But could he compete with two guys who thought it would be “cool” to film themselves doing crazy things with Diet Coke and Mentos? The ad world has changed considerably since the 1960’s, but it can be debated whether for good or not. The appeal of the Super Bowl ads is to see creative, funny, memorable ads. Much of what goes viral is just plain stupid. But the numbers go up and that’s all that matters to sales. Even those outside the industry can remember such classic ads for Apple, FedEx, Coke and Wendy’s to name a few. And though many complain about the amount of advertising, we are effected and amused by them. If today is considered the “golden era” of advertising, you just hope that the industry hasn’t been compromised to the point so that anything that generates chatter becomes the new genre of communication. There are some good things that can make today’s advertisers reach their target more efficiently. Amazon for years creates custom home pages based on previous search within their site. I don’t miss smelly magic markers, rubber cement and waiting overnight to receive your type. But it’s worth noting that youtube alone doesn’t replace a talented creative team. http://bit.ly/GBmCfh
Waltho Creative 