Commercial Knowledge
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Since many modern educators say that children learn as much or more from television than they do from formal schooling and many colleges and universities are beginning to use the techniques of television to teach traditional subjects, I watched a week of commercials (the most instructional part of the boobtube). We know that popular commercials try to touch consumer’s emotions, hearts and lastly minds (just like the political campaigns do now that television imagery determines who is elected. We have Nixon and Kennedy to thank for that). The subjects of television are many and varied but a few themes emerge: nationalism, regionalism, gender issues, friendship, family, love and sex (not to be confused with each other), religious and moral issues, commonly-known wisdom, bodily cleanliness and, of course, humor. The first commercial that gained world coverage was a British one in the 1950’s that instructed us how to brush our teeth: “Up and down and round the gums. It’s tingling fresh. It’s fresh as ice. It’s Gibbs SR Toothpaste.” In America where everything has to be new and improved or it does not exist, the message was “Snap, Crackle and Pop” (in other words, to young and exciting) with Rice Krispies. Today, it is two middle America married individuals pushing the Listerine from one to the other, afraid to try it because it might sting the gums, until the son comes in and becomes the real parent, saying: “You guys should really grow up.” I guess the lesson here is that kids today should bring up their parents. Of course, you can bypass all this sage advise and get “Happiness Guaranteed” with Len’s Crafter glasses, or realize instantly that “Inside Every Kid is a Star” with Fisher Price. Mothers must learn that “If you are a woman like me” you must take Actonel (Does that stand for Action Now) and fathers are swept up into the world of car chases and violent shoot-outs so that they can “Live Instantly with MSN Messenger”. In the sixties, we got that message with “Live fast, die young and have a good looking corpse” in the book, Knock On Any Door. Now we get that message in 15 and 30 second bites. The advertisers give us the wisdom of the past too, while they sell us IT. We find out “Why food in the Country tastes better” as we enjoy Country Style spread or “What America Needs Right Now” with Miles of Freedom through Dodge. We can “Wish Big” with enormous turkeys and pre-Christmas sales at Sears. As an artist, I am interested in how the modern advertiser uses Art (with a capital A) to sell anything, like a Greek body, “Don’t Wait to Get Started on Your New Life”, with gastric banding, or “Let’s get started now” through LA Weight Loss to “Men Should Act Like Men, and Light Beer Should Taste like Beer” with …. I forget the specific beer and it makes no difference. We learn that “Every Kiss Begins with Kay’s”. Did not know that? “Just one moment can change everything” (kiss, kiss, with a gorgeous blond and a handsome stud) if you go to Foley’s fragrance counter and buy Calvin Klein. Some commercials are educational in the extreme. Take the one that starts with using the expressionist technique of Van Gogh into the pointillist style of Seurat to the non-objective images of Kandinsky to the Romanticism of Turner or Money and finally blends into the sea scenes of boats with German or French Cubists. Again, I forget the product (it had something to do with water) but I love the commercial. It is like the knowledge of how the Venus DeMilo lost her arms. Two Greeks, when the statue was first completed, pulled them off to get to the Lite beer. An important lesson can be learned from commercials Take the monk who rescues an overturned turtle and a spider that needs to be placed again on a leaf. The monk finally blows his nose on a Kleenix. Instantly, he realized that he murdered millions of bacteria (99.9% in his thoughtless act). Thank goodness for humor as the commercial announces “Thank Goodness for Forgiveness. Thank Goodness for Kleenix Tissue.” In one moment of forgiveness, we can get salvation, the mercy of God and a timeless religious lesson. You can’t get that in full pixel color with a teacher’s lecture. Remember, in all this instant learning, you must be quick. “Don’t wait. This deal is not good after….. Call now!” |
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