RADIO COMMERCIAL SMACKDOWN: The Literal Metaphor Trap

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• Mike Holmes April 15, 2013, 7:22 am

  I believe commercials like this are done by people who think that loud noises and yelling create listener excitement. What’s more likely is that the listener turns down the volume or changes the station.

  Which brings me to a question I’ve heard asked on several forums: why do car dealers believe their commercials have to be screamed, and although this might seem at best tangental to the subject, why does every other sentence in screamed commercials have to be telephone filtered? I find it impossible to listen to this stuff.

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• JBG April 15, 2013, 10:09 am

  Copy sounds like it was translated into English – as if it was in that multi-language piece of paper you get in the box from a gadget manufactured overseas. “is from October 20 to November 1 only. Avail of this promo now! …or call 895-9486, or 890-3913 for more details.” “Enjoy a change oil for 599 pesos for gasoline, 999 pesos for diesel.” Two phone numbers, two prices, TWO much – although there was plenty of time to play up the attention-getter double-entendre.

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• Harley April 15, 2013, 10:59 am

  I had brunch with a table of five fellow radio pros. One commented that he was glad the flight one a particularly obnoxious spot was coming to an end. We all harumphed in assent…save one. A lady who said she felt like obnoxious spots could be effective. She admitted they made her want to turn the radio dow. She admitted they annoyed the hell out of her. But still maintained that if and when the time came to buy that product or service, she would probably think of them. My main question to her was, “Yeah, but HOW would you think of them?” Certainly not kindly after assaulting your ears with that noise. We end up with shacks on our real estate only if we allow it. I have known a (very) few radio people with the integrity to walk away from a buy that included obnoxious sounding commercials. They defended their format and, in the long run, paid dividends.

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