This might sound strange, but I used to really love advertisements. Advertisements can provide an amazing creative outlet for “ideas people” — it’s rare to get so much creative freedom and budget combined. As a kid, I would watch all the ads during television shows and admire all the ads in my favourite magazines. Now, as an adult, I work (indirectly) with advertising.
But I have to admit that, these days, I tend to skip over television ads using my PVR. So much is just such garbage because it doesn’t really promote the product in a unique way — the message is always that same; that I’m not good enough. And I will never be good enough.
As example, the other night, Hubby and I were watching live television and an ad came on for some type of cream. The ad was clearly targeted at women, but it took us a little while to clue- in that it was some kind of anti-aging cream specifically for hands. So, not only am I supposed to worry about the wrinkles on my face (a natural and healthy part of aging), but also on my hands? Hubby looked at me with puzzlement and I just shrugged my shoulders and said, “Just another message telling me that I’m not good enough.” (Side note: I don’t think I’ve ever seen an advertisement telling men to use anti-aging cream, have you?)
But sometimes an ad comes out that just feels good. It doesn’t kick at my self-esteem, or play on society’s obsession with female appearance. But rather, it instead manages to pull on our emotions so strongly that people talk about it, or even tear-up watching it. I think this one fits the bill, so I’m sharing it with you.
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