We didn't do this to be hipster chic or anything like that, but we gave up television a few years ago. Well, we gave up our satelite dish anyway and the normal tv that goes with it. We have tv through our Xbox via Hulu+ and Netflix. Which means unless we go to some else's house we don't watch the Superbowl or anything else pop culturally relevant while it is happening.
There are advantages and disadvantages to living this way, but this isn't so much a post about any of that per se. It's more about how you can waste a morning. Hulu+ has a channel called Adzone. The sole purpose of this channel is to show the commercials aired during the Superbowl. Seriously, even dorks like me need to have the full Superbowl commercial experience.
I spent about an hour this morning sifting through commercials. Some were good some were meh. The crazy thing to think about though, is the amount of money that went into these commercials. Not merely the cost to air a 30 second spot during the game but also the cost of the full production of these commercials.
We are looking at anywhere between 30 seconds to 2 minutes with a production cost of a major movie. All just so they can get their ideas in front of a massive section of the consumer population. Two of the standouts of the commercials the Budweiser Clydsdales and the Paul Harvey Dodge are story driven and their message of course is less about the product than it is about drawing in your emotions. From a technical stand point commercials along these lines are great for capturing the consumers emotions. From a selling stand point once you have the consumer's heart strings the sale is made.
When we write, it is our hope to have this affect on the reader. Maybe once in a while it would be nice to have this affect at the Superbowl level, but we don't always have opportunities like this. This isn't to say that we should be writing ad copy (though nothing wrong with that, ya got bills yo). But the reality is, if what you are writing doesn't have the effect of capturing the heart of your reader you will not draw your reader into your world.
This is why we need to spend time reading and even watching different stories. You need that emotional base so you can bring it into your own writing. Not by copying what others write but by owning those feelings so you can share them with others.
I so agree with you Jon, on all counts. The part that is truly hard is to measure in the blogosphere is if we are making a difference. Keep writing my friend. :-)
ReplyDeleteSometimes we don't see the relationships we are building until they have become almost old friends. One minute you think you are all alone, the next you have people sitting on your couch with your remote in their hands. It's a crazy world I tell you.
DeleteI too had to sit down this morning and get my fill of all the commercials that aired last night. I didn't watch the game, but did make it downstairs to see Beyonce shake and shimmy. One reason is why I've always loved to travel is because it's like living intensified, much the way a well-done Super Bowl commercial can make a point in half a minute or less. Writers definitely need to be in touch with the ability to capture the hearts of their readers.
ReplyDeleteI love to visit a new place with a local. You see a side that most tourists will never see.
DeleteYou are so right about needing to capture your readers.
ReplyDeleteI confess that we gave up tv back in the 1990's when our tv broke after the last episode of Seinfeld. My kids have figured out how to watch tv via the internet, but I don't miss it. I read blogs instead. And books! (though I did that before blogs existed).
I hear on occasion how I am missing this show or that show. And then I realize that I have so many better things to do. We still watch stuff but now it is on our terms instead of what a network determines.
DeleteIt is crazy to think about the amount of money advertisers spend just on their super bowl ads. I want to watch them because I was with my loud family and couldn't hear anything. But it'd be really interesting to see how they measure the ROI of these ads and if they actually do produce enough sales to be worth the amount they spend.
ReplyDeleteIn numbers the ROI may not be something measurable. But when you consider the amount of people watching the Super Bowl you see the real power of the commercials. The advertisers have a huge amount of mind share. The more people they have talking about their product, the more minds they touch, the greater their influence will be.
DeleteGreat post. I am guilty of watching series - so I record them so that I can fast forward the ads. I agree, if we want to write, we should read.
ReplyDeleteWe got rid of our satelite dish just as Tivo and such were really starting to hit their stride. I never got to experience the joy of fast forwarding through commercials.
DeleteGood on you for giving up tv! It's true that a good commercial can be a work of art, although they rarely are - and then, specially done for an event like the SuperBowl. I used to work in advertising and what goes on behind the scenes is fascinating. That's why the only tv I'm addicted to is Mad Men, kind of incestuous, maybe?
ReplyDeleteI like that show. First couple seasons have been on Netflix. We have been waiting for the next one to become available.
DeleteI didn't watch the superbowl either, but did watch the replays of the commercials. There were a few good ones, most were worth passing over though. Then when I was finished, I wondered to myself why I wasted the time doing that instead of more important things. Just made me focus or prioritizing my day a little better.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, I realized that I spent a portion of my morning doing something I have mostly avoided for several years now.
DeleteIt is crazy how much money goes into the ads - and how some of them fall flat on their face (Coke!!). My friend's house was actually in the Stevie Wonder lucky chair commercial and they had a full production crew just to film the few seconds at their house. It was pretty fun to watch. I also really enjoyed the Farmer commercial.. but that's project my Oklahoma roots coming out!
ReplyDeleteSpending time with farmers lately, that commercial really struck a chord. Imagine the disruption in your day with a full production film crew taking over your house.
DeleteIt's amazing how much money they pour into these advertisements that are only aired a handful of times! Too bad the advertising industry isn't more generous, they could donate all of that money to a better cause than a short term marketing scheme.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about all writing needing to spur emotions in those it's targeted to. Even an ad like the Go Daddy one with the supermodel kissing the nerd is meant to elicit desire and hope.
ReplyDeleteThe great thing about reading other people's stuff is not only that you get a lot of good ideas, but you also notice some bad ideas that you yourself may be making and just never realized! I don't get much time to read these days, but I really miss it. People who don't read can never understand- no movie can hold a light to a good emotionally-evocative story.
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