I rarely watch any television that has not been pre-recorded. As a result, I almost never see commercials anymore. I simply fast-forward past them, thus denying the advertisers of their opportunity to pitch their products to me.
As a result of this time-shifting, advertisers are now looking for new ways to get viewers to watch their commercials, including hiring actors from the show to star in the commercials, thus blurring the lines between entertainment and advertisement.
Alternately, advertisers could simply write great commercials with hooks that grab the viewer, like this one, which I refrained from fast forwarding last night after catching the first couple seconds of the ad.
The first few lines of dialogue are perfect. They’re smart, funny, self-aware and completely relatable. I couldn’t help but continue watching.
And the rest of the commercial was just as good. While attempting to sell me a car, the writers presented me with a compelling character, told an amusing story and arguably weaved in a bit of social commentary as well.
I may not run out and purchase a Venza anytime soon, but I’ll be inclined to watch the next Venza commercial based upon what I’ve seen so far.
