Sandy Supposes....

I'M A HUMBLE CANADIAN

PROMPT: Advertising

         Advertising is inescapable. It inundates every aspect of our lives. Billboards, posters, signage, flyers, newspapers, magazines, television, radio , movie theatres, and even internet services all force ads upon us. Constantly, we are bombarded or cajoled or lectured or enticed with the latest and supposedly the best in everything and anything. How ever did you manage without this particular gadget? Why on earth do you insist upon driving that vehicle? Are you really going to be caught dead wearing those clothes? If you douse yourself in this alluring fragrance you'll be absolutely irresistible. This wonder drug will cure anything that ails you. Every product claims to be far superior to its competitors.

          Often, commercials are annoying. Those that simply must be uploaded before I can access any internet site, especially so. They slow down the process and create visual clutter. Too often they are repetitive. Television spots that appear over and over in a one hour program cause aversion, not attention. These ads are used as breaks for the viewer; to visit the bathroom, to grab a snack, to wash dishes, or to make a phone call.

         Advertising that resonates with me is humorous or ridiculous. It by no means sways my purchasing power, but it does entertain. Does a manufacturer of 'feminine hygiene products' really believe that I will rush out and procure their brand because, in their t.v. ad, a woman parachuted with an entire jumbo-sized box of maxi pads? Am I really gullible enough to buy the tampon that Mother Nature herself claims will solve all my 'flow issues' and guarantee a blissful cycle? No genuine woman on earth 'has a happy period'. Who came up with that tag-line?

          I cannot recall the name of the vehicle insurance company, and that of course was the entire purpose of this ad, but I do remember the concept; deer would wait for approaching cars and then leap out at them causing accidents. Imagine wildlife amusing themselves with a game of chicken.

         I do recall the Coke versus Pepsi rivalry advertising; it was tongue-in-cheek. The premise was that a Coke employee snuck a taste of forbidden Pepsi and liked it. An entire series of Coke ads featured the antics of polar bears behaving as people. I still remember a commercial in which the chocolate candy, Kisses, completed pairs' figure skating moves. The animation was accurate; a pair of kisses executed a move known as a death spiral.

         Today, my youngest sister and I sang a jingle that we heard so many times as children. This advertised the board game, Trouble. "Trouble, trouble, wait, don't run. This kind of trouble is lots of fun. Popomatic, pop the dice, pop the six and you move twice. Race your friends around the track, and try to win your own men back." This would have been a pre-Christmas t.v. spot. We also recall the jingle for Slinky; it was touted as a wonderful toy for girls and boys.

         It's often the jingles and slogans that stay with us. Who has not heard the Big Mac ads for McDonald's restaurant? It echoes;" two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun"? This chain of eateries also developed several characters to help them sell their food such as the Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, and Ronald McDonald.

Last summer, here at home in Ontario, Canada, I especially liked a series of radio ads for our iconic chain of coffee shops, Tim Hortons. They were based on the popular assumption that Canadians are modest and apologetic people that do not toot their own horns. Several of the phrases were: "We're sorry that our hockey teams are the best in the world, we're sorry that the best singers performing in Las Vegas are Canadians, we're sorry that Cirque de Soleil is Canadian", etcetera.

         Ah, now the prompt question how do you advertise yourself and your writing? First of all, I am a humble Canadian. I share my writing via this site,WDC. For a two year span, my writing was featured in a local newspaper. Sometimes, the editor substituted my smiling face for a photo of someone else, but hey, the other person was more attractive. I enter the odd contest. I "share" with my family and friends.