As you probably know, TTAC is an R-rated site. After a discussion with our readers, we decided to allow swearing on both sides of the editorial curtain (writers and commentators), subject to our existing anti-flaming regs (i.e. we can't call each other fuckheads, assholes, douchebags, etc.). In this Brave New e-World, the fall-out from our "no bad word left behind" policy has been... non-existent. Even so, you can hardly expect G-rated, AOL-owned Autoblog to allow effing' and blinding (although flaming and trolling is clearly not a problem). Which means it's no surprise that John Neff's blog on a swear-laden "That's a Saturn?" ad provides some unavoidable comic relief. "Steve Hall at AdGabber found a different version of the commercial, which we'll call "That's a f@#$% Saturn!". It seems after they had gotten the footage that Saturn's ad agency requested, the actors, director and production crew had some fun and made a different, rated R version of the commercial that probably more closely resembles reality than the canned responses in the original commercial." Hang on John; we call bullshit. I mean, b^*(&*(%$it. First, in your dreams. Aside from the Sky (anyone remember the Sky?), no one's ever done a verbal double take on a Saturn. Second. this is no outtake. There is no World's Funniest Videosity here. It's a cynical, officially-sanctioned version specifically designed to make Saturn look hip. To get slackers to "rethink" the flag-waving, American-as-apple-pie image the brand once possessed. Call us fucking hypocrites, but that's a God damn shame.
User comment: By: Robert FaragoDinu: I like it too. But neither version fits my idea of what the Saturn brand is/was/should be/could be/won't be all about. And before you lay "that's the whole point of their "rethink" campaign" bullshit on me, I say consumers don't want to think, never mind re-think. That's why branding is so powerful. It's mental shorthand for people who can't be bothered to make invidious distinctions. Which is virtually everyone-- excluding TTAC's Best and Brightest alpha dogs, of course. No, for real.
User comment: By: RoweASWhen your sales are in the toilet your language may as well be also. That said, I like it.
Visit here to subscribe to these commentsUser comment: By: DinuI actually like it - it seems more real than the I Love Lucy made-for-TV version.
No comments:
Post a Comment