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by Adele Gregory

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There is a tremendous wealth of creative talent at work in the advertising industry. But from the manufacturer's point of view, that creativity can be a double-edged sword. I'm not in the advertising industry and have only my own buying habits to refer to. But from one consumer's perspective, below are some examples of 'too much of a good thing'.

I know, sadly, that the ad campaigns I most enjoy are not necessarily the products I eventually buy. There are ads which are so dazzling or clever that they instantly become part of popular culture and win well-deserved accolades. But the product they were advertising? Hmm, that's a toughie. Was it a car or an antacid?

The same holds true for campaigns which are so memorable that they spawn copycats from other products, including competitors. The advertising may work in drawing consumers' attention to a certain type of product, but not to a specific brand. Buyers intrigued by its features might head to the Internet for a cheaper alternative.

Another approach whose success can contain the seeds of its own undoing is association. Strongly identifying the products with one section of the market risks putting off the others. A product which enjoys the popularity of its celebrity endorser ties itself to rises and falls in his or her fortunes. If there is a fall from grace, the real damage isn't always from the link itself, but how the public regards the company's handling of it. Whoever said that there was no such thing as bad publicity has never heard of boycotts.

A common theme in these examples have it that the advertising perhaps calls too much attention to itself. There is, however, a striking exception in Britain at the moment. A current food commercial is instantly memorable and has quickly entered the public consciousness. It has already been copied and parodied. But it still works to draw consumers to its, and only its brand. What's the difference?

For one thing, the focus never strays from the products. The food is always the star and portrayed for its own virtues. The ads don't make you want something identified with it - they make you want IT. The other is a basic one - the brand name is in the catchphrase.

But what about advertising in general? Have people become inured to the entire concept? I don't think so. Love them or hate them, we do look at ads and watch commercials. They've come to do much more than promote products. They have to if they are to stand out from the din. Yet they can be such a part of daily life that we use them as a source of entertainment, inspiration, tips and freebies - without spending a cent.

Learn more about this author, Adele Gregory.

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