Oh, advertisers. It didn’t have to be this way. Once upon a time, consumers might have liked to hear from you. They might have eagerly awaited your TV commercials to see if they’d be interested in your products, and maybe try them for themselves. Alas, you blew it.
Now, instead of watching TV commercials, or even barely tolerating them, you have created an entire population of TV viewers — all ages, all 217 genders, people of every race, color, and creed — who will happily vault over furniture if need be to smash the mute button at every TV commercial break.
How did this happen? I know of at least 10 reasons. You would, too, if you weren’t so busy trying to be cute or clever, and daydreaming of winning advertising awards and the adulation of your colleagues.
But since you’ve been so preoccupied with your amorous self-diddling, I’m going to make this easy and spell it out for you.
Hang on, snowflakes. This blog post is going to trigger the shit out of some of you.
10 reasons why people hate TV commercials in 2023 (in no particular order)
1. Forced diversity
Everyone knows that representation is important. But you’d have to be Stevie Wonder not to see the forced diversity in today’s TV commercials.
Based on U.S. Census data, a commercial with 10 actors should have: 6 whites, 2 Hispanics, 1 black, 1 other. That’s . . . not what we see on TV. Instead, the average TV commercial break looks more like: 6+ black, 1 Hispanic, 1 Asian, 1 white (female), 0.5 white (bumbling/background male), 0.5 other.
Look, I get it. In today’s hyper-PC clown world, white people are the devil and white men, if we include them at all, ought to be women. The problem is, this is not reality. Ads built to reflect this gross distortion of the world are recognized by TV viewers for the pandering and propaganda they are, and the only thing they succeed at is sowing division.
2. Fumbling, bumbling white males
Speaking of discrimination, why is it that so many TV commercials portray white men as stupid, feminized, stay-at-home dopes who can’t make it through the day without the help of women, children, and people of color?
Oh, that’s right. White men are toxic. People with penises (the latest approved term is “sperm-producing individuals“) are no longer allowed to exhibit the traditional masculine traits of strength, confidence, self-reliance, and competition, as those characteristics are now reserved for everyone else.
This is yet another case of advertising attempting to shape the culture rather than reflect it. But society hasn’t been neutered yet, as most people — women as well as men — still like the idea of a traditional masculine man.
And we are tired of this overused trope in advertising.
3. Your TV commercials push social issues
There’s a silly notion in the ad world that says brands need to take a stand on social issues. That consumers really care, for example, what Pepsi has to say about Black Lives Matter or what Gillette thinks about toxic masculinity.
The reality is consumers don’t care where brands stand on social issues — at least, not enough to affect sales.
(Click to enlarge the graph above. This will open the image in a new window.)
As you can see, the percentage of consumers who cite “a brand’s position on social issues” as “important when buying brands and products” is vanishingly small, only reaching as high as the low double digits among respondents in the 16-to-24 age group.
Which is why I offer this advice to brands tempted to push social and political issues that have nothing to do with their businesses: shut up and sell.
4. Your TV commercials are stupid
From wet teddy bears to half-man, half-motorcycle monstrosities, the stupid is strong in today’s TV commercials.
Hey advertisers, this is not the “creativity” you need.
If you are thinking clearly, you understand that good creative is not merely about getting the prospect’s attention at any cost.
No, it’s smarter than that.
Good creative follows a strategic insight and works primarily to sell a product.
As in this ad for Heineken — my pick for the best ad of Super Bowl LVII, except Heineken didn’t even air it during the game. At just 15 seconds in length, this ad did more in its short run time to sell a product and entertain an audience than all of the big game’s other commercials combined.
You want to be creative? Go ahead. But be smart about it. That means staying disciplined and not losing sight of the job you are being paid to do.
5. Your TV commercials are too loud
Why do so many TV commercials air at twice the volume of the programs we pay to watch?
I understand the need for advertisers to get noticed. As consumers pay less and less attention to TV commercials, and as we grow more and more accustomed to a constant level of noise pollution in our daily lives, I get why advertisers might make loud ads punctuated by raucous voices and sound effects.
But blasting potential buyers with ear-piercing idiocy is not the way. Being a boisterous bellend does not endear you to anyone. It only turns people off to your message and the possibility that we would ever buy from you.
6. Your TV commercials are offensive
Some advertisers rely on shock value to get noticed. Others push the limits of what is acceptable in TV advertising while posing as noble crusaders for progressive thought — as in this Gillette commercial for the Venus Pubic Hair and Skin Razor, with its gratuitous imagery and overt talk of pubic hair.
Still other advertisers prefer the stealthy approach, as in this ad for Hotels.com that not-so-cleverly sneaks in a gay joke for no good reason.
Or, how about the Kotex feminine napkin commercials that changed the blue liquid to red to look like period blood? (Here is another brand that’s trying to fool female audiences into thinking it’s some kind of champion of women — and sadly, some are lapping it up.)
Advertisers, it’s not your job to push the envelope of good taste. Television is a mass medium, and you have a responsibility to ensure that your ads are appropriate for everyone in the room.
Not just the target audience. Everyone.
7. Your mascots are dumb
Would you like a clear sign that advertising is getting worse? Compare the great brand mascots of yesteryear to the junk we’re seeing today.
I’m talking about venerable characters such as Koolaid Man, Michelin Man, Mr. Peanut, The Jolly Green Giant, the GEICO gecko, and Tony the Tiger . . . versus:
- The Charmin Bears
- Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome
- The Mucinex Mucous Blob
- Diet Dr. Pepper’s Lil’ Sweet
- Liberty Mutual’s LiMu Emu and Doug
- Progressive’s Motaur
Allstate’sMayhem(OK, Kinchan, I agree, Mayhem probably doesn’t belong here 😛 )- M&M’s “woke” spokescandies
This dearth of quality mascots is a stark illustration of the ad industry’s sad decline. Instead of smart, well-designed characters that naturally and authentically personify a brand, today’s ads are filled with bizarre and off-putting contrivances that have little likability or staying power.
8. Celebrity spokespeople
Speaking of mascots, does anyone believe that Shaquille O’Neal uses Epson printers and insures his cars with The General?
Of course not. Yet Shaq-centered ads for Epson and The General have been running concurrently (along with ads for dozens of other products, from Oreos to sleep apnea masks) for years.
Perhaps the biggest problem with celebrity endorsements is that most consumers don’t see a connection between the celebrity and the product that’s being endorsed. That’s because there usually isn’t one outside of a big, fat endorsement check.
Another problem with celebrity endorsements, as David Ogilvy noted, is that consumers tend to remember the celebrity and not the brand being advertised.
My problem with hiring high-profile celebrities for TV commercials is that too many creative teams seem to think it gives them a free pass to not have to develop a selling idea.
9. We can’t tell what your TV commercial is for
It’s bad enough to sit through a TV commercial and have no idea what it’s for. It’s even worse when the logo pops at the end and we realize that nothing we’ve seen in the past 30 or 60 seconds has even the slightest connection to the brand or product the ad was meant to advertise.
I’ve said this before, ad people: If you want to make movies, go and make movies. But get the hell out of the advertising industry. Consumers don’t care, and clients deserve better than you wasting their ad budgets to make “art.”
10. Your TV commercials are not made for us
As I alluded at the top of this post, people don’t necessarily hate TV commercials. Rather, we hate TV commercials the way they are made today.
Most of us are perfectly open to hearing about products and services we might want or need. Some of us are practically aching for reasons to buy that shiny new bauble or try a new solution to a problem we need to solve.
But many ad agencies seem utterly disinterested in giving people reasons to buy. In fact, quite a few seem more interested in selling their own creativity than the products themselves.
Yes, “being creative” can be a fun and exciting way to impress clients, win awards, and gain the adulation of industry colleagues. But it often doesn’t do much to provide value, persuade potential buyers, or create positive associations with a brand.
Are these not the very things that ad agencies are hired to do?
Look, the purpose of TV advertising is not to promote or pander to a particular race or gender.
It is not to push unrelated social issues or change cultural norms.
It is not to be funny, win awards, or blast the audience with cacophonous noise.
It is not to create art.
The purpose of TV advertising is to sell goods and services. That means creating engaging and enjoyable experiences that respect the audience while connecting people to brands and communicating reasons to buy.
It’s about making brands more visible, more well liked, and better remembered. Oh! And also to make the goddamn sales curve go up instead of down.
When — and if — brands ever start to hold their ad agencies accountable for these things, then and only then will we see TV commercials that don’t deserve our hate.
Share your thoughts on “The REAL reasons people hate TV commercials in 2023.”
OK, Cranky readers, it’s your turn. What do you think? Does my list cover most of the reasons you hate TV advertising? Or do you have more reasons to add? Share your thoughts below.
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it’s all for that sweet, sweet ESG money from companies like blackrock. same reason netflix keeps pumping out so much drivel.
as a zoomer, I have never seen an advert I trust. I don’t watch TV, I don’t listen to radio, and I always use adblock. it would have started with TV adverts when I was younger, they repulse me now, the olive branch has to come from advertisers now
Right you are, Anon. It’s the advertisers who need to do better, though I doubt they even know how.
Even when some advertisers try to do the right thing, they often do it the wrong way. Tom Seleck’s fake sincerity just doesn’t connect. Too stagey. Too phony. Why is he incapable of maintaining eye contact with the viewer for more than three seconds at a time? Looking to the side or down at the floor is what teenagers do when they get busted. Seleck’s current ads are better then the old scary mini-movie ads but at least now they feature real people or at least people who are better actors then Seleck. They should use the ads to raise money for acting lessons for good old Tom.
Finally, is it an accident that “mayhem” is always a white man in a suit?
Thanks, Jerry. Your opening line is the truest thing I’ve read today.
I live in Pennsylvania and a local electric company (they do HVAC, etc as well) named “Tuckey” has an amazing quiet commercial. I love when it comes on.
A commercial that’s actually enjoyable? I’ll have to check it out!
I Agree with ALL of these commercial issues!
They just need to advertise their products and Stay OUT of politics and personal people’s agendas. 👍
If only, Anonymous. Unfortunately, there’s too much money at stake, and too many marketing people who can’t help but virtue signal as a way to — I presume — make up for a trite and tiny life spent hawking silly doodads and whatchamafuckits.
Nailed it in every way! I do whatever I can to avoid this toxic nonsense. I feel like I lose IQ points every time I’m subjected to one of these pointless, “woke” ads. I thought the commercials back in the day were bad .. what I’d give to have those back now! Glad to know I’m not the only one.
I was beginning to think I was unbalanced as I find commercials not only offensive but downright stupid. I’ve opted to purchase DVDs and watch the shows I like, uninterrupted. I currently have insurance State Farm that I am NOT going to renew due to the poor advertising it offers. I am going to find an insurance that doesn’t offend my intelligence. As far as the diversity goes, I see a huge amount of money going to one race over another and to me that is part of the re-distribution of wealth in our country. The jamming of diversity and cultural change down our throats has made me a very unhappy senior citizen. Incidentally, I also don’t like the reminder that we should watch old, outdated shows with caution as it depicts unjust cultural misinformation. I’m educated enough to notice the changes our country and civilization has made in the past.
he who controls the past controls the future. he who controls the present controls the past.
Given your username and this quote — which, incidentally, I just saw the other day in the circles in which I travel on the interwebs — I get the distinct feeling that you are “plugged in.” And you’re a Zoomer? You give me hope.
Thanks for writing.
I hate advertising today because it’s being used as a weapon. They aren’t creative and they sell nothing. People pay NOT to see them.
I have a problem with a disgusting commercial currently being aired on television.Stem Bug Spray shows a bug on the wall, and supposed husband quickly grabs the poor confused dog up to the wall to eat the bug. Who knows what kind of bug that is? It could be poisonous. But the wife comes in with the bug spray, and the husband was caught holding the dog with a stupid look on his face. This commercial should be taken off the air, because it is possibly animal abuse, But this shows children it is ok for their dog to eat bugs. How can we protest this and demand it be removed from view?
Too bad there are no laws against stupidity, Peanut, because this ad would break a few. I love how once again the straight white man is the idiot. The best way for you to make your point is to write to the brand on its Facebook and Twitter pages. In addition, you can see if there is a “Contact” page on the company’s website with an email or physical address you can use.
Voicing your concerns doesn’t always get companies to take action, but it may help you feel better as it’s really all you can do.
Advertisers…as well as much of Hollywood…have allowed themselves to be taken hostage by so-called diversity. It is not progress when 13% of the population is so ridiculously inserted into every commercial, tv program and film that they become nothing more than predictable, cartoonish propaganda. Only when consumers hit them in the pocketbook, will Hollywood wake up from their “wokeness” and start turning out quality programming that’s representative of the real diversity of our world. Not concocted notions that no one is buying.
You’re part right, Jeannie. In fact, the race and gender propaganda that’s inundated today’s advertising is being pushed and funded by progressive activists such as Larry Fink (fitting name) at BlackRock and the other two major investment companies, Vanguard and State Street. Yes, there are legions of brain-dead woketards in marketing and advertising who are mindlessly following orders, but this is where it’s coming from. These ultra-rich idealists are using their money, power, and influence to shape and change the culture, and they’ve created some very compelling tactics that most public companies find very hard to resist.
Fully agree with you!
Buy dvds of favorite shows and forget viewing regular tv. Sickening commercials aren’t on dvds. Overweight kids and adults won’t invade the pleasure of a program. Sickening commercials of abused animals won’t give your children nightmares. Just my opinion.
Good advice, Anonymous. The propaganda and distorted caricatures that pass for people in today’s media, both in the content and in the advertising, is getting hard to watch.
Thank you for pointing out what so many others have thought. My very progressive father pointed out not too long ago that all ads now feature a mixed race couple (family). He is not racist. My husband and I are both progressive, but fear that ads are shoving lifestyles down the throats of those who have not asked for such. On another topic, I despise the “recurring character” theme on so many ads these days. I don’t give a shit about these people and stop pretending they’re our friends!
You nailed it. The forced diversity in advertising has now reached the point where everyone sees it. No doubt you and I agree that showing a diversity of people in ads is a good thing, but the heavy-handed way in which today’s advertisers are doing it — that’s not good at all. It’s unrealistic and inauthentic. It doesn’t pass the sniff test. Ultimately, it does more harm than good and gives diversity a bad name.
I’m also with you on the topic of “recurring characters.” There’s not many of these goofy mascots I care to hear from, much less on a near-constant basis for 5 or 10 or 15 years. Oh, and you’ve reminded me of another huge pet peeve I have: ads that open with, “Hi, I’m So-and-So, owner/CEO/annoying twit at [company name].”
Really? That’s the best lead your copywriter could come up with? Nothing gets me to mute an advertisement faster.
Thanks for writing.
I agree and I am considered a “black” person from looking at my outside. But I consider myself a “Universal.” The ads on television do not portray the real world. Ads today show black person after black person, some ads with nothing but black people. What I really resent is their agenda for trying to bring the races together by showing so many racially mixed couples. If trying to bring the world together is their objective they are failing badly. The main reason I hate commercials so badly today to the point where I intentionally mute the tv when they air is the fact that no matter how many blacks or diverse races are displayed it is not a true representation of the world I have to live in. Whatever happened to commercials such as, “Calgon, take me away,” or “Only you can prevent forest fires?” There’s a hidden agenda behind today’s commercials and it has nothing to do with the betterment of mankind.
Thank you for the excellent post, Isabelle. Advertising is no longer about selling sports shoes or dish soap or breakfast cereal; it’s about surreptitiously changing the culture through social engineering. Those orders and agendas come down from on high, and the useful idiots who work in today’s advertising industry are so drunk on the Kool-Aid that they are all too happy to carry them out.
I’m really tired of seeing extremely over weight black women in skin tight clothes and exposing layers of fat. How can u enjoy the show after seeing the same fat black women promoting no leak underwear and pads. I see where New York city now puts weight and looks with race and gender discrimination.
I hear you, Raymond, but that’s where we are in America in 2023. You can no longer acknowledge that someone is overweight, or call out unhealthy lifestyles, without being accused of “body shaming” or worse. Instead, we are all required to “celebrate” everyone, even if the examples they set are known to be bad ones, because that’s what you do in a society that’s lost its way as we most certainly have.
I’m sorry I don’t have any wise words of advice for you. All I can say is, welcome to The Collapse! It’s a long way down, but at the rate we’re going, at least it won’t take long.
Agreed. 90% of the unique ads I see are absolutely crap. There are so few modern campaigns I see that do what they’re supposed to.
One recent ad I have been seeing, though only on one of the games, I play, is for Costa Vida nachos. The ad focus all its attention on the product, and if I could eat Mexican style food (allergies), I would be very interested in buying. Also the ad breaks some of the modern “rules” by featuring an authentic redheaded actress (her hair may be colored, but her skin is genuine).
An ad campaign I’m not fond of, but still see as effective is Arby’s current ones, with the black guy rhyming while the ads show Arby’s foods. Annoying, yes, but still doing what an ad campaign should.
Most other ads I see, however, are utter crap, especially game ads. Ads that show phony game play or “real” game play by imbeciles do not inspire confidence or interest.
One of my favorite games, Diggy’s Adventure, was advertised to me without showing me any game play at all, it just demonstrated what the game was about.
Why can’t advertisers figure out that ads that sell work?
Good points, GDT, and a great question. Why can’t advertisers figure out that ads that sell work?
I maintain it’s because they think selling is boring. Selling is not why these people got into advertising. No, they want to be creative, to be rock stars, to be cute and clever and have lots of fun spending other people’s money to make art.
As former ad critic Bob Garfield wrote:
“Advertising is fundamentally about nothing more complex than communicating a selling idea to a prospective customer. If some fast-talking goof on the Atlantic City boardwalk can do this with a vegetable peeler, the greatest minds in marketing should be able to pull it off with millions of dollars and a vast media world at their disposal.”
Garfield critiqued TV commercials and kicked advertiser ass for 25 years before finally calling it quits. You can’t say the man didn’t try. But the stupidity of some advertisers is only outweighed by their stubbornness. And that, my friend, is why the industry is in the state it’s in today.
Sadly with today’s fractured entertainment choices, commercials likely are the most visible medium for an “Artist” to showcase his dramatic vision. More eyeballs will see a Publix ad than most Oscar nominated films.
I get what you’re saying, Gerald, but my response will always be: wrong industry, wrong skill set. If people want to make movies, then go somewhere else to make movies. But get out of advertising.
I’m not saying that a good TV commercial won’t benefit from high production values and a hint of story — it will. But these 30- and 60-second “short films” with logos tacked on at the end are a waste of the client’s money. What you end up with is something like this ad for Publix that does precisely zero to sell and only just barely identifies the brand. It’s no surprise then that this ad was created by “a full-service, Emmy-award-winning, creative video production agency” that specializes in producing “branded and commercial video content for corporate marketing, advertising, and social media use, short films, and documentaries aimed at building emotional connection.”
Selling is a skill, and a specialized one. If people in advertising don’t want to learn or practice their crafts, then they have no business working in the industry, period. Too many clients, too many sales, too many jobs depend on having the right people working in marketing and advertising. To think that we can just “sub in” movie-makers and people without the requisite skills both devalues the profession and damages brands.
Thanks for writing.
True. Also “commerce” and “profit motives” are perceived by artists to be immoral. Making ads is only justified when it’s advancing a social political issue.
You sure nailed it on all points. Although for some reason I find the green mucus blob sometimes kind of funny. Forgive me. 🙂
Thanks, and no worries. At one time or another, who among us hasn’t found mucous funny?
Yes, you are correct, as always. But still, no one in the industry is listening, are they. Blog on, man, if it makes you feel better. I recently switched to a streaming device, where ad time is a screen shot, a countdown timer and some jazz playing. Loving it!
The ten dollars we are now paying for DVR service is worth every penny! We can now fast forward through these annoying, obnoxious, ridiculously stupid and overplayed Liberty Mutual, Geico and Progressive insurance commercials and also the constantly playing, out of control, horrible and unwanted pharmaceutical / medicare TV commercials! The person that invented DVR should get a gold medal.
Yay, Gary! At last, you can be free of LiMu Emu and Dung — er, Doug!
Sadly, Jean, you are right — despite my fabulous and always-enlightening rants, not many in the ad industry seem to be listening. I admit, it does get tiring shouting into the void, but I’ll do it for now. I realize that the things I say may alienate my fellow creatives who love to indulge in public displays of amorous self-diddling, but the truth is, they’re the ones doing their clients a disservice — not I.
In fact, one of the ways I know I’m on the right track is because I frequently receive comments and emails from readers offering me not just praise, but actual work. Recently, one gentleman wrote to say that when the time comes for him to begin advertising his new business, he’ll be looking for someone like me who focuses on the task at hand instead of getting swept up in BS.
That’s the kind of feedback that makes it all worthwhile.
Thanks for writing, and enjoy your streaming device! We’ve also gone that route but even so, our TV viewing time is dwindling to zero.
Thank you! Thank you Cranky!!! As a former marcomm/advertising professional (I left the industry to edit non-fiction manuscripts because I couldn’t handle the phony, fake world of today’s advertising crap), I often bug my husband with exactly everything on your list. And as a parent with an 8- and 9-year-old I now deem the ads more dangerous and disgusting than modern PBS and Disney nonsense, hurdling over the couch to change the channel or mute the commercials so my children are not exposed to them, for every reason on your list, damn it! The only thing I would take exception to is your mention of the Allstate Mayhem mascot. I think this was a very clever and effective ad campaign that has worked for the advertiser… but that’s just my two bits. Thanks again. Truly.
No, Kinchan, thank YOU. I appreciate your comments and insights, especially from your perspective as a former marketer. I’m just sorry that the sad state of the industry has made it impossible for you to stay — and even more, that the “quality” of today’s commercials is now a concern for your kids.
As for Mayhem, I won’t disagree with you, and in fact, I was expecting to be called out on it. I get it. My own personal biases aside, I see why people find the character appealing and how he works to deliver the message.
Will I take him off my list? I’ll consider it . . . 😀
I was wondering when someone would have the gumption to speak up about “diversity” advertising and how they make the white privileged man look like a dolt. You forgot to mention that even catalog or retail store flyers have joined the bandwagon. I recently had a several page Macy’s sale flyer targeting women that had not a single white women. Maybe we should just all stop patronizing these retailers and products? Wonder if that would wake them up?
Lastly, something nobody has yet tackled is Hollywood celebrities concern for equity yet they now monopolize jobs that were once done by regular middle class people- the voice overs in cartoons and movies, the not so recognizable actress in the makeup and perfume ads, the spokesperson in television commercials- don’t they make enough money besides taking jobs away from everyday people? Sort of like the way they are all for environmental justice and carbon neutrality but fly around in private jets. When are we going to say we are just plain sick of their bull sh*t?
You’re right, Connie, I’ve heard quite a few complaints recently about the overrepresentation of nonwhite models in catalogs. You mentioned Macy’s. I’ve also heard LL Bean and others. And yet, Google, the media, and other “Wizards of Smart” will insist that there is no such thing as “white replacement” going on.
ProTip: There is.
All I can say is, please share this post far and wide if you would be so kind (and if you’re not afraid of triggering a few family members, friends, and potential employers). Not a lot of people are willing to speak openly about what’s going on these days for fear of being censored, suppressed, canceled and kicked to the curb. But the fascists win if we don’t speak up.
Thanks for writing.
Yeah, the other day I went to Ulta Beauty and two other stores trying to find honey blonde hair gloss and no one is carrying it anymore. When I asked the manager at Ulta she said blonde was not a popular color and then I looked around at all the large photo ads of models on the walls and there wasn’t a single blonde haired blue-eyed woman among them, just blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. And this is in the heart of the Mountain West, where the population is 95% Caucasian. Go figure. I said as I was leaving, “most people in your demographic are white, you know, where’s my photo on the wall and where’s my hair gloss?” Crickets…
Thank you for speaking up, Kinchan. This — THIS is one of the main reasons why I write on this topic. I have no idea how we went from “equality!” to “erasure!” but we are getting there fast, and it can only bode poorly for everyone.
All the controversy over AI…use it, please, to invent a television that can mute our most annoying types of commercials!
Wouldn’t that be great, Kateneh? Using AI to automatically mute television commercials is an idea I can definitely get behind.