Painting a very ugly picture of advertising on TV the other night
was George Carlin performing his "
Advertising Lullably"
(A word of warning if you click to the video, this is typical Carlin: biting
and obscene!)
Explaining that the whole purpose of advertising is to "lull
you to sleep," he launches into a soothing litany of all the words
that--according to advertising tradition--sell:
Quality, value, style, service, selection, convenience
Economy, savings, performance, experience, hospitality
Low rates, friendly service, name brands, easy terms
Affordable prices, money-back guarantee.
Free installation, free admission, free appraisal, free alterations,
Free delivery, free estimates, free home trial, and free parking.
No cash? No problem! No kidding! No fuss, no muss,
No risk, no obligation, no red tape, no down payment,
No entry fee, no hidden charges, no purchase necessary,
No one will call on you, no payments or interest till September.
It continues for several more stanzas, then ends with Carlin's
interpretation of what these words really mean: That advertisers see consumers as stupid
and gullible (of course, Carlin puts it a lot more....shall we say, "colorfully,"
than that).
A slanted and cynical take on our marketing and advertising
industry, for sure. Even so, Carlin inadvertently teaches a valuable lesson: Wherever
and whenever at all possible, eliminate the lullaby lyrics from your ads or
marketing materials.
You can find dozens of experts who will tell you these are
the words that get results--I'm thinking particularly of the direct mail
arena--but the more they're used, the less effective they are at cutting through
the noise and reaching your audience. And they can become crutches that prevent
you from thinking in terms of what your customers really care about.
