Advertisements that treat their target audience like a bunch of dummies without brains are so insulting, yet they are all over the place. Have you seen the Yellow Book television advertisement that has been running lately? It’s the one with David Carradine as the “ad guru.” Three schmucks are sitting at a conference room table in front of an overly simplified chart that shows customers dropping sharply. The guys look to the ad guru who recommends they do three things: 

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The next scene shows the three helpless idiots dancing like fools as one guy exclaims, “Business is off the charts!”  

Are you kidding me?  

We would all be working five hours a week if generating business was that easy.  Does Yellow Book actually believe someone will see this ad and exclaim, “Yes! That’s exactly what I need to do! That will solve all my customer acquisition problems!” I’m thinking no! Um…to start with, virtually nobody picks up a three inch Yellow Book any more.  

There is a difference between a funny, effective ad and a dumb, ineffective one. The funny, effective ad leverages humor, communicates a meaningful value proposition and has a product/service that delivers on the brand promise. A great example of this is demonstrated in the FedEx Kinkos commercial that pokes fun of the stereotypes in a typical office environment. It’s absolutely hilarious, has great stopping power and doesn’t over promise. And it’s paid off with the closing line when the guy says, “I’ll be at FedEx Kinkos where they’ll help me design, print, copy, and finish the proposal.” Clear, crisp, concise messaging delivered in a funny execution that amplifies the target’s need and clearly states how it is met. Brilliant! Wait…no…that’s a different ad…  

What ads do you feel are not funny…just dumb?

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