Category: TV

Goremmercials: the disturbing TV ads I can't watch

Fear of TV

[image: Corie Howell]

With major broadcasters – and Five – slashing staff and channel bigwigs pooing their breeks over the state of TV ad revenues, there’s a fair amount of soul-searching going on in the ad world these days.

There are any number of folk out there willing to tell you why TV ad revenues are down, but not many have hit on the fact that watching commercial breaks these days requires a steel stomach and nerves of granite. Amongst the usual barely-distinguishable spots for cars, shampoo, mobile phone networks and home furnishings lie terrifying public service announcements whose aim, you’d think, is to terrify you into flipping the channel.

The latest one that has me sprint-reaching for the remote is the Act F.A.S.T clip warning of the symptoms of a stroke. I’ll post it here but I imagine you’re as keen to avoid it as I am, so no offence taken if you skip past it:

I know it’s just a lady acting, but God it upsets me.

In that sense, the ad has done its job. It got my attention, preyed on my mind, darn well gave me a nightmare or two, and has led to me writing about it. Someone’s getting a bonus because of all that, you know. Someone’s getting a bonus for giving me nightmares.

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