Can we ban the C-SPAN spoofs? When the ad industry focuses on self-regulation, it’s usually dealing with weighty issues like how to responsibly advertise prescription drugs or Fruit Roll-Ups. So how about this proposal: Isn’t it time for a self-imposed ban on ads that feature fake congressional hearings in the name of “humor”? The latest offender is the Subway spot (shot to look like it’s airing on C-SPAN, as all the spots in this sorry genre are) in which Jared is being questioned by a bunch of congressmen about how he lost all that weight. Once the committee is satisfied, everyone eats turkey subs. Puh-leeze! There was the infamous GoDaddy spot from the Super Bowl. There was the Geico spot where the guy holding the hearings gets “some good news.” There’s this Jared spot. Haven’t we had enough, Mr. Chairman? —Posted by Catharine P. Taylor

July 25, 2005 | Permalink

Comments

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I don't know about you, but I would much prefer to see GoDaddy over Jared.

Posted by: Bill Ding | Jul 25, 2005 10:42:28 AM

How about an end to spots where the main characters have a personal "soundtrack' following them around. Enough already.

Posted by: Bob | Jul 25, 2005 11:29:51 AM

When I realized it was in fact a Subway commercial, I thought for sure that someone would get a tongue lashing for using "S-CAM".

Certainly someone in their marketing dept. noticed that "S-CAM" looks the same as "SCAM".

And when discussing diets, no one wants their product to be related in any way to the word "scam".

But the commercial keeps running.

Natasha "That Girl From Marketing" Robinson

Posted by: Natasha Robinson | Jul 25, 2005 4:02:30 PM

Its an advertisment get over it really. You can turn the channel if you don't like the commercial.

Posted by: Emma | Jul 25, 2005 11:18:34 PM

And while you're at it get rid of :
"Office lunch time comedies",
"People holding up signs over their heads",
"People finishing each other's sentences",
(especially when they repeat the previous person's last word)
"Spoofed late night ads",
"Sports heros dressed in ascots",
"CGI created alternate universe sci-fi sports",
"Fake news conferences",
"People sitting around conference tables docu-comedies"
....it just goes on and on.....
Keep up the award winning "brilliant" work, ad geniuses.
yech.

Posted by: KRank | Jul 26, 2005 10:45:56 AM

Lots of advertising is derivative because this generation of creatives is one-dimensional. They look at award books and annuals and boom, there's a concept. Just make it look different. Clients are also to blame. They just want to be like everyone else.

Posted by: munkeyboy | Jul 26, 2005 12:24:59 PM

Here's an interesting fact: did you know that spot was a spoof of the baseball/steroid hearings? I didn't either. But all-in-all the spot's not so bad. I think the sadder issue here is how most of these postings have turned into gripes about ads today. Boring! I want to read about what ads you think are cool! Take the Mike's Hard Lemonade spots for example. Hilarious!

Posted by: RBella | Jul 26, 2005 1:39:09 PM

I think it's even sadder that most ads today suck !

Posted by: KRank | Jul 26, 2005 1:50:04 PM

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