Harris <
[email protected]> wrote:
> "Steve Barr" wrote:
> > Art, it's just a silly commercial trying to get people's attention. That's all.
> Well, maybe I'm just being too logical. If I were buying a new car, I'd want a commercial that
> told me something about the car, not some fantasy that isn't even funny.
> I think the idea of a freeway being a playground, and a car being a toy, is all to prevalent.
> The image of the deserted urban highway fits right into the fanstasy. Too many drivers already
> see themselves as the only ones on the road who matter, and therefore, feel free to do whatever
> they please.
Art, commercials make emotional appeals. They are not a place for rational argument. That's a good
thing: it's developed because people now have enough skepticism to no longer trust commercials on
matters of fact. (Like when you see a commercial for a Lincoln that says it outcorners a BMW. None
of the drivers who care how well a car corners are going to believe that without a test drive.)
Let's keep in mind that we are talking about an ad for a Camry, which is possibly the most reliable,
boring, square, middle-of-the-road car you can buy (This is not a knock on it - it's boring in part
because it's reliable and gets you where you want to go). People who buy Camrys don't do donuts on
highways even if they are deserted. They might like to think about it, but they never actually
would; that's what the commercial is playing on. I'm sure some Camry owners drive aggressively and
unsafely, but for the roots of that one needs to look elsewhere.
Anyway, I apologize for ranting off-topic about cars. Just think, if the bicycle were much more
popular, we could be flaming bike manufacturers for their misleading TV ads.
