Ian Swenson .com

I’ve been on a commercial kick lately, but damn! They are so annoying. Not all of them, mind you. But most. For a change of pace before I enter the Scathing Zone, here are two commercials I actually enjoy when they come on, even after I’ve seen them 5-10 times a piece.

http://www.ianswenson.com/v/gap_skinnypants.flv

They are both creative, well-acted/produced, and convey their product’s message well. Good work Cingular and GAP.

Now, on to the castigation.

Even though there aren’t any non-bot out-of-staters visiting this site, you may still be unaware of the Washington State Dept. of Health’s new anti-smoking campaign, “No Stank You.” Disclaimer (getting teens to not smoke is good, even if the questionable expense of tax dollars is funding it) aside, these commercials stink.

http://www.ianswenson.com/v/nostankyou_perfume.flv http://www.ianswenson.com/v/nostankyou_toothfairy.flv http://www.ianswenson.com/v/nostankyou_date.flv

You can just taste the palpable demographic research on display here: “Kids smoke to be cool, so let’s make smoking not cool.” Yay! Great deduction. So do it right instead of screwing around with this nonsense.

Smoking is not cool. I learned that from D.A.R.E. in elementary school, not from not-cool commercials. Smoking may not be cool, but these commercials are even less cool. They’re so out of touch with what might actually work with teens it’s ridiculous.

Plus, for the rest of us, the adverts are shocking, offensive, and perverse. Par for the course for what the government normally produces, I suppose.

Legalese and Butt-Saving Language available here.

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