LETTERS: CLEVER COMMERCIALS CAN BE SELF-DEFEATING

To the editor:

It is said that doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. Advertising is a powerful and lucrative business. I sometimes think that the advertisers overuse the straw man approach. Remember how that is used in public speaking or in political rhetoric? In that approach, one sets up the competition and then proceeds to try to eliminate him like a straw man. He sets him up as the producer of an inferior product which is so ineffective or worthless that one would be foolish to purchase or utilize it.

I sometimes wonder if some advertisers don't spend more time and money in tearing down the competitor than in stressing the merits and qualities of their own product. One can expect that in political campaigning, but is it so essential in advertising? I am almost convinced that I should buy the product of the competitor just to see if it is as bad as the competitor claims it to be.

I know that in dog-eat-dog competition there is no place for fair play, but at times I prefer to hear of the claims of the producer for his own product.

And have you noticed how clever those writers of our television commercials are becoming? At times the commercials seem to blend in so well with the theme of the program in progress that one is not immediately certain if it is a commercial or a part of the program itself. It is as though it is a kind of tapestry which has been woven in as a sort of art. One may feel he is watching a magician who is almost deceiving us with his illusions. It seems that some companies may spend an inordinate amount on advertising until we begin to wonder if the amount of advertising is a cover-up for the mediocrity of the product. Well-known brands have usually earned their reputation by the quality of their product.

Although I know that repetition is often used for emphasis, I wonder if anyone else becomes annoyed by the excessive repetition of the same sales pitch of some of the commercials. The only solution seems to be to turn off the television, because we know that another channel could repeat the same commercial.

A few years ago, all that was necessary to sell a product overseas was the slogan "Made in the U.S.A." But that phrase doesn't carry the weight it formerly did, since some countries have greatly improved the quality of the products they produce.

Sooner or later, the public realizes that there has to be a measure of truth between the claims made and the actual quality of the produce if the advertising is to be effective. A good ad will give a true picture of the merchandise until it is so well-known that the name brand will speak for itself. The reputation of a company or an individual will speak for the quality of the merchandise as well as the integrity of the company.

Advertising is a part of life. As individuals, we usually want to put our best foot forward to make a good impression. The best advertising is that which gives an honest description of the product.

IVAN H. NOTHDURFT

Cape Girardeau