Now for another completely different topic: I listen to a lot of radio, mainly sports and talk radio, and so I hear a lot of radio ads. I’ve begun to notice that there is a decided lack of creativity in radio advertising. Next time you’re listening, count how many ads “break the fourth wall.”
You may ask what that means. I’ll give you an example. You have the standard radio announcer person reading standard copy. Suddenly they’re interrupted by someone else in the radio booth, supposedly a producer or engineer, who objects to what they’re saying. Oh no, they’re off the script and ad-libbing, they’ll have to do another take! But by the end we realize that it’s all a big set up and that this really is the ad. Ha, ha, so clever.
Except, it’s not. It’s been done. It’s been done a million times. It no longer catches your attention. It’s old and tired. Retire it already!
Phew, can you tell I have a hang up about advertising?
