Repetitive Coronavirus Ads
We are now over two months into statewide lock-downs to prevent spread of COVID-19. In that short amount of time, many aspects of daily life have changed. One being that the marketing has become increasingly obvious and repetitive.
Groups of friends and families hanging out, handshakes, hugs, sporting and concert events that used to show up in advertising have been replaced with social distancing, waves, and constant reassurance that things are going to get better soon. And, everyone is getting in on the action.
Grubhub runs commercials urging people to order from local restaurants. Doordash is doing much of the same, telling people that “the kitchens are still open for takeout.”
Dominos now offers a ‘Contactless Delivery’ option. Their new advertisement mimics the classic 1983 movie Risky Business showing a man dancing and singing to Bob Seger’s ‘Old Time Rock & Roll’ in his house waiting for his pizza to arrive.
State Farm released a new ‘Jake from State Farm’ commercial where the message is delivered through what appears to be a Zoom video recording. Several companies, including Walmart and Google, have released similar video chat recordings as a way to appeal to all those working from home at this time.
Toyota and Northwell Health contain videos of younger adults helping older people perform simple actions. Buick, GMC, and Indeed.com, a job profiling site, all use the same message: “We’re here to help.” Other companies, including McDonald’s, contain nearly identical messaging.
Although these messages have played their part in keeping Americans reassured, they have become repetitive. There are only so many messages that businesses can use in their marketing, and it feels like everyone has used the same one.
The worst part is, they are impossible to avoid. With more Americans stuck at home and glued to their screens, watching shows or catching up on the latest news, commercials have gotten increased attention.
Even advertisements online, especially on social media and YouTube, contain the same messaging. The only way to avoid them is to shut the computer, phone, or TV off completely or turn on a streaming option such as Hulu or Netflix where there are no ads.
There is a lot of controversy over the ads as well. Businesses are just doing their part to keep things light while also reminding people that they are open for business. But with parts of the country entering their third month in lockdown and unemployment rising over 30 million, should the messaging be so positive?
It’s no secret that things are going to change as we emerge from this pandemic. The advertisements about safety, community, responsibility, and charity are all ideas that have been echoed for many years. It is important that leaders in the community, in business, and in the family decide to echo them further, but do so with the right intentions.
Want to create messaging that helps you stand out? Get in touch with email marketing specialists at Rizzo Young Marketing.