Commercials

Let's talk a minute about TV commercials, shall we?

I appreciate them. No really, I do. I don't always watch them and yes, they do annoy me (such as when the robot that controls when commercials are aired decides to show the same 3 commercials every break during an hour long program). But you have to admire the artistry that goes into them. Think about how difficult of a job it is to create a TV commercial; you have to hold people's attention and get them to make a decision about your product or service in less than 30 seconds. Oh, and did I mention that most of your audience hates what you are doing and will either change the channel, leave the room or hit the fastforward button while your hardworks gets its half-minute of fame?

What makes a good commercial? It's attention grabbing for one thing. Friends of mine have heard me rave about the Jetta commercials that show actual collisions. Sometimes a commercial has to be a little weird, such as the one featuring Abe Lincoln and a beaver. And a good sense of humor is a must. The commercials of Thomas Richter have all three: they are strange, funny, a little bit uncomfortable at times, but never boring:

http://www.thomasrichter.net/