Just how incredibly stupid do the marketers of Afrin nasal spray think we are? Have you seen their latest commercial? It consists of a rather plump gentleman sitting on a stool who gives us a very graphic demonstration of what life is like without Afrin. He squeezes his nostrils closed with his fingers. I'm not kidding. This is "before" Afrin. Then he lets go. This is "after" Afrin.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I ended up just shaking my head and wondering what the ad agency's presentation of this brilliant concept in advertising must have been. I imagine several creatives from the agency, plus the account supervisor sitting in the boardroom at Schering-Plough in front of the Afrin marketing team. "OK, we have a guy and he does this..." They all squeeze their noses shut. "He tells us this is what it's like when you're plugged up. Oh, and he talks all muffled and nasaly..." Then he holds up a bottle of Afrin and unplugs his nose. "Now he sounds normal!" It's a miracle!
"Yep, I like it, sounds good, wonderful creative, brilliant, here, take a bunch of money!"
I wonder if they ever stopped to think that the idea is just plain stupid and laughable. Do they really think the American public is so stupid that we won't see this lame "demonstration" for exactly what it is? What's really sad is how this concept could be taken to just about any extreme. Actually, it is...all too frequently. Idiot marketers think it's enough to show someone looking sad, and say "before." Then show the same person looking happy and say "after." This has been the sorry excuse for advertising that marketers have been using for years. They think it works, but it doesn't. At least I hope it doesn't. Because you have to be a very stupid, gullible consumer to react to this kind of mind-control.
On second thought...brilliant!
Afrin liked the idea so much that they made a second, almost identical commercial. Same guy, same concept, but now he's dressed in PJs and robe and is hawking the nighttime version of the nasal spray. I don't think the copy changed one bit other than the name of the product.
By the way, did you know Afrin has a website. Why, I can't even begin to imagine. But they do. Could it possibly get ANY hits?
Afrin's a good product...but their marketers are idiots.
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