Commercials have a strange dynamic with the viewing public. In most cases they are virtually glazed over with little of the message hitting home. The best commercials however are treasured and remembered years later.
These commercials can be quirky like 'R Whites Lemonade'; heartening in the case of the BT ads with Maureen Lipman; or simply hilarious in the form of the Boddington's ads.
Actually what these ads share is that they are funny commercials. And that is part of what makes these commercials stand out from the crowd and strike a chord with the audience. Making people laugh is one of the most effective ways of getting a message across.
The ad format also lends itself to comedy. Being so short, the options are limited for the ad men. Creating a memorable ad is far easier using a comedy theme with a clever punch line.
Another development in commercials has been the role of the web. Some of the best recent ads have been web based ones, known as virals. These use the end user to spread the message about the product or service and the videos are often edgier than what you would find on TV.
In some instances these commercials have become to clever for themselves and as a result the message of the ad is often lost. What the web viral videos do emphasise is the continued evolution of advertising in commercials.
