OMG, have TV commercials always been this dumb?

[kubicle]

Personally, I have the willpower to avoid running out and purchasing everything I see when I'm forced to sit though a commercial, so they don't bug me much. I realize this is the model that pays for the entertainment I receive via the newly installed antenna on my roof.

But then again, it's not the commercials that actually pay for the entertainment. In the end, it's the consumers that pay for the advertising budgets in product prices (even if you don't buy the advertised product, but something/anything else)...Commercials aren't free lunches. In fact, we're paying not just the advertising costs but supporting a whole (advertising) industry whose primary purpose is to affect rational decision making. I wonder who came up with that (my money is on someone who advertised it well).

This is just "food for thought". I personally quite enjoy advertising when it's clever or humorous (read: "includes full frontal nudity")...in short, I generally enjoy ads that I'm in the target audience of, and am annoyed by other ads (like most people)...and yes, I'm sure it's the marketers that came up with the phrase "I'm not affected by advertisements".

[james147]

This is just "food for thought". I personally quite enjoy advertising when it's clever or humorous (read: "includes full frontal nudity")...in short, I generally enjoy ads that I'm in the target audience of, and am annoyed by other ads (like most people)...and yes, I'm sure it's the marketers that came up with the phrase "I'm not affected by advertisements".

Given this, what do you think about being "tracked" to display more targeted ads at you? I find most people don't want to see the ads that aren't relevant to them, but also don't want what is needed to filter out these ads, ie someone else knowing what you want (like google). As long as this data is not abused that is

[oshunluvr]

I currently have a Kickstarter project sitting under my TV now - a DVR concept device. I assummed VODO was a streaming service (and I don't usually watch TV on my PC, Netflix and Hulu have Roku channels) but it looks like a torrent service which is very cool! My main DVR/Media streamer has torrent service in it so I could download right to my TV.

I'll check it out!

[kubicle]

Given this, what do you think about being "tracked" to display more targeted ads at you?

1. I'm convinced that it's the advertising that we enjoy watching that affects us the strongest, so I'd go with the rational mind and decline (or maybe I'm covertly influenced by those other advertisements that I think I don't like, making me rather watch them instead...damn it ). Most things we enjoy aren't really good for us, after all.

2. Everytime I hear "tracking", I reach for my water gun

EDIT:
Afterthought...I seem to recall a brain scan study that suggested we actually don't make rational decisions, but instead make decisions on emotion and rationalize afterwards. So that is probably what I'm doing.

[james147]

What about this: Would you be against them passively monitoring your already mostly public browsing habits in order show you more relevant content?

Afterthought...I seem to recall a brain scan study that suggested we actually don't make rational decisions, but instead make decisions on emotion and rationalize afterwards. So that is probably what I'm doing.

This is true. I saw a case study once that showed even if people didn't really like or pay attention to the ads they still have an affect on people as when faced with two things to chose from we will tend to pick the most familiar... even if they do not know why they are picking it.

(the case study was done on random pattern and people where shown one, then a while later shown a list of them to pick their favourite from with a large tendency to pick the one they had already seen)

[SteveRiley]

Besides, without commercials how are you supposed to refill your wine glass during a show? Three minutes seems exactly right to grab a snack, re-fill a glass, and take a quick potty break!

All in just three minutes? I'm impressed. For the average mechanical engineer (i.e., my dad), three minutes constitutes only the first one-fifth of any given potty break. I suspect this is typical for most engineer types.

Maybe I'm nuts - but what if you gave up a few inches of screen space on your 60+" TV to targeted banner ads in exchange for no commerical breaks?

You are nuts... I would hate have to have a flashing banner ad distracting me from what I am trying to watch

If the ad were placed in a predictable location on the screen, then a bit of black paper secured with a skoach of scotch tape would appear to be a satisfactory workaround.

When we do watch a commercial; we usually critique (like Steve) the content, message, and appearance of the actors and rarely remember the product when the show resumes.

Fun family game: mute the sound and fill in your own insanely hilarious dialog. Or, better, do this while visiting your parents, and mute the sound during the local evening news and fill in your own insanely hilarious dialog. Watch as your mother grows so angry that she stomps off to bed. This is, of course, simply an idea, without the benefit of a shred of evidence that it actually ever happened.

It reminds me of what some new music artists are doing - selling directly to the public. Great idea in concept but more often not practical.

Variation: torrent the crap out of everything you like, then donate directly to the artist's official fan club/support forum/whatever. More money is likely to flow to either the artist or activities than the artist even with this approach. Again, I offer this only as an idea, whose implementation is left to the reader.

clever or humorous (read: "includes full frontal nudity")...in short

So many ways to respond to this. I shall not touch any of them with a 10cm pole.

[james147]

If the ad were placed in a predictable location on the screen, then a bit of black paper secured with a skoach of scotch tape would appear to be a satisfactory workaround.

And then when you are back on the menu and need to use that part of the screen? I would hardly call it satisfactory if I need to get up to pull it off between watching shows.

I would MUCH prefer to have no ads during the show and a silent static dim banner ad on the menus.

Variation: torrent the crap out of everything you like, then donate directly to the artist's official fan club/support forum/whatever. More money is likely to flow to either the artist or activities than the artist even with this approach. Again, I offer this only as an idea, whose implementation is left to the reader.

This is basically what you do on vodo.net except it is legal

[SteveRiley]

And then when you are back on the menu and need to use that part of the screen? I would hardly call it satisfactory if I need to get up to pull it off between watching shows.

Method and apparatus for an on-demand superimposable, dynamically resizable and relocatable, obscuritant rectangle, of which the size, position, and activation states are manipulated by human-activated remote control mechanism.

Jerry, patent that sucker quick!

[oshunluvr]

All in just three minutes? I'm impressed. For the average mechanical engineer (i.e., my dad), three minutes constitutes only the first one-fifth of any given potty break. I suspect this is typical for most engineer types.

I'm an ex-Air Traffic Controller which meant 20 minute breaks including the two flights of stairs down and back up for about 25 years. The wine is usually already opened (of course), the snack has to be ready-to-eat and I generally approach the bathroom in full stride while simultaneously un-encumbering my "self." This usually works well unless the bathroom is already occupied, in which case it can be either humorous or embarassing depending on the occupant!

If the ad were placed in a predictable location on the screen, then a bit of black paper secured with a skoach of scotch tape would appear to be a satisfactory workaround.

I thought of the same thing after I re-read my post. A Monty Python line is appropriate here: "What a stupid concept!" Referring to my original banner-ad idea, of course.

Fun family game: mute the sound and fill in your own insanely hilarious dialog. Or, better, do this while visiting your parents, and mute the sound during the local evening news and fill in your own insanely hilarious dialog. Watch as your mother grows so angry that she stomps off to bed. This is, of course, simply an idea, without the benefit of a shred of evidence that it actually ever happened

Don't see your mother much, do you?

[SteveRiley]

I generally approach the bathroom in full stride while simultaneously un-encumbering my "self." This usually works well unless the bathroom is already occupied

Method and apparatus for delivery of the output of self-unencumberance, irrespective of distance or urgency. Incorporates optimal route discovery techniques.

Don't see your mother much, do you?

Truthfully, not as much as I wished. What with my own biz travels, my wife's various volunteer work, and the kids' school activities, planning a multi-day trip from Seattle to Columbus is surprisingly difficult.

[kubicle]

This is true. I saw a case study once that showed even if people didn't really like or pay attention to the ads they still have an affect on people as when faced with two things to chose from we will tend to pick the most familiar... even if they do not know why they are picking it.

Emotional part of the brain: "Ooh...I want that Porsche"
*Bank account empties*
Rational part of the brain: "Umm...Where are we?...what just happened?...I see, we bought something...haven't I told you not to jump the gun?"
Emotional: "Aah...I like guns"
Rational: "Now why in the hell would we buy a car....better come up with some logical reason before the boss notices"
*Milliseconds of intense reasoning*
Rational: "Right...that's better...this seems logical and convincing"
Emotional: "I don't like that"
Rational: "Shut up and mind your own business"
Emotional: "Hey...there's something shiny over there"
Rational: "Don't touch th..."
*Kaboom*

So many ways to respond to this. I shall not touch any of them with a 10cm pole.

*Enter Monty Python Colonel*
Colonel: "I've noticed a tendency for this program to get rather silly."

EDIT: Forgot, link-or-it-didn't-happen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cStEeF0XI_4 (cue 14:00, if you don't have half an hour to spare)
----

Feels like Friday

[Robtygart]

This is true. I saw a case study once that showed even if people didn't really like or pay attention to the ads they still have an affect on people as when faced with two things to chose from we will tend to pick the most familiar... even if they do not know why they are picking it.

It's called subliminal messaging!

[james147]

It's called subliminal messaging!

No, it is why subliminal messaging works.

[Detonate]

One of the reasons I like watching TV on my computer via my tuner card that on the big TV in the living room is, when a commercial comes on, I can go play a game, of check my email, or as I am doing now, visit the forum for new messages.

[SteveRiley]

visit the forum for new messages.

Discussing precisely the activity you're attempting to evade. Hmm...