Humans are wired in a way that we all have the same primal reactions to some types of events. For example, our body feels pain in order to promote self-preservation. So when we see someone in physical pain, we feel empathy and we try not to do what that person has done. DIRECTV uses this knowledge to equate subscribers of traditional cable TV with the people who like banging their heads on beams or those who like getting rammed by a shopping cart. DIRECTV says that “some people still like cable, just like some people” like undergoing all the terrible events mentioned above. By this, the nontraditional TV provider is suggesting that no one likes or should like cable because no one likes undergoing all of those painful events. DIRECTV uses various scenarios of physical pain or annoyance to suggest that you wouldn’t want to be that person who gets their seat kicked on the plane; you fit into the “everyone else” bucket. So, you should get DIRECTV.
Even though the logic behind the campaign is sound, I do not believe that the campaign is well thought out. Especially in this age of technology and multitasking, when people watch commercials, they are only half-listening. They are listening enough to realize when the commercials end and their show is coming back on. As a result, there is a chance that viewers would actually attribute those negative activities to DIRECTV itself instead of the other cable companies. Moreover, if they were to switch, the consumers will likely recall the ad every time they mention the company. Personally, I would not like to think of a sequence of events where people hurt themselves when I think of relaxing on the couch.
What do you think? Would this ad grab your attention enough to pay attention to the 30 seconds? Would you switch?