My boss has been leading an e-mail discussion at work about the use of Ripley-menacing style aliens in New Mexico tourism ads. It's sort of like the Geiko cavemen in that they're placed in domestic situations, discussing New Mexico as a great getaway.
It kind of makes sense. Roswell, NM, -- aliens.
The ads have generated some controversy, however. Some have claimed, according to what my boss read, that the aliens don't reach the desired older and wealthy demographic.
Older, wealthy people are noted for not having a sense of humor and for not detecting humorous subtleties, after all.
Sarcasm doesn't really come off as well without inflection, does it? Kidding!
The proof, I suppose, will be in the tourism measurements.
I certainly get the message from the commercials and I think I will go to New Mexico and wait for Predators to show up, too. That's going to be a good fight.
6 comments:
Older, wealhier people are too busy hoarding their monies and looking for their "clappers."
Cool ad campaign, indeed.
If only I was an alien . . .
I like it. And I'm an older person, if not a wealthier one.
I'm kinda old. I haven't seen it. What's a sense of humor?
I liked the commercial--thanks for sharing! *L* Ironically there was an altered New Mexico flag in my dream last night...
It's a cute ad that made me smile. But New Mexico is such a beautiful state and has so many things to do, and this ad doesn't play to those strengths. The alien promoting N.M. doesn't say why he's suggesting it as a vacation destination. We don't even see the picture on the cover of the brochure.
Good points, Shauna. Possibly it is a case of ad writers working to be edgy as the cost of hammering home the true message.
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