We’ve noted this before but apparently it’s become such a trend, people have begun to email us complaining about it. We think Verizon is the biggest culprit here but plenty of brands (or, more likely the creative folk at their agencies) have found it necessary to be witty by making their own customers look stupid. Here’s an email we received today:
“I just keep wondering why so many ads seen on TV show the customer as an idiot? The most glaring one was a recent Nextel/Sprint commercial where two gingerbread men were talking to each other about whatever in front of a glass of milk. The “smart” one’s last reply was the selling proposition – no overages – when a hand comes down and he gets picked up by the feet. So…the customer who supports Sprint/Nextel gets treated to Sprint/Nextel’s love. Their head bitten off?
Oh yea, another one comes to mind and it’s a cell phone ad too. I’m sure you know it. Man speaking to wife, daughter and son. I’ll call you, you call her, etc. The son is the smart one. ‘I don’t have a cell phone’ Duh.”
Duh, exactly. Can we all please stop treating our customers like they are a bunch of bleating buffoons…even if they are. It’s so much easier to be negative than to be positive. Just read a few weeks of Adrants and you’ll see what we mean. But it doesn’t make for a good marketing strategy. If people feel they are being talked down to or made to look dumb, they’ll think you (marketer, agency) are dumb too. Let’s make a New Year’s Resolution to treat our customers with respect, K? Now get out of the office the two of you who are still working and start eating fruitcake.
