When Poor Taste Has A Point
Lots of questionable choices in advertising lately. First there was the #pepsifail episode (the objectionable app was dropped two weeks post-apology), and now we have DirecTV’s newest commercial, a reenactment of a scene in “Tommy Boy” that combines new footage of David Spade interacting with Chris Farley, who died of a drug overdose in 1997.
Once again, we’re hearing an outcry amplified by social media, with some YouTube viewers calling the spot “creepy,” “distasteful” and a “stupid idea.” This thread has since been picked up by mainstream news sources who pose the central question as ” is it too soon?” and “does this ad offend?” I’m less curious about how soon is too soon (it has been over a decade) and more interested in the reality that while the ad does feel wrong…. so did a lot of Chris Farley’s humor. And while I’m not entirely convinced this means the ads will endear Farley’s fan base (i.e., mainly dudes of all ages) to satellite television, I’m not buying that it’ll completely turn them off either. Especially given Farley’s friends and family’s involvement and approval with the project… and the potential “fun” to be drawn at the expense of the oversensitive. Taking a look at the YouTube page myself, I did see some complaints about exploitation and disrespecting his memory, but I saw a lot more of comments like these:
“Chris Farley, who could find the funny sh!t in everything. He would most likely laugh his head off at this! Come to think of it, if you find this ‘distasteful’ then you probably weren’t his demographic.”
“For those that think this is distasteful, wrong, or inappropriate you have no taste in comedy!! this is one of, if not, the most recognizable Farley moment. I love this commercial, and im gonna watch tommy boy 2morrow! RIP Chris Farley” [sic]
“Chris Farley is a legend. If anything this will make a new generation aware of his movies”
These comments made me want to open up the question to Ypulse readers of what their guess for the ROI on this spot will be? Certainly more brand awareness. But will we actually see more interest in the services offered by Direct TV… or a bunch of Farley fans watching a copy of “Tommy Boy,” adding it to their Netflix queue and/or watching some vintage SNL clips on YouTube, possibly exposing new, younger fans in the process. Thoughts?
Sorta Related
“Microsoft has yanked its sponsorship from Fox’s upcoming Seth MacFarlane comedy/variety special over content concerns.” [Variety]
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