9-11 Commemorative Commercials: Classy or Tacky?

On Sunday, September 11, 2011, State Farm, Budweiser and Verizon, among others, aired 9/11 tribute commercials.  I found these ads to be very genuine and moving homages to that historic day.  Some people will argue that creating and airing such commercials is taking advantage and seeking financial gain off a tragedy.  I couldn't disagree more.  I was sitting watching NFL and fiddling on my laptop when I heard the children begin to sing "New York State of Mind."   It made me pause, look up and take a moment of reflection on what was lost ten years ago.  And I believe that was the sole intent of State Farm.  At that moment I posted the following tweet:

Today I received the following response:

This has made me curious as to the opinions of the masses. Do you support the creation and airing of these 9/11 tribute commercials or do you believe they are in bad taste?

Oddly enough, I believe the point my responder was trying to make was negated by the fact that he was doing exactly what he is accusing others of doing.  Looking at his twitter feed, he seeked out posts to which he could respond to with links back to this one site, no doubt as advertising to build page views for his own agenda.

The State Farm, Budweiser and Verizon ads may be viewed at http://www.tvguide.com/News/911-Tribute-Commercials-1037241.aspx.

$49 iPhone from At&T

Great price point ad, and it's not just because it is for an iPhone. Sorry about the poor quality video, best one I could find.

Chrysler "Imported from Detroit"

The Chrysler "Imported from Detroit Ad" is one of my all-time favorite auto ads. This commercial sends a simple message. One that we, as Americans, can relate to. It doesn't inundate us with product features and a variety of models and prices and offers and such. It sends a clear, simple message. Chrysler vehicles come from Detroit, from home. And Detroit knows how to make a high quality vehicle because it's what they've done for years. They are the Motor City. The addition of a high profile celebrity, Eminem, just cements the message.

Pajama Jeans

For Rebecca.

Pajama jeans are real...no energizer bunny is going to come crashing through the ad. You may be asking yourself "How can they afford to air these ads?"
This is a per inqury (PI) ad which means that the host network/cable company gets paid a set amount for every call or order placed from the ad, not for the air time. Depending on the product, these can do well. I would be curious to see the stats on this one. Are any of my cable ad managers out there airing this ad? If so, how is it doing?

Bud Light: Real Men of Genius

Bud Light's series of radio ads that started in 1999 should go down in history as one of the best ad campaigns ever. They are memorable because they are funny and they are funny because they are true. Each spot takes a look at everyday characters in our lives such as Mr. Multi-color Sweater Wearer Guy and Mr. Beach Medal Detector Guy.

These were the type of ads you stopped on while flipping through stations trying to find music and looked forward to every break. Great use of audio, imagery and music....you're the real men of genius, Anheuser Busch ad guys.

There are well over 80 spots in this series and the complete list can be found at http://budlight.whipnet.com/ .