Companies spend an average of $150 billion on advertising in national media on an annual basis; somewhere between 10% and 30% of that amount funds the placement of ads meant to be humorous. The significant focus on comedy stems from any number of theories - that it makes people remember the spots, that viewers are more likely to sit through them for entertainment, or even that Plato's theory is still relevant, and laughter is the result of feeling superior to others. Whatever the theory behind the ads, most people can agree that humorous commercials take up far more space in the media as time progresses. In the United States, the prime time for these comedy-driven ads is during Super Bowl Sunday; however, in other countries throughout the world, humorous ads dominate the airwaves year-round. This phenomenon resulted in the airing of the above commercial, produced by the Belgian condom company Zazoo.
As a company that produces means of artificial birth control, it is obviously in Zazoo's best interest to promote safe sexual intercourse through the use of condoms. The sender, in this case, recognizes not only the need to promote safety but the need to advertise a sexual product in a widely acceptable manner. Most likely as a result of prior complications with advertising, the company brainstormed a concept that almost entirely removes sexual intercourse from the situation at hand. Zazoo does not even mention the product or, really, what it does, until the final segment of the commercial. This allows the sender to communicate the message without fear of censorship or backlash from the general public.
Zazoo uses this commercial to communicate a message not only of the importance of safe sex, but of the potential consequences for those who do not practice it. The audience does not know whether the man pictured in the commercial planned to have a child or had one by accident; they only know that, obviously, at the time of the child's conception, a condom was not in use. Here, the company communicates a message that is closer to the extreme end of the spectrum. Not all children are monsters who regularly throw tantrums this destructive in public places, but the extremity of the message is integral to its effectiveness. The message, put simply, is, "You don't want this. To prevent this, buy our product."
This commercial plays strongly off of the emotions of its target audience, 18-24 year old males. The young demographic would be more likely to go out and buy the largest volume of Zazoo's product on a regular basis; it would also be more likely to have a strong aversion to any kind of long-term responsibility, like children. Using a scene of such embarrassment and obvious misery with a young man in its starring role will hit close to home emotionally for many. Watching the child throw his tantrum, the audience may feel an overwhelming desire to distance themselves as much as possible from the situation. To do this, they might feel more obligated to go out to the store and prepare themselves, so to speak. Zazoo infuses the commercial with another emotional appeal as well: humor. While the child's tantrum is obviously meant to communicate embarrassment, it also contains a great deal of hilarity. It's extremity inspires as much laughter as cringing, making the commercial a likely topic of conversation between friends later on.
Language does not play an overwhelming role in the commercial; most of the message is communicated through body language and tone. What little language used is sparse - just the child screaming over and over, "I want those sweeties!" The phrase reflects the widely recognized attitude of a child, the intense demand for something wanted for only a brief period of time and forgotten about soon afterward. The child in the commercial is determined and quite serious about his demands; however, the audience will interpret his demands as more comical than anything else, adding to the overall humor of the commercial. The language used for the actual tag line of the commercial is also very sparse, allowing the ad to speak mostly for itself. "Use condoms" - two words, direct and to the point, leaving no room or need for interpretation. The commercial's language accurately reflects its overall effectiveness.
Zazoo also excels at the logic of their commercial. The advertisement sets up and executes a very clear cause-and-effect relationship between not using condoms and having a monstrous, tantrum-prone child like the one pictured. It makes sense: use a condom, avoid the grocery store theater. Don't use a condom, and end up braving the sweet aisle with a determined young one. Chances are, very few people will want to leave that decision up to fate after viewing this commercial.
This commercial reflects the ideal relationship between content and effectiveness in an advertisement. Zazoo worked with a brief time slot to stage a scene, execute a condensed plot line, and sell its product to an audience through the use of comedy. Most of all, the company's ad leaves a lasting impression, something that many strive for and few achieve. Word of mouth will do most of the work for this particular product after the commercial airs.
