A pinch of salt

There are different facades for TV commercials.

The very first one is that they are meant to sell a product to people.

The second is that they are a break from the regular programme that is being broad casted on a television.

The third is that they are another form of entertainment; because only that which can entertain and grab customer's attention is what sells.

The fourth is that they are a means of providing awareness to the society around.

Whichever way you try to view a commercial depends on your perspective. TV commercials, as we know, are as influential as they are expensive. They reach every member of a family from a toddler to an age-old person.

Personally, I find TV commercials interesting. I analyse the artistic talent of an ad agency, their way of presentation, the very core idea of a commercial and so on. Nowadays, there is extravagant emphasis on good-looks and physical appearance which is reflected in most of the commercials. There are myriad creams for turning a dark complexion fair. There is ample number of shampoos and hair oils to provide that last ray of hope to an ageing person or a balding person or a person with hair problems.TV commercials appear to meet every problem of our daily life and offer a solution to it. After all, our problems remain.

The projection that TV commercials portray sometimes appears like a mad-ad to me. For example, a lady is marriage-ready after she turns fairer. A husband is immensely happy because his wife washes his clothes really bright. A mother lets her child play in dirt because there is a one-stop solution for all the stains. I am amused at the way life's problem can be solved with such simple products or so they show. But, why are there problems still prevailing in our lives?

Why are we still fighting ageing when we know we will gradually get old, no matter which cream we use to prevent wrinkles, no matter which oil we use to grow hair, no matter which dye we use to colour the same and no matter what! Is it the mind-set of the society that makes these products sell? Or have these products really been so significant in our lives? What if we stopped being someone else by using these products?

We obviously, cannot go around with a balding head or a not-so-made-up face. These commercials and the products may not solve all our problems, but, they may mitigate some or it is just in our minds. So, we oscillate between growing old and staying young. It is the middle path we follow.

Image Credit: http://nirja-thediaryofahousewife.blogspot.in

The second trend that is prominent in all commercials is that "sex sells." Be it a deodorant, be it bathroom fittings, be it a soap, there has to be some body chemistry that is illustrated with the product as it catches attention. In few ways, it disgusts me, and I feel that it is the last, desperate and the worst form of getting attention from customers. It is, in other words, telling me, "Look here, I want to sell my product but, because my product is not worth your attention, I have some catchy obscenity that comes along with it."

Before such facts gets to one's nerves, one should decide to see the lighter side of thing. From that perspective, TV commercials can be funny and at times can mitigate the problems or sorrow in your life or they give an illusion of it.

So, lay back in repose, enjoy your cup of coffee and watch them. However, they are to be bought with a pinch of salt!

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. This week's WOW prompt is ‘Television Commercial.'