4 ms·

It seems right now that liking it is the minority view, so I'll throw up what I like about it real quick. General advertising culture crassly manipulates desir

It seems right now that liking it is the minority view, so I'll throw up what I like about it real quick. General advertising culture crassly manipulates desires in a way that I find insulting. This commercial purposely fucks that manipulation up. It's like a middle finger to the soulless beer commercials that I find tiresome, the "being told what to like" mentality. This commercial also has a point, in an Emperor's Clothes sort of way. People are angry because they don't like feeling like their concern for whales, Tibet, or the cause du jour is insincere even if they aren't doing much to actually contribute. If you're offended, step back and look at why. Is it because you don't like thinking about how absurd American culture is (in effect if not intent), importing Tibetan food for trendy twenty-somethings to enjoy, turning concern for rainforests into absurd Disneyland-style Rainforest Cafes. Because that's a _true_ analysis. If you're upset because a commercial is an _accurate portrayal of life_, then that's not entirely sensible. On the other hand if you're upset because "They didn't do commercials right, they're supposed to follow a pattern/distort data/just be funny," I'm unimpressed with your orthodoxy. The world is absurd. I like a company that is willing to spend millions of dollars to point that absurdity out using itself as an example. People aren't going to stop buying groupons because of this ad, and a successful ad campaign wouldn't save them from going bust like Pets.com (as is documented elsewhere). In other words, _this ad meant nothing anyway,_ and it embraces that to actually be pretty funny and insightful. In my opinion.

anigbrowl 16y ago
Except it's not an analysis, it's a sales pitch. If it were on a satire show, you'd have a point. But they are in fact inviting you to spend your money on discount coupons for shopping instead of sending it to a nonprofit. My wife and I donate money to a variety of different causes we care about (not these specific ones, but that's beside the point). Besides the patronizing suggestion that people never actually put their money where their mouth is, the Tibet one also comes off as racist. She used to like Groupon, and tended to give them several hundred $ a month in business. Note my use of the past tense here.
- Helianthus16 16y ago
  I am using the artistic interpretive sense of the word 'analysis' here. The ideas presented in the commercial are a viewpoint. It is an analysis that is a sales pitch because it says: we're so confident that we can tell you _exactly_ what the situation is, with an actually quite sad bitter self-awareness, and it won't make any difference. "This is a stupid system [advertising and the crass mainstream] and I refuse to play. And I can tell you this to your face and you will still use me, because that's just how our world works." >Besides the patronizing suggestion that people never actually put their money where their mouth is That ain't a suggestion, that's the truth. And even if everyone were committing a significant proportion of their resources, it still wouldn't change the really bizarre affinity Americans have for taking causes and turning them into ways to make money. I believe I already mentioned the Rainforest Cafe. I really don't think you're cynical enough, and just personally irritated because you actually donate. Anyhow, Groupon doesn't care about customers like your wife/you. Groupon will continue to make money, for one thing; but not only that, Groupon doesn't need customers that are told what to do by advertisements. And if you're making a purchasing decision based on an advertisement, that's exactly what you are doing. The goal of Groupon's advertisement was to not be an advertisement, but a stated fact. I hesitate to say it was an anti-commercial because it is still actually promoting its product, but it is definitely flipping off every other superbowl commercial for taking itself so damn seriously. Finally, I'm assuming you know that Groupon is matching donations for the various causes. The way it's not making this clear actually makes me respect them more, because waving the size of your donation-dick (that's the second time I've used that phrase tonight, how old am I?) is just another form of crass advertisement.
  - anigbrowl 16y ago
    I really don't think you're cynical enough, and just personally irritated because you actually donate. Actually, we were irritated by the Tibet commercial because it came off as so racist. My in-laws are Asian so the whole family was hanging out together. It did not go down well at all - and my in-laws are neither hypersensitive nor lacking in humor. The goal of Groupon's advertisement was to not be an advertisement, but a stated fact. Sez you. I hesitate to say it was an anti-commercial because it is still actually promoting its product, but it is definitely flipping off every other superbowl commercial for taking itself so damn seriously. Riiiight. Because superbowl commercials are famous for being humorless public service announcements. As for Groupon matching donations (up to $100k each, I believe), big whoop. They spent $3m on their ad slots. This PR mess will cost them a lot more before it's done.

anigbrowl 16y ago

Except it's not an analysis, it's a sales pitch. If it were on a satire show, you'd have a point. But they are in fact inviting you to spend your money on discount coupons for shopping instead of sending it to a nonprofit. My wife and I donate money to a variety of different causes we care about (not these specific ones, but that's beside the point). Besides the patronizing suggestion that people never actually put their money where their mouth is, the Tibet one also comes off as racist. She used to like Groupon, and tended to give them several hundred $ a month in business. Note my use of the past tense here.

Helianthus16 16y ago
I am using the artistic interpretive sense of the word 'analysis' here. The ideas presented in the commercial are a viewpoint. It is an analysis that is a sales pitch because it says: we're so confident that we can tell you _exactly_ what the situation is, with an actually quite sad bitter self-awareness, and it won't make any difference. "This is a stupid system [advertising and the crass mainstream] and I refuse to play. And I can tell you this to your face and you will still use me, because that's just how our world works." >Besides the patronizing suggestion that people never actually put their money where their mouth is That ain't a suggestion, that's the truth. And even if everyone were committing a significant proportion of their resources, it still wouldn't change the really bizarre affinity Americans have for taking causes and turning them into ways to make money. I believe I already mentioned the Rainforest Cafe. I really don't think you're cynical enough, and just personally irritated because you actually donate. Anyhow, Groupon doesn't care about customers like your wife/you. Groupon will continue to make money, for one thing; but not only that, Groupon doesn't need customers that are told what to do by advertisements. And if you're making a purchasing decision based on an advertisement, that's exactly what you are doing. The goal of Groupon's advertisement was to not be an advertisement, but a stated fact. I hesitate to say it was an anti-commercial because it is still actually promoting its product, but it is definitely flipping off every other superbowl commercial for taking itself so damn seriously. Finally, I'm assuming you know that Groupon is matching donations for the various causes. The way it's not making this clear actually makes me respect them more, because waving the size of your donation-dick (that's the second time I've used that phrase tonight, how old am I?) is just another form of crass advertisement.
- anigbrowl 16y ago
  I really don't think you're cynical enough, and just personally irritated because you actually donate. Actually, we were irritated by the Tibet commercial because it came off as so racist. My in-laws are Asian so the whole family was hanging out together. It did not go down well at all - and my in-laws are neither hypersensitive nor lacking in humor. The goal of Groupon's advertisement was to not be an advertisement, but a stated fact. Sez you. I hesitate to say it was an anti-commercial because it is still actually promoting its product, but it is definitely flipping off every other superbowl commercial for taking itself so damn seriously. Riiiight. Because superbowl commercials are famous for being humorless public service announcements. As for Groupon matching donations (up to $100k each, I believe), big whoop. They spent $3m on their ad slots. This PR mess will cost them a lot more before it's done.