Commercials with non-existent target demographics

[mbillie1]

So I'm watching the neverending story (tonight's Mets game) and I see this coppertone spray-on sunblock commercial. The main character or whatever is like, a early to mid thirties white guy playing pickup basketball in a city environment. There's also an old spice commercial where some similarly mid-thirties (or older) white guy is holding a basketball, apparently demonstrating his manliness or the manliness of the product, or something.

But here's my issue. These mid-thirties white guys playing pickup basketball with a perfectly racially mixed group of guys... they don't exist, or certainly not in the numbers necessary to justify using them as a marketing technique. Like who are they fooling here? I am a early/mid twenties white guy. I know this advertising is absurd. Is this targeted at insecure white guys wanting to feel cool by playing what's generally considered a more "urban" sport? Is there some strange town somewhere filled with energetic, in-shape, mid-thirties and older white guys playing street ball with their friends (and wearing sunscreen, wtf? so unballa/ungangsta) ??

I watch these commercials and I'm never buying this product. Unlike most people who are moderately affected by advertising, I am severely affected by advertising. This product obviously declares itself intended for some strange, fictional consumer group (the b-ballin white guys ten years older than me, lol!) so I will not use it. But like... I can see how the ultra-sexualized commercials for body spray / whatever can work, because they're at least associating their product directly with a good thing. Are there sappy middle aged dudes who think if they wear this brand of spray-on sunscreen that it will assist in their hip, athletic life? Like how is this commercial anything but a monumental failure (other than the fact that I am so bored/irritated by it that I'm posting this obv)?

What are some other made-up or absurd targets/examples/etc used in commercials? Obviously the "insanely aroused, unbelievably hot chick turned on by your spray-on deodorant" is out there, but that's a bit obvious and those commercials are clearly tongue-in-cheek to some degree.

And any mid-thirties, still cool and hip b-ballin white guys who throw down on the street court, feel free to chime in and disprove the central hypothesis in this post.

[ajml]

When watching shows like the Price is Right and Family Feud I always realize I shouldn't be watching these when the commercials come on and they are all for Stair-Chairs, life insurance, and nobody under the age of 60 making an appearance.

[kkcountry]

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What are some other made-up or absurd targets/examples/etc used in commercials?

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i choose to believe that there aren't old people out there who want to get nasty with each other as displayed in viagra/cialis/etc. ads

[mbillie1]

That reminds me, tangentially... are old people really such huge suckers that they go for "reverse mortgages" and all the other ridiculously overt attempts at scamming them out of their dog food money? I mean, old people can be stupid and naive sometimes, but "reverse mortgage" is too much. If "reverse mortgage" meant what it ought to mean, someone would be paying me to live in a house somewhere.

[Duke]

Yeah, the mixed group for basketball was ridiculous when I was playing. I was consistently the only white guy in a 5-10 mile radius. This is Detroit about 12 years ago, though, so maybe times have changed? I was also a lot younger then.

[mason55]

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I see this coppertone spray-on sunblock commercial

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mbillie: Hey I'm going to the store you need anything?
Girlfriend: Spray on sunblock plz
mbillie: Is Coppertone OK?

[MicroBob]

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Is there some strange town somewhere filled with energetic, in-shape, mid-thirties and older white guys playing street ball with their friends (and wearing sunscreen, wtf? so unballa/ungangsta) ??


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Not really sure I get your point.
I don't play much basketball but I play a lot of soccer (not so much lately because I'm injured).

Different people I play with range in age from 20-45 I think.
I'm 36.

These are organized rec-leagues as well as all our practices/scrimmages plus some pretty informal pick-up games at different places throughout the week (Wednesday nights at one park, Saturday afternoon at another...just show up and play type of thing).

I used to play pick-up basketball when I was younger. I have kind of given that up since I prefer playing soccer mostly because I'm not terribly good at hoops (only 5'6" afterall).

But when I was 16-25 I remember plenty of pick-up games at the gym or at the park that included older guys up to the age of 45 or so I would guess.

So I'm not quite sure I understand the point of there somehow not being such a thing as a mid-30's guy who plays pick-up hoops.

Cliff notes - Are such individuals really that rare?

[mbillie1]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I see this coppertone spray-on sunblock commercial

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Girlfriend: Hey I'm going to the store you need anything?
mbillie: Spray on sunblock plz
Girlfriend: what brand?
mbillie: WTF? Coppertone obv woman, I wanna b-ball and be ballin

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fyp

[tsearcher]

[ QUOTE ]
Is there some strange town somewhere filled with energetic, in-shape, mid-thirties and older white guys playing street ball with their friends (and wearing sunscreen, wtf? so unballa/ungangsta) ??


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You mean strange towns like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas City etc. I don't know about the sunscreen, but 30 year old white guys playing street ball isn't that rare.

[mason55]

either way, you're a capitalist pig

AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT