Ads Tap Into That 'Mad-as-Hell' Feeling

Companies use consumer rage to sell
By Ambreen Ali,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 26, 2008 5:14 AM CDT
Ads Tap Into That 'Mad-as-Hell' Feeling
A yellow Harley-Davidson bike reflects on a silver helmet in this file photo. The company assures us that %u201Cfreedom and wind outlast hard times.%u201D   (Getty Images)

Advertisers are feeling our pain. So they're tapping into consumer rage over rising prices by saying "we understand," and using that to sell products and services. Take a Southwest ad that asks what the competitors have been smoking. "Apparently, your rolled-up $20s," it quips. A legion of ads has cropped in similar fashion to assure us that companies sympathize with our anger, the New York Times reports. A few examples:

  • Harley-Davidson proclaims that “freedom and wind outlast hard times.”
  • Jackson Hewitt shows taxpayers who didn't use its services angrily smashing things.
  • Eastman Kodak claims to "take a stand" against “pricey ink stinks” and companies that “treat people’s most precious images" as file formats.
(Read more advertising stories.)

We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy.
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X