Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Century Creepy-One

On today's Day to Day on NPR, there was a great segment discussing that nasty new Century 21 commercial with the wife who teams up with her Century 21 agent to bully her husband into buying a house that they cannot afford. The audio of the segment will be available a little later today:

Slate's Ad Report Card: The Century 21 Harpy

However, you can just read it at Slate.com directly:

The Nastiest Wife on Television: An odd new ad from Century 21.

He has a link in the article to a video of the commercial, but it looks like the video has been removed. I found it on YouTube, but it doesn't seem to be loading there either.

Anyway, I completely agree with his review of the ad. It's creepy! I don't think that's just because I'm a man either. It would be equally as creepy if two men (husband and agent) were pushing the house choice on the wife.

I don't know what Century 21 is trying to advertise here. "Does your spouse say no? Need someone else on your side? We'll be happy to say yes!" It just doesn't make any sense.

PLUS, the commercial just makes me feel queasy after it. It's one of those awkward moments that you do not want to capture on film. If that was real life, I would want out of there as quickly as possible. In fact, it ranks right up there with that VW commercial where the women are making fun of the men for crying during the movie and as the VW crosses the intersection it gets hammered by a truck on the driver side. It's gut wrenching! Watching the Century 21 commercial is just as bad... However, I think the VW commercial WANTS you to feel bad (though I think that's a bad commercial too). I have no idea what Century 21 wants you to feel after this commercial.

2 comments:

Alan Degenhart said...

I agree. Terrible commercial, esp. the part where the wife goes "what!?" Arrrg...terrible commercial

Anonymous said...

The most persuasive ads are mini-movies that hang together every second of the 30 or 60 they've got. This is one bad ad - inconsistent at every turn. Did anyone else notice this blue-collar couple looked rather old to be parents of babies? (aside: 40-year yuppies having babies is another story) I'll suggest the back story: 2nd marriage, for him or both. He's got child support payments, & she's pissed at being held back. "The kids are 3 & 1" crack is totally unbelieveable; it's only stuck in their to establish him as a lout. There's no motive for him giving in - unless she's hot in the sack, maybe.

I think this ad totally backfired - notice it's gone from the airwaves. "Suzanne says.." wha? Take financial advice from a real estate agent? And finally the picture on the business card. Real estate is whoredom in a suit, thus the newspaoer ads don't show a picture of the house - they show the agent!

Century 21 & the ad agency got a foot stuck in their own bullshit.