From the editor: On the spot

I love a good television commercial.

At their worse, they are filled with braying injury lawyers, used cars and salad spinners. In the hands of a marketing genius, however, these brief video segments tell entire stories in a matter of seconds—a task that would have eluded the great writers of any age.

Imagine Shakespeare’s agent insisting he cram Claymation raisins and 60s Motown into a half minute meant to entice average Americans to purchase tiny boxes from Sun-Maid—or whichever brands were based in California.

In my memory I hold onto such well-known gems as Coca-Cola’s heartwarming 1980 spot featuring Mean Joe Greene. If you don’t remember, Mean Joe was the Seattle Seahawks defense all rolled into one vicious package. The ad features a young boy offering this beast his Coke after a particularly bad game—“It’s OK, you can have it,” the boy said, instantly softening the heartless one’s beating core.

But I also recall those so potentially offensive to the squeamish set that they appeared infrequently, if at all, after their debut. Consider, for example, TiVo’s glorious 30 seconds with Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott and a case of “masculine itching.” To me, it’s an equally effective piece.

Maybe it’s better. Look it up on YouTube (one of man’s greatest inventions) and you’ll understand why “skip the things you don’t want to see” trumps “have a Coke and a smile.”

My favorite commercials from this year’s Super Bowl … I mean, Superb Owl (the NFL is relentless, trust me) … apparently offended many people, if post rout commentary is correct. Some even soared over most heads.

An example of the latter was the Jaguar spot that aired once during Sunday’s blowout. Missed it? It simply featured Hollywood bad guys, all recounting the values of the car in question with smooth British accents. It was a clever commentary on the fact that our film industry understands that its audience often considers foreign accents threatening, so they cast veteran British actors in baddy roles.

Brits trained in BBC English, as it turns out, are clearly different yet understandable—perfect for audiences wary of immigrants. The premise may have escaped a few viewers.

A Cheerios ad involving a biracial couple apparently infuriated some small minds, I guess in the way that George Jefferson’s neighbors—a white husband and black wife—upset tender folks back in the 70s sitcom heyday. Then again, Jesse Owens offended a certain purist, too. Personally, I found it to be a placid expression of real American life. Keeping up is just the difficult thing for many.

In a narrow response to Coca-Cola’s thoughtful spot featuring an American patriotic anthem voiced in different languages, footnote Joe the Plumber chirped “Personally I think Coca-Cola went too far with this commercial … People come to America to be Americans. Don’t give me this BS about culture. Loyalty to AMERICA above all, speak english”—not capitalized—“then have your damn traditions.”

I understand some of the frustration caused by multilingual encounters, though not the anger. Sorry, plumber—the United States does not have a national language. Obviously command of English helps one get around and advance, but there is no law requiring such.

Several years ago I moved to the Czech Republic. I did so for a job, not because I wanted to be Czech. They speak an official language there, so I endured courses. Over time, I fell into the pace of life--but I also watched college football and NFL games on television, late at night. Was I wrong to appreciate Czech culture, yet remain loyal to the United States? Was I different than many foreigners who work in this country? Fortunately, Czechs are generally tolerant.

The Coke ad celebrates American diversity, which may be said to be America’s true exceptional trait. Some, however, see things in one color, hear things in one voice.

OK, so the company also wants to sell cola to people of all sorts. Perhaps I’m giving them too much credit.

Predictably the most popular Super Bowl  commercials … um, better be safe and say “big game” commercials, so as not to run afoul of NFL lawyers … involved dogs, Clydesdales and children. When the dog is scaled down to puppy status and a child saddled up on a canine, Gene Autry-style, the ad apparently earns more points.

Why? With hundreds of millions watching the game, it’s best to aim at the easiest target. No matter our background, we all love the underdog, the second child, the person who uses persistence to achieve. The puppy escapes from its animal shelter over and over, reaching out to the majestic horse and its kindly owner. Eventually, it is adopted.

Now that is American culture as we want it to be--caring, self-assured full of individual achievement. And it is forged in different languages and by those of different races. Perhaps the puppy and Clydesdale says more than I originally thought.