Finally, a great example of truth in advertising! (Metaphorically speaking, that is...)
I'm from New York City, so I well know the unparalleled joys of Time Warner Cable. (I am, of course, being sarcastic when I say that.) When I last lived in NYC, Time Warner Cable had an absolute monopoly in my neighborhood, so we couldn't switch to another company if we wanted to. And they knew that, so they seemed intentionally to provide the worst possible experience just to rub it in; or at least, that's how it appeared to us. (Don't believe me? Even Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and countless other comedians rag on them for the same thing.)
So when I saw this Super Bowl ad with zombies associated with Time Warner Cable, it just seemed to be so appropriate. Yes, zombies move very slowly and are extremely hostile, which make them the perfect mascots for Time Warner Cable. And you never know when zombies might show up, which makes them just like the cable guys who worked for them. Also, zombies are making a mess in this house, which was an experience shared by many of the cable customers I knew back when I lived in NYC. And zombies are ravenous, eating through people in no time, which the cable bills did with people's money and patience. And in zombie movies, many cornered victims would rather shoot themselves in the head than be subject to the ravages of the zombies, which also makes Time Warner Cable much like zombies.
Yes, no matter how you look at or interpret this commercial, zombies are just perfect as a metaphor for having Time Warner Cable. Or at least, that's what they used to be like. Maybe they're much better now; I certainly hope so! But the next time they make a TV spot for their company, maybe they ought to think about whether or not it will send the right message to prospective customers. (Or are they hoping customers won't find out what they're like until after they've signed a long bundled service contract?)
Here's the carnivorous cadaverous cable company commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjk1A_Tx4Jc
BTW: I generally make fun of lots of advertisements on here, and when I make fun of companies, it's generally in light of how their advertising might make them look. But with respect to Time Warner Cable, I have actual experience and knew lots of others who had exactly the same experience as well. That might only be due to the monopoly thing (I tend to think so, because people I know in NYC who are in a monopoly area don't get anything like the options and features offered in the TV ads for Time Warner Cable), but even, or especially if it is, that really demonstrates a tendency to abuse and take advantage of customers who have no other alternatives for cable service due to lack of competition, and I find that reprehensible. And I'd think badly of this no matter what company did it, even if I had a positive experience with them myself personally.
Also: This YouTube video uses the reprehensible tactic of forcing you to watch an ad before you watch another ad. I wish they would stop doing that with ads, because the idea of having to watch advertising to see advertising, while ironic, is ultimately self-defeating, and it will lead to less and less people actually watching advertising spots by choice. And as advertising already generates enough hostility as it is, I think it's frankly idiotic to avoid generating any more wherever possible. But I'm only trying to help, because I'm actually very interested in advertising, so when it annoys me, it must positively infuriate everyone else.
