One of my least favorite Things Ad People Say is "...but then, I'm not the target."
First of all, it's weasel talk. Which, by itself, is not sufficient cause for condemnation. Sometimes weasel oil is the only thing that keeps the gears of the ad machine turning. But this phrase (which I suggest we all just shorten to "beetint") is usually deployed immediately after someone has just made an honest, usually negative, assessment of whatever proposal is on the table. What it really means is "I think this is crap, but don't hold me responsible for my opinion." We all know that's what it means. The CD hates you just as much if you don't say it. Why bother? Just explain your position.
The second reason to banish beetint is that the target/shooting metaphor isn't a good mindset for making interesting work. It depicts people as passive prey rather than active minds. If we're stealthy and hit them with a powerful message where they don't expect it, they’ll crumple to the ground where our man Nielsen can tag and bag them. "Ah, the female urban clubber! Very rare and beautiful creature, you seek, Sir. Resistant to print, internet. May I suggest…ads on toilet lids? Silent. Intrusive. Inescapable.”
passive prey - quite. though you can be 'creative' about media placement that makes for a really great original ad... but so often it's just used to display the same ad that went for outdoor or print.
Posted by: jamesb | July 06, 2006 at 09:44 AM