Truth In Advertising

Last week, I talked about a couple of ads that I enjoyed and felt were very effective.  Today, I want to talk about an ad that is just plain wrong and is a joke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGnE83A1Z4U

Something called the "Agenda Project" is running an viral internet ad campaign in opposition to the Paul Ryan budget proposal.  It shows a boyish looking man with thick black hair (obviously a representation of Ryan) pushing an elderly woman in a wheelchair over a cliff.  It then encourages you to call Paul Ryan and other Republicans to complain about efforts to rein in entitlement spending.

OK Agenda Project, I'll admit I chuckled the first couple of times I watched the ad--but now let's make a real commercial:

The scene opens with a couple in their early sixties (the man is wearing an "I'm AARP and I Vote" t-shirt, the woman has on her peace symbol t-shirt).  They are driving along in a convertible with the top down.  The sun is shining, the wind is blowing through her hair and they look so happy.  Slowly, the camera pans out to show the front end of the vehicle--and we see that they are driving a beautiful 1965 Chevy Impala SS with the license plate "MY IRA".

Then the camera pans to the rear of the vehicle and we see a forty-something, a twenty something and a toddler in the back seat--all with a terrorized look on their face.  They are screaming for help and waving their arms--begging the couple up front to "TURN, TURN, TURN YOU IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!"

As the camera pans out further, we see the Impala is hurtling towards a cliff--and that there is no chance the car will be able to stop in time.  We then cut to the famous final scene from Thelma and Louise, as we hear the couple driving the Impala yell out "AT LEAST WE GOT OURS, SUCKERS!!!!!" and finish with the giant fireball explosion at the bottom of the canyon from pretty much any episode of the A-Team.

Now THAT, would be an ad that correctly sums up the Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security situtation.  If you need someone to play the 40-somthing screaming in the backseat I'll volunteer to be in the commercial.  Like Buck Owens said "All I'll have to do is Act Naturally".