Coal Miners Hotter

Last night as we watched TV, one of the worst commercials I have ever seen came on. This spot is part of the new "ecomagination" campaign from General Electric. You can spot bad advertising when they revert to sex to sell anything. It's lame, unimaginative, and a cop-out for lack of good creative.

It starts out and we're in a coal mine, dank and dark. But wait--what's with these coal miners? They're sexy! Toned bods and tank tops. Dudes with cinder-block pecs. Ladies with come-hither stares. (This isn't coal mining.) As the models preen with their pickaxes, six-packs, and helmet lamps, an old mining folk song plays: "You load 16 tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt." The spot ends with the voiceover saying, "Harnessing the power of coal is looking more beautiful every day."(Click here and scroll down to watch the ad.)

So I guess the models could just be a metaphor for the "beauty" of using efficient fuel, but I was insulted. I don't need sex to sell me on something. I mean, I'm all about juxtaposition, but come on. Give me a rational message wrapped in an emotional envelope. THAT's the key to successful advertising.