Poor TV commercials

The staple of our local TV commercials is mainly consumer items like toilet and washing soaps, hair oil, toothpaste, edible oil, beauty aids, milk products, etc. Some of the advertisements for these products, say, soap and beauty aids, are so profuse in number, and the claims of the competing companies as to their benefits are so much of a tall nature, that they leave the consumers confused. When such advertisements are accompanied with the models' gyrations with their attractive faces and willowy shapes, viewers with some iota of good taste and sense of culture may be left cold by such unseemly display.

Among other intolerable features of TV commercials, as observed by irked viewers, is the repetition of the same 10-second commercial several times within 15-20 minutes spans. Another vexing sight on some popular TV channels is the parade of a good number of commercials by several sponsoring agencies, interposed in the middle of an interesting serials or feature films. Such occurrences tend to destroy the mood of many viewers, sometime driving them to switch off the TV set in anger.

Some aspects of the commercials as they appear from time to time in the programmes may strike some viewers as galling. The makers of some leading soft drinks are found to resort to ingenious and attractive commercials featuring well-known film actors and actresses and even famous cricketers. It is easy to imagine what a tremendous impact such commercials create on the minds of easily impressionable youngsters, particularly children. Sometimes such commercials include offers of prizes for purchases, besides soft drinks, chocolates, milk foods, chewing gum, etc. with concealed lucky numbers inside the packets in some cases, thereby keeping their buyers in suspense about the results of draws.

While we discourage smoking within the country, we notice attractive commercials about some brands of cigarettes telecast on satellite channels from outside the national borders. This may be considered unfortunate because the young viewers, who have easy access to cable TV, come under adverse impact on account of such undesirable commercials.

Of course, there are some positive aspects of TV commercials, such as when they announce concessions in prices of some essential electronic items like fridge, TV, micro-oven, and other household appliances on festive or other special occasions, as they help in creating a desirable consumer culture for a better standard of life.

There may be no hesitation in admitting that, judging by the standards achieved by Western electronic media in the matter of presenting commercials, we have a lot to learn in eschewing the cruder forms of TV media publicity. The key-point is to make sustained efforts on the part of the TV producers to eliminate irksome elements in TV commercials.