Advertisements.  They are everywhere and more intrusive than ever!   Researchers say the average person is exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements every day.  What???  Television and radio commercials.  Newspapers.  Magazines.  Direct mail.  Billboards.  Internet advertising has grown by leaps and bounds.  Social media nowadays feels like a shopping mall.

This constant targeting has created a phenomenon known as “consumer marketing fatigue.”  Two-thirds of us don’t watch TV ads.  We mute the ads, switch to another channel, or just leave the room.  Have you ever been scrolling through your favorite blog or reading a news article online when suddenly a pop-up ad invades your screen?  Can’t hit that X and delete fast enough.

Interestingly, it’s print magazines that still get the attention of their niche audience. Magazines deliver a higher return on advertising spending across all media, averaging a $3.94 return on every dollar spent.  Whoopie!  But, that’s five percent higher than all other categories. 

And, lately it’s hard to find a good ad.  Even Super Bowl ads haven’t been that entertaining.  Okay, we did get a kick out of the WeatherTech commercial this year.  It featured four “golden girls” speeding along in a vintage 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible, singing Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild.”  The gist?   WeatherTech’s floor mats are designed for real-life messes and adventures.

The Charmin bears need to go.  Bears’ butts are not that cute and the whole shtick is stale.  GEICO’s gecko is no longer appealing.  Giving the gecko a new look, a cowboy hat and fake mustache, is supposed to grab us?  Nope!

Commercials featuring LiMu the emu are driving people insane, if Reddit postings are any indication.  LiMu is a shortened form of the company’s name, Liberty Mutual.  Posts complain that the commercials are dumb and feature the worst jingle.  Time for LiMu to retire and go back to the farm?

Probably the most irritating and possibly harmful are the drug ads.  The FDA commissioner says these ads “are filled with dancing patients, glowing smiles, and catchy jingles that drown out the fine print” and “distract by design.”  Viewers often self-diagnosis, leading to inappropriate use of medications, increased healthcare costs, and even adverse health effects. 

Then there is the required, exhaustive list of side effects ubiquitous with every TV ad for prescription drugs.  Fatal throat swelling.  Deadly allergic reactions.  Liver damage.  And, you expect us to ask our doctor to prescribe this drug??

We do get a kick out of Valpak, a direct marketing company that mails out coupons featuring local business.  They now randomly include three $100 checks monthly as an incentive to get us all to open the envelope and skim through the ads, hoping to find a check.  They don’t want you to know that their mailings go to over 41 million homes.  Like those odds??

Some of the grossest TV ads are the ones for personal products.  The full body spray deodorants?  At least they embarrass both men and women.  It can be awkward to be with the younger grandkids when they pop up.  Quick channel change!  Muting doesn’t hide the cringey visuals.

We did giggle at a comment from one marketing expert who insists that there is a great deal of advertising that is much better than the product.  “When that happens, all that the good advertising will do is put you out of business faster.”

So, our wrinkled wisdom for today?  Check with family to find out who knows how to block ads on your phone and computer.  Great if you can record your favorite TV programs and skip the ads.  Have the book you are reading or the crossword puzzle ready when you mute those ads.  Kill those 12 to 17 minutes of ads each hour with something fun!

P.S.  For our entertainment, share with us the ads that irritate you most…that’s if you are actually watching, listening to, or reading any!