Ads you Deserve

[MrMoogle]

I listen to the radio a lot, and I noticed something the other day.  More and more advertisements are selling things "you deserve," where before it seemed like they were things "you need."  Luxury car that you deserve.  Payday loan options you deserve.  There were a couple others too, I just don't remember them. 

I know some used to use "deserve" but they were few and far between.

Anyone else notice this, or have they been doing it for a while and I just now noticed?

[big_slacker]

I'm sure advertising has trends just like other fields. Deserve seems to play into the sense of entitlement so many people feel these days.

[The_path_less_taken]

The show "Happyish" is one of my favorites right now...the woman hates all the blatant advertising bullshit, the husband WORKS in advertising and hates it...but life (in the last episode) just sort of ground them down and they caved and bought the new 'must have' phone and crap for their kid.

Advertising, at its core, is manipulation. Maybe it started out as just a form of notice that someone had something for sale: "Grog have dead mammoth, trade half for wife, or dry cave."

But now it's evolved into mind fucking spiders that try and get you to reevaluate your very existence and being: "You deserve it." "Life is short..." etc.

Visit any car lot for  great examples. Read any car ads: "it's sexy" "feel the power" "let's go places" etc.

The alternative is to actually think for ourselves, and choose things that enhance our lives instead of encumber them.

Easier said than done, even for MMM converts.

[Kris]

I think it's been happening for quite a while now.  If you're old enough, remember the "You deserve a break today" jingle from McDonalds?  That was from the 1970s. 

I do think it's gotten more blatant over time, though, as our culture has gotten less embarrassed about over-the-top displays of material comfort.

[shotgunwilly]

I've been seeing billboards from jewelry companies that challenge the masculinity of your man if he won't buy you that $10,000 ring, because you "deserve" it.  So damn sad.

[J Boogie]

Every now and then, when something like a pedicure or a leasing a lexus SUV presents itself to my wife, she'll look at me say "you know what J welterweight, I deserve it."

Every now and then I fall for it and start writing a persuasive speech in my head, only to see her crack up realizing that she got me. 

So -which is worse, "I deserve it" or "It's an investment"?

[TheAnonOne]

Every now and then, when something like a pedicure or a leasing a lexus SUV presents itself to my wife, she'll look at me say "you know what J welterweight, I deserve it."

Every now and then I fall for it and start writing a persuasive speech in my head, only to see her crack up realizing that she got me. 

So -which is worse, "I deserve it" or "It's an investment"?

It's an investment in yourself.

This has lead people to assume investments mean losing money with little or 0 hope of any returns.

[StockBeard]

Based on the title, I thought the point of the topic would be that I deserve to be shown ads, and would be a rant about how ads targetting gives you "the ads you deserve" (hmm, apparently I deserve a russian bride). :)

[nereo]

I still remember a series of radio and television ads by a law office offering to take over your court-ordered structured settlement in exchange for an instant payout.  The fine print said the customer would get 'up to 40%' of the settlement.

The tag-line... 'it's your money, you deserve it now!' Sleezy.

[Retired To Win]

I'm sure advertising has trends just like other fields. Deserve seems to play into the sense of entitlement so many people feel these days.

Bingo!  And, if you deserve it then... you should have it.  And if you don't have it, then someone should provide it for you.  Bleh!

[nobodyspecial]

BMW running one at the moment, something like "you are an overacheiver, you are a success, you deserve a new 3 series...."
As if I needed another excuse NOT to buy a BMW.

I even feel sorry for BMW's engineers, imagine producing what is obviously a beautifully engineered piece of machinery and knowing that it is only bought by assholes, and everbody not driving one sees a BMW and thinks asshole.

[marty998]

They're not selling products... they're trying to sell hopes and dreams.

That's why it is so powerful.

[RoadLessTravelled]

It's pretty straight-forward and understandable.  There is no question that the trend in young people is towards a greater sense of entitlement than in previous generations.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/teenage-narcissism-and-sense-of-entitlement-is-found-in-new-study/2013/05/06/37441c14-b33a-11e2-baf7-5bc2a9dc6f44_story.html

They should all have 3500 sq. ft. houses with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops because they 'deserve it.' 

Advertising is always one of the quickest industries to recognize and appeal to trends.  No news there.

[mozar]

Yeah I think this trend (or increasing trend) is rather unpleasant. People I know are starting to say they "deserve" things. It's troublesome.

[sunday]

Selling "deserve" is selling the "need" to reward yourself. I'd put that in the top tier of the Maslow's hierarchy as a type of self actualization. But obviously not for a mustachian.

[Elderwood17]

Yeah I think this trend (or increasing trend) is rather unpleasant. People I know are starting to say they "deserve" things. It's troublesome.

Agree.  I hear family or coworkers using the "deserve" word all the time.  Many seem to think it is their place to tell me that I "deserve" a newer car, etc.    My elderly mother who worked for money very little in her life is increasingly telling me how she deserves various things.  The latest is an iPad, even though she has no computer or wifi access.  She drives about three thousand miles a year, has a six year old sedan with about 50,000 miles on it but is also feeling she deserves a new car.  Sigh.

[NorCal]

Just a guess, but maybe they shift heavily between the "need" promotions vs. "deserve" promotions depending on the economic climate?

This is one of the reason's I'm grateful I don't really watch TV anymore (Netflix excepted).  It's interesting that I used to be so used to ads that I didn't even notice them.  Now they're so foreign to me that I'm shocked by their stupidity every time I'm actually exposed to them.

[MrMoogle]

I don't watch tv either, but I have the radio on all day, and hear them there.