Should You Be in Your Own TV Ad?

By Mike McDaniel

"Hi, I'm Earl Scheib and I can paint that car for $29.95" Even if you don't live in California, you may have heard about the pitchman and his low prices to paint your heap. People still joke about it today even though the $29.95 was a great price almost 50 years ago. That is a memorable ad by the store owner.

But what about the car dealership owner standing in front of a line of bumpers, gesturing with wooden movements, reading words from a que card about largest selection and great service? Memorable? Hardly. Make you want to jump in the car and race over to see all the new models arriving daily? Probably not.

In my line of work, helping businesses with promotions and advertising, I travel a lot. And I can tell you in I have seen the same stupid commercial in every hotel room in America. Only the face is different. Ineffective nationwide.

What makes it work? It doesn't. Why do car dealers everywhere buy it? Ego. The TV People are selling the car dealing on his ego, not good business advertising sense.

Standing in front of the dealership and waving his arm over the lot does not pitch a benefit of any kind and that's what brings 'em in, benefits. Ease their pain and you gain. Answer "What's in it for me" and you move product. Say "Look at me on TV" and some folks will actually snicker. Great image.

But it works, if you ask the car dealer. His neighbor said he saw him on TV. The guys in the service department told him he looked good on he tube. Yup, works great. As long as people he knows are reinforcing his ego, he will do more and more of them. Sometimes filming one commercial can take several hours. Now the cost really starts to mount up. But ego sells.

If you can keep your ego in check and avoid being in your own commercial, or radio ad (remember you are not an announcer either) you advertising dollars can be better spent. You can do better with billboards, too, without your mug 30 feet high and hanging off the edge (for extra cost).

Whatever you don't, don't let 'em talk you into putting your two little kids or grandkids in a commercial shouting something about "Buy a car from my grampa!"

You can see a would-be Dave Thomas (the Wendy's Guy) everywhere and none of them are as impressive as Earl Scheib and twenty nine ninety five.

Advertise to sell benefits, not to find out if your neighbor watches the 6am TV news.

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