Advertising And Triggers

[Venusian]

There is a Heshey's M&Ms commercial that is playing now that always triggers me. It is a couple, a man & woman sitting on a couch behind 2 M&M characters that are playing video games on a tv. The man and the woman are discussing if the feet and hands of the M&M characters are chocolate and if they would be ok to eat.

I know it is all supposed to be tongue in cheek comedy but it just really puts me off the company. How can a company that says it is socially conscious on its website give that message to thier target market? That it is OK for adults to discuss them eating the people that are in thier home in a social situation. I know they are only characters, that it is supposed to be make believe but to a child it is anything but.

I lived through something too similar to this scenario for me to really see the humour in this commercial. Am I being too sensitive or is this commercial really overstepping acceptable social boundaries?

 

[PioneerSon]

Venusian, I too have wondered at the ads like these that seem to undermine the very social/family strength that we say we want. It takes real courage to speak out against the inconsistencies of our society... perhaps one day the profit-driven ad agencies will see how their tactics are working against the very foundations of all that we hold dear.

Thank you for being willing to speak out...

 

[nimkekaa]

I have never seen this particular commercial but I do struggle with what people will do, say or portray in the name of making money. Some things are wrong wither they are funny or not.

 

[Venusian]

I did send an email to the company about this ad. I am not sure if anyone will ever read it but it was at least something I could do right away.

I saw it this morning and it just really made me want to crawl inside of myself. Then I thought, WHY? Why do they have to sell candy by using that message? Why do they get to sell something that made me feel that way? Unfortunately there are so many others out there like me that I know I can't be the only one that feels that way. I decided I had to make some small gesture to tell them it was wrong.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I think that commercials are getting stupider by the day. I even close my eyes to some of them. It is all about the money. The standards of decence in my opinion have really gone downhill and I do not see it correcting itself. Good for you on writing a letter. I have not seen that commercial yet.

Why do they call it common sense when it is so rare? Hugs.

 

[piratelady]

I just started using my DVR to record the shows I want to watch. Then I can just fast-forward through all of them.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I haven't seen that one, but I saw the one where a guy was dating the brown m&m and he wanted to eat her I think. She complained that he didn't want her for her brain and he asked if that was made of chocolate, too.

M&m commercials are just weird. None of them make me want to eat m&m's, so fail on their part.

I don't think you're being overly sensitive. If a commercial bothers you, you should tell the company.

 

[Venusian]

I made a mistake, it was Mars Company, not Hershey. I guess they do read the emails, I got a response to tell me my error and I have now sent one off to the correct company. It took me a while to find the site that would actually let me send in a complaint but I found it. Waiting to see if they actually read it and if they will respond.