[Orchids & Onions] Jeep hits home with its appeal to FOMO and regret

That is something that Jeep astutely taps into with its latest TV ad for its vehicles. Ask anyone to give you some of the attributes of Jeep and you will get: tough, go-anywhere, macho.

That’s testament not only to the intrinsic qualities of the vehicles, but also to the way they’ve been marketed over the years. Few of those potential buyers entranced by the Jeep’s promise of freedom will not have noticed that there are one or two models in the line-up these days that can do nothing more adventurous than park on the grass next to a rugby field with the other moms’ taxis.

Yet, the TV ad even makes an aware petrol head like me discard that reality and think, yes, well,
maybe…

It’s cleverly written. It starts off by saying: “No one cares what you did last night.” Then goes on: “It makes absolutely no difference how many places you almost went, how many risks you didn’t take.”

All the while, the voice runs over images of Jeeps climbing up mountains and charging through rivers and in places that scream “remote”!

Then it hits the nub: “Because, right now, you’re writing the story of your life. And when it’s over, you have to ask yourself: would anyone want to read it?”

It’s powerful. It speaks to the FOMO (fear of missing out) that characterises so many of us in this fast-paced world.

You will not miss out if you have a Jeep, because you will do things that will make your life story something worth remembering. That’s a strong marketing message, from one of the world’s strongest and most single-minded automobile brands. And it gets an Orchid.

© Constantin Stanciu – 123RF.com

SABC’s (acting? Illegally appointed? Political hitman?) chief operating officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, has made a lot of waves with his Edict From On High about the 90 percent quota for local music to be played on the public broadcaster’s stations.

One could speculate about the possibility of this being a diversion before the local government elections; or wonder about the fact that – as disclosed by Leanne Manas on SABC 2 last week through a message from on high – Hlaudi’s definition of “local” music now includes reggae (Bob van der Marley perhaps?)

However, at the risk (yet again) of receiving hate mail, I have to say I agree with Hlaudi on the point of the imperialist conquest of South Africa.

What is it about us that something doesn’t sound quite as powerful unless it is in a foreign accent – normally American or the queen’s English? Advertisers are the worst offenders when it comes to embracing foreignness.

Reader Sadick Mohamed fingers the latest Prudential ad, which has a sort of Scots accent. Do we think, somehow, that the Scots have a direct line to God when it comes to money? Puh-leez, as they would say in an American sitcom…

For me personally, the latest offender is the Hatfield Audi group, which is running a radio ad with a woman with an ersatz American voice extolling its virtues. Seriously?

An American voice promoting a product that is quintessentially German? Come on people. It is lazy. Lazy thinking. Which will get you an Onion all the time, y’all…

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