Country singer Slim Whitman died the other day at the age of 90 years old. Most rockers only know Slim as a joke in the Tim Burton movie Mars Attacks in which Slim's high pitch yodel proves a lethal weapon to the invading Martians. But most Americans know Slim Whitman from the late night television commercials selling his albums in the 80s when his decidedly old fashioned country style made him ironically hip, or maybe just ironic.
He allegedly sold millions of records through these ads and he wasn't the only one. Boxcar Willie, who I certainly had never heard of, was also pushed relentlessly late at night when a music lover's otherwise discerning taste may be impaired to the point that he or she might actually order a copy over the phone. I wonder how many people were caught by surprise weeks later when a Slim Whitman or Boxcar Willie album showed up at their front door and the COD (cash on delivery) payment came due?
These days there are compilation CDs all over television but they're at least for repackaged older hits and not some completely obscure recording artist. But why not? Why not sell The Tooners' 20 year old CD Rocktasia on late night TV? Slim and Willy weren't selling any new material, it was all "Greatest Hits" that they sold, but for most of the TV viewers their old stuff was new to them.
Advertising all comes down to hypnosis. Give someone a 'suggestion' strong enough (a thirty to sixty second commercial on TV with sound, pictures, video and a very persuasive voice over announcer), often enough (every fifteen minutes ALL night long), every day and then have a product aimed at a self medicating consumer base that stays up all night and is in an extremely 'relaxed' state of mind (very susceptible to post hypnotic suggestion) and you could conceivable sell them anything.
That's the trouble with Internet advertising and why it just hasn't proven nearly as effective as TV or radio advertising. The Internet is INTERACTIVE which means the viewer/consumer has to be actively involved which means AWAKE and ACTIVE. The average Internet user is too busy to be lulled into a post hypnotic suggestion to buy something because he or she is too bust clicking here and there. The viewer/consumer has control, not the advertiser, and doesn't allow the advertiser to have his or her full attention for any length of time and certainly does not enter into the Alpha state of mentality that allows someone or something to give it commands. And if you don't believe me then just CLICK HERE AND BUY THE TOONERS NEW SINGLE DRAWINGS FROM MY MIND RIGHT NOW!
This is a win/win for me.
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