Looking at a magazine advertisement for a popular rum, I realized that the ad was selling everything but rum. I’m sure you have seen this ad or one like it. The image features a group of young, healthy, attractive people laughing and having fun in a boat at anchor next to a beautiful Caribbean beach. The visual is very powerful, and I could not help but think that I wanted to be one of the people in the photo. I liked the freedom the attractive people were enjoying. I wanted friendship and fun. I wished to get away from it all to a quiet Caribbean island to forget about my job and all my responsibilities. I wanted to be young, healthy, and look great in my swim trunks while an even better looking woman in a bikini smiled at my side. In short, I wanted everything in the ad except the rum.
That makes sense because the advertisers weren’t selling rum. They were selling a dream. People want freedom and fun. They want to escape from the challenges of their daily lives. They want to be healthy and attractive and be surrounded by beautiful people. The ad hit all that on the head; the only problem with it was that buying that brand of rum would not get you anything but a bottle of rum. All the beautiful things in the picture are not included with the rum. All the best items in the advertisement are sold separately.
Bikini-clad models not included.
A caribbean island not included.
Freedom not included.
Fun not included.
Happiness not included.
Advertisers have gotten good at paring something we feel a strong emotional attachment to (rum, clothing, cars, etc.) with thier product. They use flashy ads to try and set their tangible product next to the intangible things we want out of life. There is very little chance that buying their product will actually buy us more freedom or fun. In fact, working to pay for the product may take away our independence and make us less happy in the end, especially if it puts us into debt.
I think these ads should come with a disclaimer similar to the warning on the boxes of all those children’s toys that makes it clear “Batteries Not Included.” Only these adds need to come with a warning that reads, “Happiness Not Included.” It’s not that you can’t find happiness with these products; it’s just that you will have to provide that element yourself. You may buy the distilled spirits bottle, but you will have to supply the friends and fun yourself.
I have the notion of making a transparency with the disclaimer “* Happiness Not Included.” I can hold the transparency over the page and see that disclaimer reminding myself that what the company promises in the ad is not something they can actually deliver. Happiness is an extra element that we must provide. And we may be better off skipping the product altogether and just delivering our own happiness.
