Comments on: Big Mac: Dynomite!

By: Anthony

Anthony — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:18:29 +0000

I think Toyota’s ad is definitely a parody. It would fit right in on SNL/MadTV. It’s not necessarily about who does it, but how often it’s done. Keeping SNL as the example… they make plenty of parodies about different things, but every week it opens with a political sketch. That’s what I’d call mockery. I’m sure the less than popular politicians hope to dodge that SNL bullet. They know it’s coming. It’s going to hit somebody, but who?

By: Xand

Xand — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:35:12 +0000

I think the first one is more entertaining then the McCafe Dwele one though- just because it mimick an R&B video. I definitely think that’s a parody –

But what about the Swagger Wagon commercial from the Toyota Sienna?

http://www.tiny.cc/43umb

Is that mockery or parody – harder to tell when you put another race in the mix…

By: Anthony

Anthony — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:35:16 +0000

I was going to get more into the issue of parody vs mockery, but they don’t make those sorts of spots that often. And while McDonald’s has other “ethnic campaigns,” they only run in other countries. I had some other “bad” examples from our ad coursework (Intro to Ad and Strategy/Positioning), but I couldn’t find them. If I do find them, I’ll post a follow-up.

By: SKantrowitz

SKantrowitz — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:41:59 +0000

Excellent insights, Anthony. That first McDonald’s TV spot you linked to (“What were they thinking?”) is really…something else.