The Double-Edged Sword of Repetitive Ads

Commercials for a brand often occur in a series, in a sequence of similar advertisements that can be related to each other by a common theme and therefore ensure consumer recognition of the brand position. Creating multiple commercials with a common element can help the company by expanding exposure over and extended period of time, if the commercials maintain appeal. However, this strategy risks the commercials becoming redundant and boring to consumers, or worse, disliked by consumers for their predictability and repetitiveness. An example of this, for me personally, is the string of recent Ford F-150 commercials.



The current series of Ford F-150 commercials features large, bulky, black and orange text that appears exactly as it is read by a masculine voice. The text consistently zooms onto the screen as Ford pickup trucks haul cargo, drive through obstacles, and perform hard work. Every commercial is fast-paced with the same narrator who addresses viewers directly with "Hey Pal," and other cocky, self-assured greetings. These advertisements personally appeal to me less the more often I see them. I don't mind that the commercials ooze testosterone--there's nothing girly about a pickup truck--but I do not like the almost condescending tone of the narrator and the repetitive use of large text zooming into every frame. For me, it appears that the commercial is drilling the message into viewers' heads by reading it in a cocky, casual tone as well as throwing copy around to make sure that viewers get the message. These commercials are repetitive and irritating for me, but others will of course have different opinions about this particular series of ads.

An advertisement series that works well may be the Geico gecko commercials wherein the gecko travels throughout the United States.



This series may be successful because it tells a story in installments, with each commercial being a different chapter of the Geico gecko's journey. As the gecko appears at a different destination, viewers recognize the gecko and his explanation of traveling across America. This repetition leaves viewers eager to know where the gecko will go next, and maintains interest from commercial to commercial, ensuring recall. I personally enjoy these repeated commercials because they tell a story and maintain a common theme that I can recognize on my own.

Common themes within advertisements may be a double-edged sword, because they will encourage recall but may also irritate or deter viewers. Repeated elements should therefore be chosen with great care.