Pop Culture in Advertising

                Advertising in today’s society has become very extensive, so much so that it has more or less ingrained in our cultural identity. We can argue forever over whether or not this is negative or harmful, but the truth of it cannot be disputed. We see advertising everywhere. Anywhere companies can think to put their messages, they will do so as long as they are permitted to. It is not something that we can escape. 

                Inevitably, advertisers would want to connect their messages to other parts of our cultural identity, especially as people who enjoy and utilize media so often. This is where pop culture comes into play. As consumers of media, we love pop culture; we can’t get enough references, jokes, and quotes from the entertainment we have grown to love. 

                A commercial which aired during the 2012 Super Bowl is a proof of concept. Honda incorporated Matthew Broderick, reprising his iconic role as Ferris Bueller, into their bid for Super Bowl greatness. He stole the show in a call back to the classic 80’s movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Honda understood that most people would not find a commercial for their product to be very exciting, but by associating it with a well-loved movie, people will go crazy over it. The Youtube video alone has over 16.5 million views.

                Another very recent example comes from GE, in a commercial showcasing new technology being put to work in modern hospitals. The ad features Hugo Weaving in his character Agent Smith, from the well known Matrix movies. GE also manages to do something with the commercial here that the Honda commercial didn’t do that effectively. It connected the pop culture reference with the technology that they were advertising for. Agent Smith, an evil computer program in the movie, but in the ad he is actually a spokesperson for programs and technology that help save people’s lives, and the irony is not lost on fans of the movie.