Tuesday, May 11, 2010

In bad taste? The new LMN commercial.

Is it just me, or is the new LMN commercial actually in bad taste. Let me describe the commercial to you first, so you have an idea as to what I am talking about.

“An African man (I presume Africa because of the desert) is digging the sand frantically. He pulls out a root, beats it with a stick and then proceeds to wrench it between his strong hands. He holds the root above his head and places his mouth directly under the center of the root as he continues to wrench it. We see a drop of water appear. His efforts continue and the drop of water becomes big enough to just about fall from the root into his wide open mouth. As the drop falls, his friend calls out to him asking him what he is doing. Our protagonist gets distracted and the drop of water falls on the ground and evaporates. He is broken as he looks at the dry ground. Then he throws the now-useless root at his friend and begins chasing him around a hut.
And a bottle of LMN lemonade appears and a voice over suggests that if we are thirsty, we should just have LMN.”

I was actually asked to concentrate on this commercial when it played, because my friend thought it was really good. I saw it and I laughed. I think the acting is just superb, and the direction is brilliant. Production-wise I think the commercial is very good. However, it is the core concept that disturbs me. Sure I find the situational humour funny, but look beyond it.

I see a guy in Africa who has no water or food dying for a drop of water. And against this backdrop, I am asked to think of LMN if I am thirsty. Everyone knows that most parts of Africa have people who die of hunger and thirst. Do we use that as an idea to sell products? I am sure at some point you received a forward about kids who suffer from malnutrition, how their bones are visible through their skin, their eyes conveying that they probably want death as much as food or water.




Now imagine a commercial showing a bunch of these kids, with their skeletons visible and hungry eyes, fighting over one biscuit. And a voice over saying ‘Are you hungry? Why don’t you order from McDonalds?’

Isn’t it the same? You are using someone’s plight to sell your product, and I just wonder, is that correct? Now I am all for freedom of speech, and definitely when it comes to creativity. I am not going to file a PIL against the commercial. But yeah, I am going to ask you, is it just me, or is the LMN commercial actually in bad taste?