Monday, May 15, 2006

Take Me Out to Which Ballgame?

I saw a Mastercard commercial this weekend that was promoting the Men’s U.S. soccer team this weekend. Now, I had seen this commercial a few times before, and had never realized why it pissed me off … until Saturday. Look, I’m happy anytime the soccer team gets some air time – I’m guessing most Americans probably know more about rocket science than they do about the World Cup. So, why would a Mastercard commercial piss me off?

It’s simple. Mastercard uses the “Take Me Out To the Ballgame” song as background for a commercial featuring the U.S. soccer team. As most of you hopefully, know, this tune is a baseball diddy – NOT a soccer diddy. I’m guessing there aren’t too many American songs that commemorate or celebrate this sport, but why a baseball song? Couldn’t they regurgitate some tired Bob Seger song for this? Why don’t they try to be trendy and get some new modern rock song for this commercial? Are you telling me that this is the only song that “fits” with the whole theme of the Mastercard commercial?

Am I taking this too seriously? Probably. For some reason, poorly done commercials, or blatantly bad commercials get under my skin. I’m guessing the reason behind this is that if these companies who are paying for air-time are really trying to get us to use their products, shouldn’t they do a better job with their commercials? I’ve vented before on the Bud Light vomit-trail of a string of commercials featuring the unlikable Ted Ferguson, and the KFC commercials that feature the overplayed Lynard Skynard “Sweet Home Alabama” song (It is Kentucky Fried Chicken, NOT Alabama Fried Chicken, dammit!).

Back to the Mastercard commercial. Do I think people will confuse soccer with baseball because of the song? No (although, I think some of the “lesser-educated” might). So, why should I care? Honestly, I don’t know why I care, but I do. Commercials should get it right, shouldn’t they? They spend millions of dollars to develop these time wasters. But for what? So, we can watch P-Diddy tell us to drink Pepsi because it’s “Brown and Bubbly?”

I know. I'm such a tool.

1 comment:

The Rev said...

I agree with 99% of the things you just said. Except for this...

I don't necessarily have a problem with the use of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for soccer. And here's why.

Hearing that song causes an association within the viewer. The associations of that song with the viewer are usually of good times at the ballpark. When you hear that song, you subconsciously get an image of a good time.

This image needs to be associated with going to a soccer game. Most Americans don't have that image associated with soccer. So when you bring a familiar song to them and associate it with something new, it creates a new image for them. It hopefully creates an image of good times when you go to a soccer game.

I don't know if it will be effective or not. But Mastercard seems to have an advertising mojo lately. I would hope it rubs off on the soccer team because they need it.