Friday, January 26, 2007

There is a prominent carpet cleaning company of the most national kind here in the land of Dictator Bush and they run commercials on television. Most mornings I have my cup of coffee while watching the local news (see previous blog entry) and this is where I have been seeing this particular advertisement. I know, you're probably thinking, "So, what?"
Yeah, I did too at first, however this particular company seems to be pushing not that they are a wonderful carpet cleaning company so much as they are advertising that their employees are clean, and by clean I mean clean and sober. They go on with a satisfied customer testimonial (the customer is a white woman) on how they trust this company because all of their employees have been carefully screened and are drug, alcohol and background checked and they now feel safer and can trust the company. Also, it REALLY makes me wonder as this woman is blathering on that the two employees shown cleaning a cartpet are an African-American and a Latino....Hmmm. What is the subliminal message here? After the testimonial a narrator then repeats pretty much what the woman had already said and the kicker is that the company’s carpet cleaning abilities seem to be secondary.
This has me wondering what I've missed lately in that carpet cleaners are more keen in advertising employee sobriety as opposed to actually cleaning carpets better than the competitors. What's happening in the carpet cleaning business?

2 comments:

Tia Borlotes said...

The advertising message is clear. Looks like they have a very stereotypical point to make...enough to spend advertising dollars on it. Perhaps they have numbers to back up their message. At any rate, I would use this example in my Sociology class as a teaching tool in the section on racism. And If I lived in your area, I would call the company and let them know I would hardly do business with them. Thanks for sharing your observation.
Tia Borlotes

brad4d said...

Our country is still in an awkward stage of transition from a product economy to a service era of an information age. I certainly share your laugh at their clumsiness but why they have to stoop is demographic. I like how you observe with suspended judgment. I relate