Plea to WSOY and Archway Broadcasting

There has been a series of commercials running on these stations and also in several other radio markets in the US. You have likely heard them if you listen to radio more than 10 minutes a week. The (you are here)helpwanted dot com commericals. The particular ones I am referring to are customized to the Central Illinois sales area. These spots have been in an unusually high rotation rate for far too long, in the opinion of this long time listener.

"Humor ads?" like these produce a smile the first time they are heard, maybe. WSOY, the Decatur AM station, and many others have pummelled their listeners with this same series of bad comedy tripe, over and over for nearly two years, at least. The same two or three commercials with a "humorous" idiot who is supposed to be the boss, and an all-knowing, cheerfully robotic repeater of the web address who is, apparently, the only intellegent person in the fictional business which is, no surprise, needing to hire some helpers. There is one line in which she blandly states, "Well, that's just stupid," that accurately describes the whole commercial series. Too bad someone didn't tell this to the writers early on in the process.

OK, I will admit that this has almost become an obsession with me. I now turn the station when these same old two or three spots come on, sometimes I just turn off the radio altogether.

I don't completely fault the cheesy advertiser for wanting to squeeze more saturation from their advertising dollars, although I wish they would just hire someone to write some NEW (less obnoxious, I would hope) ad copy and produce some new spots. I'm also aware that as an advertising medium, your station, and the others of your group are sales oriented, and love to sell advertising, but you should please consider the sensibilities of your market. I would hope you would adopt a standard for spot repetition that would fall far below what has been the norm in the past, certainly with this series, which has been mercilessly hammered into your listeners. These particular dot com commercials have long outlived any snarky cuteness, and have become a dark cloud over "free" radio. My suggestion, my plea to you, is to either sell shorter contracts, or just say no to the really stupid commercials.

Does anyone out there hate these commercials too? Are there others that cause you to despise the sponsor and just want to turn off the radio or TV?
Back in the 70's or 80's, a local car dealer, Perry Thomas, said something on the order of, "..that it doesn't matter how bad the commercial is, as long as the customer remembers it..." There is a point it seems, beyond that, in which the emotional response becomes negative to the advertiser and medium. Not a good place to be in advertising, unless you are running political attack ads.


The following is contact information for WSOY, Archway Broadcasting Group, and the sponsor noted.

Archway Broadcasting Group
1513 East Cleveland Avenue
Building 100B, Suite 250
East Point, GA 30344
Phone: (404) 762-9942

ABG Illinois
1100 East Pershing Road
Decatur, IL 62526
Phone: 217-877-5371

RegionalHelpWanted.com, Inc.
One Civic Center Plaza, Suite 506
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Phone:
800-365-8630
845-471-5200