“Personal” Recommendations

I heard a radio ad the other night, for some sort of diabetes-related service. The beginning went something like this:

“If you are suffering from diabetes, let me personally recommend a number…”

The emphasis isn’t mine; the man accentuated the word himself. He even added a few syllables. The man went on to explain the merits of the service to all the diabetics listening at 3:30 in the morning, then concluded by repeating “that number again” a few dozen times.

If you’re wondering why I’m referring to him as “the man,” it’s because during the course of his heartfelt endorsement, he never identifies himself. (It definitely wasn’t Wilford Brimley.) So a [probably] nondiabetic, anonymous voice actor is lending his “personal” recommendation? I’m sure the Type 1’s and 2’s are united in song, for their troubles are over.

What’s so funny about this is not so much that it’s nonpersonal. Most traditional advertising still suffers from that. If anything, it’s antipersonal. In effect, the ad actually goes out of its way to mock credibility. Wouldn’t it make more business sense to establish it instead?

Of course. But it’s a lot easier to mock things than establish them.