Effective Advertising

How much money do you want, ASPCA? In fact, just take every penny I have so that you will stop airing the most heart-wrenching ad campaign/PSA since the crying Indian (that was in the 70's, it would now be the crying "Native American" campaign).

First, it was the commercial with the sad faces of animals in cages with Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" as the underscore. Even though I don't like Sarah McLachlan, that song just strikes a nerve. Pair it with the pathetic little mugs of abandoned pets, and it is enough to make me want to take Prozac. And just now I saw a new spot with deeply somber instrumentals that begins with a tight shot of a sad little puppy's eyes. Her name is "Tabitha" and the titling reads "locked up her whole life."

I immediately felt the tears strating to well up. I wanted to change the channel but I was paralyzed, my eyes locked on the screen. The minute-long commercial continued with more tragic images and stories. A tiny little dog that was "abused and living in fear." And then, just when I thought it couldn't get worse, a kitten ... in a leg cast who had "never been loved his whole life." What, are you serious? A KITTEN IN A LEG CAST?!?! Just thinking about it now makes me want to sob. Seriously is there a more depressing image?

I have worked in television news for a while and it is a well-known fact that the way to play on an audience's emotions is to do a story about animals. If it is a happy story about animals, that makes our viewers think we are cute, cuddly and kind. If you do a story about animal abuse, the phone lines ring non-stop for at least an hour after the broadcast with people begging for information on the animals and how they can help. Cover stories about triple-murders and domestic violence and not a peep from anyone ... but a duck whose little, helpless ducklings fell into a catch basin? Call the National Guard.

So all I can do at this point is tip my hat to the ASPCA and resist the urge to send them a check with my life savings. On the other hand, I do love the GE Ecoimagination commercial with the dancing baby elephant. Yes, I know, I'm a sucker.