Transfomational communiques & their moments of fantasy

Rakesh raises an important point about how far a transformational communique can go in presenting something totally unbelievable. The commercial in question is one that features death defying stunts to promote the soft drink, Mountain Dew.

Obviously most consumers know that, what the guys in the commercial did, ie., driving off a rocky cliff, ending up in a lake, escaping unhurt and going on in the end to win a rally that they were participating in, is a whole lot of hogwash.

But then, does that affect the feeling of exhilaration that the communique' conveys, in any way, in the minds of consumers? My bet, NO! A dose of reality is not what consumers expect from soft drink companies in terms of their communiques. Rather, its liberal doses of fantasies. A dose that at least for those few moments, transports them to unbelievable possibilities, far from their own drab lives.

Remember, most consumers have nothing exciting happening in their lives, though they would want to believe otherwise. They are in desperate need for their own moments of fantasies. Commercials sometimes transport them to this world of fantasy. As do, Bollywood movies.

So, the 'unbelievable communiques' in no way affect consumer perceptions. On the other hand, it gets them excited, and even more importantly it makes the brand a part of the evoked set, when consumers consider a purchase.