One of the reasons that the Double is often considered frightening is because it represents a kind of evil twin — an Other that threatens the ego. We find such doubles everywhere — from fictional tales to unexpectedly catching our own reflections in the mirror. These encounters with the doppelgänger threaten to erase the ego… Continue reading Doublement
Category: Advertising
Appearances of Das Unheimliche in popular advertising and marketing.
When Hot Dogs Attack
You may have seen this hilariously strange new ad for Tums Smoothies during the political convention season (2016) on TV. If so, you’ve “Felt the (Heart)Bern” in a way that probably made you do a double-take the first time you saw it: A pack of naked hot dog people, attacking a lone male camper in… Continue reading When Hot Dogs Attack
The #Whoppersign, the King and the Uncanny
Kudos to the fast food chain Burger King (and their marketing team, led by VP Fer Merchado), for making a bold step in addressing the special needs of people with hearing disabilities. To celebrate the most recent American Sign Language Day (on April 15th, 2016), they ran an advertising campaign that directly targeted the deaf,… Continue reading The #Whoppersign, the King and the Uncanny
The Clone Chores — aka. Return of the Maytag Men
Last June, I shared some observations about how das Unheimliche is employed in Maytag advertising that features the newest model of their Maytag Man spokesman. A year later, this great advertising icon is back in a new tv ad that has doubled-down on his inherent uncanniness…by framing the character as but one clone in a… Continue reading The Clone Chores — aka. Return of the Maytag Men
Paranormal Vodka and Other Bestial Booze
Booze advertising keeps dancing on the dark side. Check out the recent commercial campaign for ThreeOlives Vodka — an ad so full of urban fantasy tropes that at first I thought it was going to be a trailer for a remake of Angel or something. Video: https://youtu.be/XLlpu341PdA The vid is high on gloss and romantic… Continue reading Paranormal Vodka and Other Bestial Booze
‘Flo Clones’ and The Saturation of Advertising
If you’re like me, you may have driven through tollbooths on an Interstate highway and noticed that Flo — the spokeswoman in ads for Progressive Insurance, has begun appearing everywhere. The incessant repetition of product advertising across media breeds product familiarity. But it’s a familiarity that doesn’t always register until we encounter the advertisements again… Continue reading ‘Flo Clones’ and The Saturation of Advertising
Data Doppelgangers feature in The Atlantic
There is you. And then there is your alter-ego as constructed by all the hidden marketing that happens behind the scenes due to your social networking. You can try to control it through things like facebook’s latest privacy adjustment techniques. But as tech critic Sara M. Watson points out in a recent article in The… Continue reading Data Doppelgangers feature in The Atlantic
Maytag’s New Maytag Man – Renewing an Icon with Uncanny Magic
If you watch commercial television, you may have been surprised to see this year that the Maytag Man has gotten an extreme makeover. The Maytag Man — aka “Ol’ Lonely” – is one of those classic icons of advertising — as commonly known as Ronald McDonald, the Michelin Man and the Energizer Bunny — due… Continue reading Maytag’s New Maytag Man – Renewing an Icon with Uncanny Magic
We Like Double: the Ford Fusion Hybrid Superbowl Ad
One of the first big budget TV commercials to air during this year’s Super Bowl programming was the “Nearly Double” advertisement for the Ford Fusion Hybrid, starring Rob Riggle & James Franco, which claims to “make history” by airing two commercials back-to-back, or following up the first commercial with a second one that is “double… Continue reading We Like Double: the Ford Fusion Hybrid Superbowl Ad
VIDEO: Arnzen Lecture on The Popular Uncanny at Neumann University
Many thanks to my friend, Dr. William Hamilton, Neumann University (near Philadelphia, PA), and Dave Bullis of BullWitt Media for inviting, hosting and producing the video for this lecture last October. It turned out fantastic! You can watch the entire event above or full-screen it directly on youtube. The video is almost an hour-and-a-half long,… Continue reading VIDEO: Arnzen Lecture on The Popular Uncanny at Neumann University