Has this Publix commercial gone too far?

Hello there and thanks for checking out my thoughts today. I post every day at 1pm central so subscribe if you have a second, or just check back for posts about my dogs, my travels, dating in my 40s, or my writings about TV commercials as is the case today.

---

From all the Publix commercials going back decades, I can count on one hand the number of ads I don’t like. The grocery chain just seems to know exactly how to put together a moment that hits the mark almost every time, especially around the holidays. I mean, if you don’t get a little teary-eyed when you watch this commercial, you’re a heartless monster! Wow, sorry to accuse you of such a horrible thing. I’m sure you’re a great person. What I’m NOT sure of is if the latest Publix commercial might expose them as being guilty of an advertising mistake. Take a look at the summertime ad then scroll down for a couple of errors with the ad…

---

The commercial is really pretty, in that most of the shots are captured at golden hour featuring rich colors, happy people, good food. Where Publix might have missed the mark is in two areas: Music and saturation.

The Music. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not into theater, plays, Broadway, etc. As an example, last year I watched the first 25 minutes of Hamilton (streaming, not in a theater building) and have no intentions or desire to watch the rest of it. In fact, I purposely avoid any chance to finish the presentation. This Publix commercial uses a song from Peter Pan, which I know has been made into a movie numerous times. But this specific version has all the trademarks of a song from Broadway. You can almost see the actors overexaggerating on a stage in some dimly lit auditorium. The feedback I’m seeing is that some people love the song, some don’t. It seems to be the kind of commercial soundtrack that viewers either love or hate, kind of like pineapple on pizza (which is gross, by the way).

---

The Saturation. Online comments about the commercial echo over and over that it’s airing too often. That would make Publix victim to what I wrote about here. It’s the idea that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Even someone who loves steak, for instance, isn’t going to have it for dinner every night of the week. They’d end up detesting red meat altogether! That’s the vibe I’m getting from comments on my first post about the commercial. I’ve come across the phrase “every 20 minutes” more often than I should when it comes to how often a commercial airs on TV or streaming.

---

Final Thoughts. The team behind Publix commercials are very good at what they do. Certainly they are aware they might have pushed this ad a little too far, a little too much, and will reign in the spending on, and saturation of, their next ad. I’m curious to find out what that next ad will be, too. I still give this one high marks because how often it airs shouldn’t detract from what it is… a great reminder of the beauty of summertime, even if we’re adults who forget about the innocent fun associated with this season because we’re too busy thinking about mortgages, gas prices, politics, doctors visits, etc, etc, etc.

-Out of the Wilderness