“Act Your Age” – Leaving Youth Culture to the Young

I was at a wedding reception a few years ago when one of my dad’s friends split the back of his pants while break dancing. Red as a beet, he retreated from the dance floor smashing into the wedding cake and hurling it into the bride’s mother. That’s only slightly more embarrassing than when middle-aged business people try to incorporate youth culture in their commercials.

Whether genuine or satirical, mom and pop fail when they feature rap, MTV references or “dope beats” in their ads.

Watch this commercial for Georgia Car Outlet. And this one for Vern Fonk.

Now, raise your hand if you have any interest in buying a used Chevy from or having it insured by these folks.

The most recent embarrassment I’ve found bungles the act of “flash mobbing,” wherein people connect via text, email and social media, meet in public and perform some kind of attention-grabbing act – like a spontaneous pillow fight or splatter painting in their undies. But there’s no “flash” in this mob. It’s all staged. The streets are even closed off except for the performers. Take a look… Gaines Street Tallahassee.

This was clearly the brainchild of a non-ad-pro in his or her 40s or 50s. “I saw on the 20/20 that young people love these ‘flash mobs.’ Let’s have one. I’ll bet my whole Rotary would help.”

Act your age people. Use the right tactic to reach your audience and leave the “neato hippity hop dance moves” and social anarchy to the kids.

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For the record, here’s an example of an advertiser using a flash mob the right way. T-Mobile.