Dear Prudence

HARROW!
Sarih Leng here for my final post, marking the end of COM 443.

I was reminded by my fellow bigfoot member and Muse-loving, "happy-hour" buddy, Gillian looloo, to update my blog and post one final entry before exams. That was days ago, and I've been searching for the most blog-worthy ad to write about for this post.

Yesterday, I spent hours in front of the television, rotting my brain like a vegetable, watching Disney movies and the tennis ATP World Tour (Davydenko beat Federer!!). A headache from watching all that TV had my head throbbing by 4pm.

Even through the throbbing of my head, a commercial had been able to squeeze through the clot of fatigue and lethargy that had developed over hours. It was an advertisement for Prudential Insurance; Always Listening, Always Understanding.
Here it is:



Using soft-sell, emotional appeals to grab audience attention was a good call for Prudential Corporation Asia. Like all insurance commercials, it attempted to build rapport between potential clients and their organization. However, what captured my attention was the conversational, personal copy that made the voiceover sound understanding and empathetic, as opposed to the typically cold, business-oriented insurance ads that we usually see on CNN.

What inspired me the most was the copy of the ad-
Woman: Listen to me, even if it's difficult
Even if I don't speak up
Even if you disagree
Even if you already know the story
Whether it's sad
Or great
Because only by listening can we gain a deeper understanding.
Voiceover: Only the best financial solutions always start with listening.
Prudential; always listening, always understanding.

Wow.
The copywriter of this commercial really knows interpersonal relationships. The video shows everyday people with everyday experiences, portraying the life of everyman. There is no 'superior' or 'luxury class' like how typical Singaporean commercials tend to include. The copy is so soothing and inspiring that you just want to listen to the woman's voice from beginning to end.

Sounds like something bigfoot would come up with..
;)