Appealing to the male ego again...yawn

The arrogance of this ad is just too much for me.  And I'm not talking about macho ideal that it's appealing to-- this can be entertaining and even appealing (see the very similarly themed Kettle One ads).  No, the arrogance of this ad that is more off-putting than other ads using the same theme of "manliness" is that we (men) are assumed to feel a sense of camaraderie with this guy and what he stands for--as if he captures the essence of this desire for masculinity-- and that this open appeal to our masculinity is unique to this ad.

Obviously, appealing to the "man" in guys, especially young to middle-aged, middle- to upper-middle class guys is nothing new, so pretending that it is just annoying to me.  This might not be a problem if I were not part of the target audience, but unfortunately for 1800, I think I'm squarely in their crosshairs.  As a single, soon-to-be college graduate entering the workplace who drinks and goes out, and who even tends towards old-school symbols of manliness, I'm their guy.  This was further confirmed by the general tone and look of the ad which, I have to admit, drew me in.  The dark, subtle styling of the ad as well as the ad's use of a spokesman who doesn't look like a sculpted model were all hitting home with me; in fact, I would probably have been attracted to 1800 by this ad campaign if it had had no sound and maybe flashed the words "Men, drink up" at the end.  But when that guy opened his mouth while looking at us guys like we all are going to be impressed by what he is going to say, followed up by nothing impressive or humorous, I became bothered.

Perhaps the biggest issue was that I realized that I had been had; the ad had manipulated my emotions without any payoff.  It's like when a movie is talked up so much and is then panned when it fails to meet the high expectations.  I actually ended up having negative feelings towards the ad because it failed after it piqued my interest.  Although they say bad press is better than no press, in this case I doubt it because I'm actually certain to avoid buying 1800 tequila after this campaign.

My response to this ad might have been different if there weren't already a steady stream of similar advertising, even from 1800 Tequila's competitors, but even then, probably not because the ad is blatant where it should been subtle.  Notice how Kettle One tequila's ad (above) appeals to all the same hot points for the young male ego, but it does so in a way that the viewer is allowed to enjoy being targeted.  In contrast, this ad slaps you across the face with it's message and expects you to be grateful-- no thanks.