Radio ads raise seniors' hackles
  
Feb 28, 2008 04:30 AM
Judy Gerstel
Toronto Star
Living Reporter

Maybe you've seen those television commercials for Jack FM, airing on Rogers specialty channels.

Maybe you think they're funny.

Maybe you don't.

The 30-second spots were shot in an authentic mid-century, wood-panelled basement "rec" room in Mississauga. A stout old woman with straggly short grey hair, wearing baggy old sweats, is listening to classic rock. It's the kind of music, the commercial points out, you'd hear on radio station Q107.

In fact, the track is also a musical pun: "And When I Die," recorded in 1969 by Blood, Sweat and Tears.

In the original spot that began airing in October, the old woman falls down while pushing a carpet sweeper. In another, she's pushing the sweeper while trying to dance to the music but has to sit down and use her inhaler. In the current one, she's just dancing, a geriatric hipster. (All three can be viewed at 925jackfm.com.)In the second part of each commercial, a hot young babe comes down the stairs. Ignoring the old lady, except for a disdainful look and some eye-rolling, she switches the radio dial from a big Q on the right to the Jack FM logo on the left.

In skin-tight miniskirt and clingy top that bares her taut midriff, the babe sinuously shimmies and shakes her booty, wildly tossing her luxuriant, wavy black hair while listening to alternative rock – "Holiday" from a 2004 Green Day album – the kind of music, the commercial makes clear, you'd hear on Jack FM.

"It's our attempt to have fun with Q107, to be a little bit of a thorn in their side" explains Greg Stevens, national imaging director for Rogers Radio (which owns Jack FM) and the creative inspiration for the commercials. "We're trying to demonstrate this radio station represents a more youthful feel and more energy and is more full of life than what we think is a greying Q."

But forget for a moment about making fun of Q107. Isn't making fun of old people, explicitly exaggerating their unattractiveness and deterioration in contrast with the appeal of youth, at the very least, well, tasteless?

And isn't ageism just as untenable as any other discriminatory "ism" – say, for example, racism?

That was the feeling of people who called Jack FM to complain.

"Many seniors called," admits Stevens. "They were annoyed that we portrayed them as helpless or old or tired."

"Old and tired" is exactly how the first two spots were referred to in-house.

"My dad found the ad very offensive," wrote someone called taylor1, posting on line.

Stevens defends his creative vision. "It was strictly symbolic. We weren't trying to show old people as feeble or not living full lives. But some people took it as personal. We unfortunately hit a nerve with older people."

He adds, mischievously, "They might have been Q listeners."

Stevens acknowledges the current spot, with the old woman dancing, is a response to the complaints.

"After some of the criticism," he says, "we thought, `Let's throw a happy, spirited commercial into the mix just to make sure everyone understands.'"

As for Jack FM fans, they like the image of themselves as babelicious."We only got positive comments from our listeners," says Stevens.

He also feels justified in being provocative because Q107, he says, "is a monstrous radio station."

No wonder the folks at Q107, one of the most listened to rock stations in North America, are about as bothered about the Jack spots as they might be by a mosquito bite.

"I guess it's like an attack ad because we're the benchmark for what great radio stations are," says Darren Wasylyk, marketing director for Q107. Besides, he explains, "Youth is not a target for us."

The target demographic for Q107 is a 45-year-old male, he says – but not to the exclusion of females. The Q107 audience is 65 per cent male, 35 per cent female.

Nevertheless, Wasylyk says, Q107 pulls an audience of young listeners "discovering The Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin – they know these are the pioneers and look at 107 as the radio station where they discover these bands. These young kids have a great affinity for rock 'n' roll."

It's true. A 15-year-old posted this response online: "It's not that I don't like Green Day – but I like the first song more than "Holiday." Anyone know its name? I love it!"

The new and the old may not be that different after all. Plus, it's all relative. In his online post, taylor1 describes the character played by Willene Falconer, 73 when the commercials were made, as "the old 40-something lady."

Wait a sec! What's wrong with the old gal? I'd do her!

We're not old...we're zoomers.  We've got lots of money and we're not dying at 65 anymore.  Get with it.

I thought the ads were amusing.  But what will be funnier are the parody ads that Q SHOULD run, with the situation reversed--the very young hottie downstairs, and the even hotter Granma coming down, breaking into dance.  For the Granma, think Tina Turner at the Grammys, or Raquel Welch on whatever new show it is that she's part of these days.  They'll be even better when the Q turns it around on Jack.

the only reason people are bitching and complaining is they dont like the fact Jack is taking a run at the Mighty Q and actually doing a good job. Listening to Q one day and they sound like rookies straight out of broadcasting school. I was listening and Kim Mitchell forgot what songs he just played. Didnt know the time (couldnt find the clock he said) and was practically lost on air. Other times I listen for a couple hours and hear certain bands played twice. I heard Def Lepperd and Led Zeppelin at least twice in the time I was listening. With Jack the sound is better and there is no repetition in artists. Even the announcers know what is going on. I dont think Q is as good as they once were and I think it is in part due to Jack starting to actually give Q a run for there money. At one point the Q was the only classic rock station. Jack is the new kid and they have a wider playlist. There are times they have played songs I never heard because they are not played on other classic rockers like Q, so the only people bitching and complaining are Q listeners that are afraid of healthy competition

Nothing like a JACK ATTACK !

92.5 JACK FM - Birth of a  morning show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJW8r6cOE1k

Tick tick tick, kids. Tick tick tick.