A Low-Budget Read

I’m not usually a fan of Slate’s “ad report card,” but this one is just funny. It’s for Overstock.com. Here’s how the writer describes it:

The spot: It's a world of white—white floors, white walls, white furnishings … and a stunning, middle-aged babe dressed all in white. She's smiling at us. "It's all about the O," she purrs. Whoa! That's hot! After six or seven costume changes, she explains what the O really stands for: Overstock.com, a Web site that sells liquidated merchandise.

But what I really love is this guy's blog entry about the ad. He asks: “Overstock.com girl: bad actress or satan?”

Highlights from the Slate article:

3) It's all about the music. This simply can't be the theme song for a retail store. Where's the up-tempo power-pop? The jangling Stratocasters? The pounding beat? This piece sounds more like an elegy for a long-departed lover.

I suppose there is something wistful about a liquidation sale, but does the music need to reflect that? It's weird. So weird, in fact, that it's captivating. I hear this gentle serenade and my eyes are pulled screenward. Kudos, jingle composer.

4) It's all about the cheesy white background.
Ring ring. The 1980s called. They want their radically monochrome interiors back.