The power of understatement

Some people are known by bombast. Once I saw Cal Worthington on the TODAY show (he was being interviewed as an automotive industry expert), and I almost didn't recognize him because he wasn't yelling and his dog Spot wasn't with him.

Others are known by a more quiet tone.

Others are known by both. While Monty Python is probably best remembered for its loud sketches ("THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!"), one of my personal favorites is the understated "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" sketch. Similarly, the Police adopted a somewhat quieter tone with their song "Walking on the Moon.". (Did you know that Sting played bass?)

This is also true in the business world. While Apple may be best known for its "1984" commercial, there are those who remember it for its earlier newspaper ad welcoming IBM to the personal computer business.

(A note to my younger readers: in the late 20th century, there were companies that were similar to the Huffington Post; however, instead of distributing data via apps or a web browser window, these companies actually printed the data on large sheets of paper. These sheets of paper, known as "newspapers," used to be very popular. And David Allen and Liset Márquez will probably never forgive me for this paragraph.)

Now the "Welcome, IBM. Seriously." had certainly had its share of bombast - after all, it was a full page ad. But at the same time, the ad was relatively simple - just some text. (This was before Steve Jobs imposed his calligraphic learning on the computer universe.)

But Seth Stevenson maintains that this understatement can go too far.

The most striking example is a commercial for the asthma medication Symbicort. As our spokeswoman prances around singing Symbicort's praises, she is almost completely obscured by shadows. We strain to make out her features even in the tight close-ups on her face. We're left wondering whether this woman is a wanted criminal or has some sort of jarring scar the director wished to hide....

In the Symbicort spot, the product—I'm not even sure what form it takes; a pill? an inhalant?—is never seen. The only clear, well-lit image in the ad is of icky bronchial tissue. I keep waiting for the woman to emerge into sunlight at the close of the ad, symbolizing the newfound happiness Symbicort has brought her. But it never happens. And I'm left wondering: Why would asthma sufferers aspire to an underilluminated lifestyle?

Of course, our sensibilities demand that some products be obscured from view. You're not going to see bombastic ads for any womens' product "with wings," for example.

Understatement doesn't always work, and it shouldn't always be used. But there are times when understatement is a good thing.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to submit this post to ONE HUNDRED SEARCH ENGINES AND CONTENT AGGREGATORS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY SENTIENT BEING IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE SEES IT!!!!!!! Cue the angel gifs.