It’s another fall Sunday in the U.S., so it’s another day of TV commercials featuring NFL players.
I know that being a middle-aged woman does not make me the target demographic, but the Little Caesars ad featuring George Kittle still rankles.
Let me get this out of the way first. Yes, that is Caesars plural, not Caesar’s possessive. I can make peace with that. I can believe that there are a bunch of little Caesars, not just one who has pizza.
Now for the commercial. Give it a watch.
Again, I recognize I’m not the demographic, but I don’t understand how watching 11 people (including a garden gnome, a groundhog, and Kittle’s own reflection in the window) bully him through exclusion (“Everyone but you!”), is supposed to make me want me to buy Little Caesars crazy puffs. Probably they just want me to remember “crazy puffs,” and hope the buying follows from remembering.
Let’s discuss.
Little Caesars is implying that Kittle is “crazy,” since the product they’re hawking is “crazy puffs.” Everyone—including a garden gnome, a groundhog, and his own reflection—saying “everyone but you” and laughing is meant to imply that Kittle is experiencing paranoia.
This commercial could be an interesting discussion starter to open your coverage of psychological disorders. What do students think of Little Caesars using paranoia to sell pizza? Do the attitudes of your students differ between those who have been diagnosed with a psychological disorder or who have loved ones who have been and those who have not? Could the commercial further the stigma for those who have been diagnosed with a psychological disorder? Why or why not?
The commercial rankles for another reason—making it a good discussion starter for the learning chapter. We know observational learning is powerful. Will people—particularly children—start saying “everyone but you!”? It’s very easy to see how this could cross the line from an inside joke amongst family or friends to bullying. In the comments for the YouTube video, one person wrote, “This is now the favorite phrase of my household.” I can’t help but picture a child who is a frequent target of their siblings’ bullying now being hit with “Everyone but you!”
Lastly, ask your students if advertisers have a responsibility to consider possible unintentional outcomes of their commercials. Why or why not? If you would like to expand this discussion with some what-ifs, ask students to consider what Kittle might have done after we see him scream at the end of the commercial. Write student responses where everyone can see them. For each one, ask students what if Little Caesars had showed that outcome? Would it have made the commercial more acceptable to air, less acceptable to air, or no change? Why?
