Mask Wearing in Commercials is Appreciated by Customers

Patrick Eminger 

The new normal in our world is doing anything we can to stop the spread of COVID-19. Realistically, we are all supposed to wear a mask every time we go for an outing. Companies that advertise to everyday people now have a choice to make about how they represent their ideal shoppers in their commercials. Do they film commercials with maskless actors and hope people understand their intent for wanting a “normal” advertisement or do they convert to showing what the new normal is like and show characters with masks?

Brands like Uber and Uber Eats have many commercials displaying their service while also showing people being safe in face masks. Uber has recently started using the saying “No mask. No ride.” on all of their advertisements. Dunkin’ Donuts latest commercial is a cashier speaking to the viewer saying that Dunkin’ will be there for them during the pandemic while she is wearing a mask and handing you a coffee. Brands like Amazon have taken the same approach, only showing commercials with employees being hopeful and wearing masks.

Research done by Ace Metrix revealed that advertisements with a mention of masks were meet with admiration by about 50% of viewers, while 33% saw it as unfavorable for one reason or another. I think this shows that if a business is still up and running, it is in its best interest to show its solidarity in confronting the new normal.

While most commercials showing mask wearing are seen as favorable, one was not met with such fondness. This advertisement for Chuck E. Cheese urged customers to come into their Covid- friendly buildings and let their kids “get back to being kids”. This was met with a lot of criticism because the business is notoriously known for being dirty and spreading germs simply because of the number of small children who touch everything there. Critics felt that if the company really wanted to keep people safe they should stay closed until the pandemic is passed. Well-known American podcaster, Justin McElroy, called Chuck E. Cheese’s attempt to lore in families to potentially get sick was “unspeakably craven.”

I think what we can learn from this is that showing masks in commercials is a good thing that most consumers appreciate. However, brands should be careful about how they present their commercials to avoid seeming disingenuous and mercenary.