The Tendo View

Now that I have a DVR I usually zoom through commercials, but there’s one that I’ve been  watching lately. I missed its debut during the Super Bowl but, luckily for me, it’s been on pretty heavy rotation in the past couple of weeks. It’s for HomeAway.com and features Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo reprising their roles as the Griswolds.

In the clip, the Griswolds check into a hotel expecting a spacious room, gracious service, and reasonable pricing. What they get, of course, is the exact opposite.

What I find fascinating about this commercial is that it combines broad appeal with some very specific jokes. I’m guessing that most folks age 30 to 50 know about National Lampoon’s “Vacation” movies, and most folks will find the scene with the valet kicking the door of the iconic “Griswold Family Truckster” funny. But a smaller percentage will get why the “Napoleon” suite is funny (very low ceiling), and an even smaller percentage will understand why the Griswolds are being charged for the “complementary” water (“It complements the room.”).

The fact that the commercial debuted during the Super Bowl supports the overall strategy. It’s audacious to debut a commercial that assumes the majority of its viewers know—and appreciate—the difference between compliment and complement during the Super Bowl. For that alone, I have to give credit to HomeAway.com because I believe their target audience is me. So, the next time I think about booking a hotel, I’ll be checking out HomeAway.com first.

What about you? Have you seen a commercial lately that’s moved you to action because you thought you were the target audience?