On a November night in Indianapolis, three armed men stormed through the back door of a Jimmy John's restaurant. With guns pointed at their heads, employees were ordered to the ground while others forced to open the cash register. The men ran from the restaurant with the money.
It was a terrifying night.
Less than two years later, that company is depicting the same type of violence to sell its product. The latest Jimmy John's TV spot attempts to build the company's brand in a gritty, movie-like setting of SWAT snipers, masked men firing automatic weapons and scared hostages laying face down on the floor.
The spot ends with a hostage managing to use his cell phone to order food. When a nice young lady in starched company uniform arrives at the door, one of the robbers pulls down his mask and yells, "Who ordered Jimmy John's?"
Insert robust belly laugh of target demographic here.
I assume the company wanted an ad that was offensive enough to go Internet-viral but still clear enough in its sales pitch that Jimmy John's delivers sandwiches anywhere, anytime.
But you have to wonder. If that night in Indiana had ended with employees on the floor shot to death, would Jimmy John's ever have considered doing this kind of ad?
And if not, why on Earth would any company think it was a smart idea now?
(Photos: Stills from Jimmy John's "hostage" TV spot.)
. . . . . . . .
