When Innovation Becomes Abuse, or "Rock'n'Roll at the Shopping Aisle"
[RECTIFICATION NOTE] Error: We sincerely apologize. The commercial analyzed in Section 2 ("Rock'n'Roll") was mistakenly attributed to Lidl. This commercial actually belongs to the Volkswagen W brand. The text of the post has been corrected accordingly.
Posted by Erik Pytar December 09, 2025
*Modified on December 12, 2025*
We analyze two of the most controversial TV spots of the moment which, under the guise of innovation, seem to promote a dangerous confusion between freedom and common sense.
Brief Analysis
In recent months, Romanian television has been invaded by commercials that, while succeeding in being memorable, do so by exceeding the boundaries of logic and social etiquette. It seems that, in the rush to get us accustomed to change and "the future," some brands confuse courage with the abuse of freedom.
➪ McDonald's ( Fetish)
1. McDonald's: A (Too) Intimate Vision of Socks
The Scene: A 5-7 year-old child, accompanied by parents, walks towards McDonald's. His fascination is not about burgers, but the "unique" socks offered by the brand. The obsession is taken to an extreme: on the bus, the child bends down so much he touches strangers' feet, and in the park, the parents leave him unsupervised so he can look at passers-by's feet. The ending suggests that this "passion" will be followed by a future edition featuring shoes and feet.
The Subtext (and the Problem):
- Abuse of Personal Space: The commercial normalizes and even encourages the brutal violation of strangers' personal space (touching feet on public transport).
- Parental Negligence: The lack of supervision is validated, showing that the child’s obsessions, no matter how intrusive, are more important than basic safety and social education.
- Early Age Fantasies: As you pointed out, if, starting from age 5-7, you are taught that your obsessions, no matter how strange and intrusive, are normal and worthy of exploration (and even rewarded with a product), what kind of unexpected behavior will we see in adulthood?
- Feet and Sales: The confusion between a marketing accessory (the sock) and a fet*shization of feet is disturbing, suggesting that the excessive promotion of a trend can quickly enter a bizarre area lacking social hygiene.
Volkswagen W: Rock'n'Roll, Reward, and Lack of Accountability
The Scene: At Volkswagen W, an employee urgently leaves the announcement office due to an emergency. A young girl (approx. 12-13 years old) enters unimpeded, grabs the microphone, and shouts: "Do you need some rock'n'roll!", then plays extreme music. Customers in the store start nodding and filling their carts, losing control over what they buy and how much it costs. Upon exiting, instead of receiving a warning or being scolded, the girl is praised by her parents and other customers.
The Subtext (and the Problem):
* Rewarding Transgression: Here, the rule is not just ignored; its violation (entering a restricted area and disturbing activity) is directly rewarded with praise.
* The Equivalence of Rock'n'Roll and Incompetence: The message is that if you are "cool" (rock'n'roll), it doesn't matter what you put in the cart or how much you spend. Impulsiveness and lack of discernment (buying without checking the price) are presented as a positive side effect of freedom.
* Lack of Consequences: The commercial sends a dangerous signal, especially to young people: there are no rules. Even if you do something forbidden in a public space, you will be applauded.
The Lesson Learned: Where is "Change" Headed?
What both commercials have in common is the idea that spontaneity and the violation of basic rules are the new norm and deserve applause.
McDonald's teaches us that it's OK from a young age to be intrusive and neglect social etiquette, and you're even allowed by your parents to do it.
Volkswagen W teaches us that you don't have to respect someone else's workplace and that a lack of purchasing rationale is a cool result of emotional liberation.
What do you think? Are these commercials a sign of evolution or abuse?
abuseoffreedom advertising blogger controversialads lackofconsequences VolkswagenW marketing massmedia McDonald's parentaleducation personalspace rocknroll romaniansociety socialethics socialinnovation
What do you think? Are these commercials a sign of evolution or abuse?
I absolutely agree with the analysis! I think this is the core of the problem: the fact that these spots are on TV and have passed the CNA (National Audiovisual Council) review shows us that they are not illegal. That is precisely what is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteThe commercials are using the freedom allowed by the legal framework to force a change in the social norm. Essentially, they are not breaking a law, but rather trying to reset common sense. Once a behavior (like invading personal space at McDonald's or the lack of consequences at Lidl) is broadcast widely, people start to perceive it as acceptable or at least normal—hence the dangerous confusion between freedom and abuse.
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DeleteHello, very important anf interesting subject.
ReplyDelete