37 replies to this topic

[gda_11]

Yes, you all know what I'm talking about. The god damned proactive commercials. Thankfully I live in Canada, and Proactive isn't as big here and the commercial barely ever comes on, I've only seen it 3 or 4 times and it's always early in the morning during the news, also I was alone in the room at the time but for some reason I still felt a bit uneasy. It was odd.

I noticed something interesting about it though. When they show the picture of the person with acne it's always in terrible flash-camera light and their hair is a mess and no make-up, they also aren't smiling. Then they show the after picture and they look like they just got attacked by a mob of make-up artists and hair dressers. They have perfect teeth and hair a wonderful smile.

Sorry Proactive, I missed the part where proactive does your hair, cleans your teeth and air brushes your make-up and then takes a professional picture of you. (You'd think the bottle would be bigger, eh?)

Anyway that's my little rant about ProActive. I really really hope they don't become as big in the great white north as they are in the good old USA. It feels like the commercials are especially designed to make anyone who doesn't buy their product like an idiot dirt bag who doesn't care about how they look, and doesn't want to treat their acne. It's actually quite genius, in a psychological way.

(And is it just me or are the commercials like 5 fucking minutes long?!) Best of luck to you all.

PS: Some of you talked about ProActive kiosks which I didn't know existed until now, and now I'm wondering if they have good or bad lighting? It would be interesting if they put in soft lights or not.

[Gewher]

If there's one thing I can say about them, the guy on the commercial is unbelievably hot. I like watching them just to see him, because he's got these great dark chocolate eyes and thick eyebrows. Haha! Just sayin'.

[New Disciple]

i HATE the Epiduo commercial (it's a new acne product) it portrays people with acne like we don't know anything. makes me angry.

[help3]

Funny, with commercials for acne product they:

1 first have like 1 zit, and after that their skin is perfect
2 The skin is complete crap, and after the product they have super perfect skin.

1 doesn't need acne products, and 2 needs WAY better stuff, like friggin acutane.

Either way, it's NOT reality

[Nauticus]

It angers me because it reinforces the misconception that we are lazy slobs. "Look how simple it was for me to get rid of my acne, it all came in a simple box with simple instructions! And you haven't done anything about yours.. why?" Random comments from strangers show how people think, giving us what worked for THEM and assuming it to be the ultimate cure for everyone.

[JRider23]

It angers me because it reinforces the misconception that we are lazy slobs. "Look how simple it was for me to get rid of my acne, it all came in a simple box with simple instructions! And you haven't done anything about yours.. why?" Random comments from strangers show how people think, giving us what worked for THEM and assuming it to be the ultimate cure for everyone.

that is very very true.......... also, i fucking hate when they come on when i am with friends or around other people. I usually just go to the bathroom or completely ignore the TV.

[Im Nick]

agree'd on it all, all those commercials have such good looking people usually, and they have hardly any acne to start with. Some of the before and afters seem fake to me.

The different things they advertise are usually the treatments that don't work for most, because the ingredients are less then average, yet they get advertised as being a miracle.


They need to advertise accutane, because it actually works, pretty much everytime, for everyone.

[ericartman]

they'd never advertise Accutane because of it's side effects, and the fact that it's harder to actually obtain than prescription narcotics...

[typoprone]

If there's one thing I can say about them, the guy on the commercial is unbelievably hot. I like watching them just to see him, because he's got these great dark chocolate eyes and thick eyebrows. Haha! Just sayin'.

Glad I'm not the only one who noticed.

[Jonima]

Anyone walked by the Proactive kiosks in the mall? That's kind of embarrassing. I am always afraid that the kiosk attendant will approach me and try to make a sales pitch.

I was once with two of my friends (with clear skin) in the mall and we were exiting and had to pass a central area next to the kiosk. I literally led them out of the way to avoid the kiosk.

Oh ya, and there's even a Proactive vending machine in the downtown mall next to the escalators. Ha! So if your interested in avoiding the hassle of TV purchasing, then stop by the downtown mall to buy your acne products for everyone to see!

i HATE the Epiduo commercial (it's a new acne product) it portrays people with acne like we don't know anything. makes me angry.

If you buy Epiduo, then your acne problems are solved and then girls will talk to you!

[Raimundo]

I too hate the Proactiv commercials...They always play during an inconvient time (like when your whole family is watching television...awkward...). And after using for about a year, it makes me sick that I fell for their commercial gimmick. I wish they would let me tell my story on Proactiv and show how much worse it made my face
I am also getting annoyed by the newer Epiduo commercial. After suffering from acne since I was fourteen years old (now 19) you would think I know a thing or two about my own acne...And those zits look fake! I wish I could complain about mild acne...
To sum it all up, I think I'm quite sick of watching acne commercials, as well as anit-aging/wrinkles commercials as well.

[Raimundo]

Another thing I forgot to mention was about how someone mentioned the Proactiv counter in malls...Well, back in the days when I was using Proactiv, I happend to be strolling through the mall, when I spotted a girl standing at the Proactiv counter. I tried to switch to the other side of the mall (since I had to walk by her to get towards the exit of the mall) but she decided to hunt me down!!! At first she asked if I have ever tried used Proactiv and my reply was:
"Yes, I've been using the kit for about five months"
"Oh, well your skin looks like its improving!" said the naive lady. She then walked back toward her counter.
My skin didn't look any better. It look like shit So this is why I don't shop at a certain areas of the mall anymore

[Tyga]

Oh ya, and there's even a Proactive vending machine in the downtown mall next to the escalators. Ha! So if your interested in avoiding the hassle of TV purchasing, then stop by the downtown mall to buy your acne products for everyone to see!

Wow. Like that's going to be a great idea. I could just see a teenager out with his mom, and she does something embarrassing like stop by the proactiv vending machine to get another bottle of repairing lotion for him.

[fleur6]

I agree. Heartily haha.

I also hate that Clearasil pimple blocker pen commercial thing where the girl feels ONE pimple coming in on her cheek (which isn't even visible anyway) and then she rubs it with this little pen and it's gone so she can go on her date again! Yaaaaay. Barf. First of all, commercials like this shouldn't be telling girls to cancel dates because of one non-existent pimple, or any pimples at all. Such a bad message.

I also hate all the neutrogena/clean and clear commercials with girls dancing around on pastel backgrounds to bad pop music.

My bitterness is palpable... haha.

[Jonima]

I agree. Heartily haha.

I also hate that Clearasil pimple blocker pen commercial thing where the girl feels ONE pimple coming in on her cheek (which isn't even visible anyway) and then she rubs it with this little pen and it's gone so she can go on her date again! Yaaaaay. Barf. First of all, commercials like this shouldn't be telling girls to cancel dates because of one non-existent pimple, or any pimples at all. Such a bad message.

I also hate all the neutrogena/clean and clear commercials with girls dancing around on pastel backgrounds to bad pop music.

My bitterness is palpable... haha.

I was in study hall with Channel 1 playing on the TV and that pimple pen blocker ad came on saying, "When you feel a pimple coming, stop it in it's tracks before it comes up" or something along the lines. My classmate and I were working on homework and she asked "How do you (general 'you') even feel a pimple coming?" I quickly answered "I don't know" with my head down on my work. I hate it. Fuck you mega skin care manufacturing companies.

[Kairasa]

I used proactive AGES ago....at least 5 or 6. And it didn't really do anything for me. Now when I see those commercials I laugh. I'm pretty open about my acne, and I always make jokes about it. No point in getting embarrassed, at least to me.

I don't like how they portray individuals with acne as idiotic, but then again...they are preying upon the desperation of those who want a quick fix. Same as those horrid weight loss commercials.

[carrie54]

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Edited by carrie54, 04 June 2011 - 10:02 AM.

[gda_11]

Wow, I didn't expect so many replies haha.

Anyway yeah, I had no idea they had proactive kiosks and vending machines, holy crap. That's intense. And yeah as someone above said, they make acne sufferers who don't use proactive look like nasty dirt bags who don't even try to have nice skin, it's pretty degrading.

PS: I have to ask, do the Proactive kiosks have good or bad lighting?

[sophiena1143]

i HATE the Epiduo commercial (it's a new acne product) it portrays people with acne like we don't know anything. makes me angry.

yes i HATE that commercial! it's so silly and irrelevant

[gda_11]

i HATE the Epiduo commercial (it's a new acne product) it portrays people with acne like we don't know anything. makes me angry.

yes i HATE that commercial! it's so silly and irrelevant

I haven't seen it and it doesn't seem to be on Youtube, can you remember the dialogue in it? Now I'm curious!