Why don't you ever see interracial couples in commercials?

Question

Particularly in the commercials for dating sites, like eharmony.com... it's always a lovely white couple, or a lovely black couple, or a lovely hispanic couple... never an interracial couple.

Answer 1

At this point in time, the interracial market is still to small to cater to in advertisements, and let's face it, there are plenty of people in this country who are still put of at the sight of an interracial couple. For some, it might be overt, but for others, seeing an interracial couple together might subliminally "turn off" the customer to the product.

Marketers and advertisers are always looking to maximize their bang for the buck. Remember that advertisers are in the business of "reaching" people, not mirroring reality or pushing some political agenda (unless those methods are in the furtherance of reaching a target market.

Advertisers hope that for every 1000 people who are exposed to the ad, perhaps 10-15 will actually remember the product's name, and maybe 2-3 will actually purchase the product. Why would an advertiser risk alienating one of those precious potential customers to cater to someone who would statistically be an unlikely customer (only because they are statistically insignificant).

In the future, as society becomes more tolerant, and as the number of interracial couples increase, I would expec to see more of it in ads. Bot so long as the number of people turned off by it exceeds the number of interracial couples, then advertisers will regard those people as statistically insignificant, and they'll run more interracial ads.

Answer 2

Fr_chuck had the best answer. It's still not really accepted in American society to date outside their race, although it is more common to see black men and white women. I wish it would be more common to see the other way around too (Bl. woman, W. Man) because it'd give me hope cuz I'm a black woman and I want to be in an interracial relationship of any kind. I want it to BE ok...even though I know not everyone will like it, if I see it other places with not just the man being black it would make me feel a whole lot better.

Answer 3

Because it is still not a 100 percent accepted by alot of society.

( I will note I am married in a interracial relationship) I am white and my wife is black.

So from experience some whites still have trouble with my being married to a black lady. But a very large amount of blacks don't like my being married to a black lady. Some blacks don't like any interracial, but many are ok with a black man and a white lady but not a white man and a black lady.
It is all within thier culture.

So the adds try to be as less offensive as they can be to the largest groups of people.
IE you don't see homosexual couples on dating adds normally either.

Answer 4

I don't think that this is intentional. The majority of society dates people within their own race. Interracial relationships make up a pretty small percentage of the entire dating population. If I am not mistaken, eHarmony uses actual members on their commercials so maybe there is a smaller percentage of interracial couples there, as well.

Answer 5

For some reason Air Force advertisements, like the BX, commissary, and AF Channel always have interracial couples. Like they go out of their way to match up different races. Weird.

Answer 6

We used to see Lee Trevino talking about what great tacos his white wife made.

(Interracial is still considered somethin of a porno specialty. That's probably why you don't see it on dating sites that are trying to appear legit.)

Answer 7

i've seen inter-racial couples in commercials like that. the question is, why is it that now you see people in inter-racial relationships that were doing nothing but talking mad sh!t about several years ago when it first became what they called a "problem"?

Answer 8

I agree with Mr. Chuck up there...America just ain't ready for that type of exposure just yet....just as they are not ready for a homosexual couple on commercials. Its the comfort factor....myself...I could care less.....

Answer 9

i thought i was the only one that noticed that! but at least they are gradually doing it by putting interacial couples in commercials in general....

Answer 10

why would you even notice that? you are obviously looking for some justification to somthing you feel guilty about.....either that or you want help pushing your views onto other people...either way i dont care...i would date white, black, spanish, i dont care...but not someone as hung up on it as you.....