GE Commercial Insults Baby Boomers and Millennials

There are three frequently run commercials featuring a young man who is all excited about writing code for GE. In the first one, the young man explains to his parents that he will be working and writing code at GE. (What’s The Matter Owen Commercial)

The father presents his son with his grandpappy’s sledgehammer. REALLY?

Does GE think that older adults are so out of touch with computers that they cannot grasp the concept that GE uses technology?

Hey GE, it’s the older adults who are screaming that manufacturing jobs have left America.

The GE “What’s the Matter with Owen?” ad campaign received some negative feedback, primarily centered on the perception that the commercials, while trying to modernize GE’s image, ended up reinforcing the very stereotypes they sought to dispel.

Critics noted that the ads highlight Owen’s excitement about coding at GE but show his parents and friends misunderstanding or being disappointed by his choice, which could unintentionally emphasize the outdated view of GE as a stodgy, old-fashioned company rather than a cutting-edge tech employer.

Some observers felt that the campaign’s humor and earnestness might not fully resonate with the target millennial audience, as the ads portray Owen as a somewhat awkward character who struggles to explain the appeal of his job, which could be seen as undercutting the company’s message of innovation.

Additionally, Forbes pointed out that women were notably missing from the campaign, which could be viewed as a missed opportunity to appeal to a broader, more diverse talent pool.

Despite these critiques, the campaign was generally recognized as a clever attempt at employment branding for a large industrial company competing with more glamorous tech startups. It reportedly led to a significant increase in job applications, suggesting that the negatives did not outweigh the campaign’s effectiveness.

In the other commercial, the young man is surprised at home by all his friends, celebrating his new job at GE as a developer. And here we go again… All his friends are confused about what he will be doing. REALLY? The typical grade-school child understands the concept of programming in the workplace.

Finally, in the last commercial, the young man is sitting at a table with a small group of friends. When he tells his friends about his new job, they start talking about some idiotic, useless mobile app. The only thing this commercial demonstrates is the proliferation of silly, useless mobile apps.

My takeaway from GE’s brand messaging in their commercials is as follows: ‘Dear America, we think you’re clueless and stupid, but we want you to know that at GE, we embrace technology.‘

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