By Jim Schuh – Special to the Gazette

While I worked in broadcasting, we found that it’s sometimes hazardous to allow advertisers to appear in their own commercials. They risk turning the commercial into something other than a way to sell their product.

Some business bigwigs who show up in their own ads take away from the message they seek to convey and turn the commercial into a vehicle that gives the audience a reason to ridicule or laugh at them.

Why do some advertisers want to become stars of their ads? Ego may be one reason. They get recognition from their friends and families. It makes them feel good when people come up to them and say they’ve seen him or her on a TV commercial.

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