While you are correct to point out that commercials often position products as solutions to problems (you pointed out many fine examples), the Kleenex ads seem to be celebrating the ‘problem’, suggesting that a runny nose or teary eyes are in fact a good thing. That seems to me to be a slightly different positioning. It is perhaps a cousin to a what a Gatorade ad would be – working out is good for you, drink Gatorade afterwards. Only the Kleenex ad is hitting at a more emotional level, and I would therefore argue a more powerful level.

Full disclosure: I work for Taylor, a public relations firm that works with Kleenex, though we were not involved in the conception or filming of the ad.

In general, though, ads, especially of the unique selling proposition type, often show negative things–that’s the problem the product is supposed to solve. Remember “ring around the collar?” or “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing?” Or, on a more contemporary note, Career Builder showing the poor guy who has to work with chimps, Charles Schwab showing people bitching about their brokers, Southwest Airlines showing people in excruciatingly embarrassing situations from which they “wanna get away?” It seems to me that there isn’t anything very new here.

It is true that ads are typically squeamish about displaying bodily functions, hence all the beakers of colored water poured through absorbing layers as demonstrations. Or the stylized Flomax representations of the urinary tract. Since I appreciate that squeamishness, I’m not sure I want to watch people dumping nasal mucous into their Kleenex and I hope these ads stress the crying part of letting it out.