So, quite awhile ago I was up late watching TV, and saw this commercial for the Humane Society.
Caution: This video shows hurt animals, you might want to rethink watching if you love animals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Xh-tZrzwkI love animals, I have a dog and 3 cats, and I nearly cried. Commercial summary: Sad music plays while sad questions scroll across sad animals, and people ask for money.
Just today, I was reminded of that commercial, only by another organization called "The Foundation for a Better Life". They run commercials for life lessons and values, and I swear they're working with the Humane Society's Sad Commercial Department. I can't find a video anywhere of the particular one that made me sad, but it was of a woman sitting next to a man in a hospital bed, likely dying, and her flashing back to when the man, who was really her father, teaching her to ride a bike as a little girl. She succeeds, the flashback ends, and she lays her head sadly on her father's chest. It was for "lifelong relationships" or something. My eyes are watering just typing out the description. Their other commercials are generally funny or happy, but this one was just really sad.
For anything else I'd consider it an underhanded technique (and I sort of do for the Humane Society one), but they're for such good causes it's hard to be mad at them. Also apparently people who are up late are a big target for these things because I only see them at 1 in the morning, unless that's the best time slot they can get.
tl;dr -
This is Scout, rainbows Dying animals and happy flashbacks make me sad
Discuss sad commercials and other sad things. Because I don't think there are really enough sad commercials to talk about.