Bring Back Disastertising

In the early days of the pandemic, the normal noise of advertising on TV and online was suddenly replaced with “disastertisements” — ads that at the time felt corny, trite, and pandering.

Generic piano music. A calming, resonant voice-over. Empty streets. Clips of drive-by birthday parties, arias belted from apartment balconies, Zoom mishaps. Fade to black, then a sans serif message across the screen: We’re here…