Ivan C. Potter, Publisher West Kentucky Journal
Tuesday, June 9, 2015 2:49 pm

NAPA Auto has a new marketing theme for its Legend Battery line; violence is good in school - it's the way real men get ahead.

The commercial opens with Dad getting a NAPA can of "Know How." First he puts the NAPA battery in his car as Junior walks by.

Then Dad puts a new Legend battery in Junior's Robot science project for the school science fair.

Image now: Dad and Junior standing next to the life size robot. Dad pushes button on robot and all hell breaks out in the science fair. In quick session, the robot, now armed with its new Legend Battery, produces a death ray and shoots down the other science projects.

Little girl is horrified at the destruction of her science fair project. Final scene is that of dad standing next to Junior, fist bumping as Jr. holds a 1st Place trophy for the fair.

The ad was produced by the Kaplan Thaler Group. Their description of the ad is as follows. "NAPA Auto Parts is happy to help you change your battery with a great selection of batteries and more in their stores. You'll be able to hit the road and watch Jr.'s robot blow the Community Science Fair out of the water by destroying watermelons and volcanoes."

Moral of the story that NAPA is pushing seems to be "with a Legend Battery, violence is OK to get ahead in life."

Is that what we want our children to be learning?