TV Commercial:
Centrum Silver – Eye Health
Description:
In this Centrum Silver commercial we are told how amazing your eyes are, and how Centrum Silver can help you keep them healthy. The voice of the announcer in this commercial is that of Martin Sheen.
What Martin Sheen says in this commercial:
Your eyes. Even at a distance of 10 miles, the length of 146 football fields, they can see the light of a single candle.
Your eyes are amazing. Look after them with Centrum Silver. Multivitamins with Lutein and vitamins A, C, and E to support healthy eyes and packed with key nutrients to support your heart and brain too.
Centrum Silver for the most amazing parts of you.
Claims made about Centrum Silver:
- What the commercial said: Your eyes are amazing. Look after them with Centrum Silver
- What some people might think that means: If I take these vitamins, I will have healthy eyes or my eyes will get healthier / my vision will improve
- What it really means: The commercial says “look after them [your eyes]”. The commercial does not actually say that taking these vitamins will improve your vision or make your eyes any healthier and instead leaves it up to the viewer to infer or assume that “look after them” means “it will make them better”. Some people may consider this a deceptive use of wording intended to confuse people into thinking that Centrum Silver will actually improve vision or eye health.
- What Martin Sheen said: …with Lutein and vitamins A, C, and E to support healthy eyes
- What some people might think that means: Because this multivitamin has vitamin A, C, and E, it will make my eyes healthy or protect/improve my vision
- What it really means: Similarly to the previous claim, it is never said that Centrum will improve your eyes or your vision, only the word “support” is used. Any assumption that these vitamins will improve vision or eye-health is left up to the viewer.
- What Martin Sheen said: … packed with key nutrients to support your heart and brain too
- What some people might think that means: Taking these vitamins will help my heart and brain / make me smarter / prevent heart or brain disease
- What it really means: Again the word “support” is used, never is it said that Centrum will improve heart or brain health in any way.
What does the fine print say?
As required by law, the following fine-print is shown during the commercial:
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Not a replacement for cholesterol lowering drugs.
This fine print tells us that nothing said in this commercial has been reviewed or tested by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that it is not a replacement for any cholesterol lowering medications.
How many football fields are in 10 miles?
The one claim in this commercial that gets us more email than any other is the claim about how sensitive the human eye is, and whether or not the math about 146 football fields is correct. This is what Martin Sheen said:
Even at a distance of 10 miles, the length of 146 football fields, they [human eyes] can see the light of a single candle
- A standard football field is 100 yards or 300 feet
- There are 5,280 feet in one mile so 10 miles = 52,800 feet.
- 146 football fields = 43,800 feet
- 43,800 feet = 8.3 miles
Answer: 146 football fields is not 10 miles; 146 football fields is only 8.3 miles
Can the eye really see the light of a single candle from 146 football fields or 10 miles away?
Based on several studies, in the right conditions (total darkness, no atmospheric conditions or the curve of the horizon to obscure the view), a healthy human eye can detect the light of a single candle from between 15 and 30 miles away. Since 146 football fields is only 8.3 miles, this statement, whether for 8.3 miles or for 10 miles, appears to be true based on published studies.
Summary:
This commercial uses the word “support” in a way that some people believe could be an attempt at deceiving viewers into thinking that the vitamins are more helpful than they actually are.
I just watched the Centrum Silver commercial that specifies eye health as one of many excellent reason to take these vitamins. In my opinion, Centrum Silver is honest,forthright and accurate in their claims. The voice of Martin Sheen adds tremendously to the message that Centrum Silver is attempting to impart to viewers. Mr Sheen’s “vocal instrument” is pleasant and inspirational while adding an amazing depth to the advert that caused me to wish it had lasted longer. A feeling which, I can assure you, I don’t get from any other commercials.
^complete shill and/or fool.
How can you believe anything they said? They missed 10 miles by the length of 30 football fields.
I can see the light from a single candle @ ten miles away? What a bunch of crap.
This post has been updated with more data and info about the length of 146 football fields, and whether or not the human eye can actually see that distance.
If you count the end zones 146 football fields is just under 10 miles.
10 miles = 176 football fields…John G is right…
Counting the end zones, a football field is 120 yards, ergo 360 feet. 360 feet times 146 is 52,560 feet. Just under 10 miles. Nice try.
Ask 100 American males who are familiar with football, how long a football field is. 99 of them will say 100 yards, the other one will say with or without the end zones!
Sorry that American males are stupid…
You cannot play a regulation game of football on a 100 yard field, you need end zones which are also an integral part of a standard football field field. Time to break out a dictionary, smart guy. American males are not stupid. They are however apparently ignorant on the subject of regulation football field size. Less educated folks confuse stupidity with ignorance.
IF the earth were flat, the eye might see a candle flicker at 30 miles. However, due to the curvature of the earth, one can only see three miles or so to the horizon. The ad looks like it espouses totally flat terrain, which the earth isn’t. On the other hand, if the candle was on the edge of a high mesa in the AZ desert, one might be able to see it while looking towards it.
Actually, a football field is 100 yards between two 10 yard end zones. This means that one football field is 120 yards, or 360 feet. 360 x 146 = 52,560 feet, which is .995 miles.
Without the earth’s curves, the human eye can actually detect the light emitted from a candle at a distance of 30 miles.
it was just a typo 146 should have been 176
The football fields include a 10 yard end zone on each end. 120 yards, not 100. 52800/360=146.6667
I wish manufacturers and their advertisers would just TRY telling us nothing but the facts and the truth, no deception, no “tricks”. If we are smart enough to earn our own money, they should consider us smart enough to figure out the best products on which to spend it…
Since the distance to the horizon is only 3 miles….where is that candle located and who’s holding it???? Bunch of lies….
1 football field equals 100 yards.