6.16.2006

The Bad, The Good and The Stupid

I wanted to collect some good and bad commercials to see if maybe we can raise the bar, if only a tiny fraction of an inch.

Let's start with the bad because its way more fun.
Geico - the gecko is done, please find something new. And why does he have an Aussie accent? That's just stupid. So this is a bad and stupid ad campaign. Not that Geico was going to get my business in any case but their ads make me change the channel instantly, about the last thing an ad exec wants.

Golden State Warriors - the 24 second shot clock commercial of the straight razor shaving barber is horribly difficult to watch and makes me hate basketball even more. Besides, Golden State Warriors = GSW = Gun Shot Wound, that always bothered me too.

VW's Safe Happens ads - look, we get it. Your cars are pretty safe. Please stop with the shock tactics and go back to the UnPimp My Ride series, those were funny. Same thing with My Fast. Which, by the way, is a stupid and contradictory train of progress from My Fast to the Safe Happens ones.

Bud Light's Ted Ferguson - the first one was mildly entertaining, every commercial since has been awful, stupid and unwatchable. Besides, Bud Light is piss-water.

Nextel's Jump for Joy - making your customers look and behave like idiots is a bad marketing plan. Plain and simple. I would avoid Nextel like the plague if I were in the market for a new cell and plan.

Diet Pepsi with Jay Mohr and Jackie Chan - These ads are so incredibly stupid that they defy any attempt at redemption. And I would really, really like to kick Jay Mohr in the balls, he's really a smarmy prick.

Mercedes' Burger & Milkshake Ad - Where all the people in the town drive $50,000 Mercedes and two rich white people fall in love. Do I really need to rip this one apart? Well, how about just one aspect, where the guy is working on his engine and sees the hottie. Hello? These are fucking expensive cars and they break that easily when they're brand new? What the hell was Mercedes thinking? Aside from that, in their UberWorld everyone will own an overpriced car and fall in love in their 50's at a burger joint with someone from their exact same demographic? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Aflac - the duck is not and has never been funny. Please stop making those bad ads.

And there are plenty more. Ads that start with wholly unrealistic premises and then end with buy this product and it will solve all your problems. Ads that begin with retarded expectations like Jaguar trying to get people to give cars to their spouses for Mother's Day or Christmas. Ads that try to be funny and are not, at all. Any ad that features Ben Stein is bound to be stupid. Any ad that features Gilber Gottfried or his voice is bound to be stupid.

And now, some good commercials.
VW's Unpimp My Ride - I understand not everyone likes these but I think they are excellent and funny.

Southwest's Ding Ads - these are marginally funny the first time around. And then you go and check out the site and find out that their "deals" suck, badly.

Sonic's Drive Thru Vignettes - These ads are generally excellent, funny and would make me go to Sonic for their goodies. Only problem is that there is no Sonic anywhere near here. The closest one is like forty miles away. And that annoys me but the ads are money.

Okay, so I'm having a brain fart right now and those are the only decent ads that comes to mind. What ads have you seen recently that worked for you? Or made you laugh? Or, better, made you rush out and buy whatever product was being hawked?

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