Whats everyones favorite commercials?

[ShadowHM]

Seems a waste of money to pay for advertising that amuses but does not build name recognition.

--Pete

I saw a poster in the local high school recently. It claimed that students can recognize a good 1000 corporate logos while being unable to identify more than 20 plants. :o (Sadly, I believe it, based on my completely unscientific surveys carried out after reading the poster. Most of my sons' friends cannot identify much past a dandelion, tulip and rose, in the flower section. They could differentiate between evergreen and deciduous trees, but only a couple of actual species.)

It made me wonder about the name recognition issue because there may well be a more subtle influence going on there. When the purchase decision comes, will you then remember a 'positive feeling' about the maker? Will it be sufficient to cause you to choose their product instead of another, given no further research? A lot of purchase decisions are made with little to no research.

[Nystul]

When the purchase decision comes, will you then remember a 'positive feeling' about the maker? Will it be sufficient to cause you to choose their product instead of another, given no further research?

All other factors being close enough to equal, it can definately be the difference. I think there is an inverse to this that is also significant. Generally speaking, you don't trust the name you don't know. Maybe it is as good as the big brand name, or even better, but how many people feel like taking the risk? When I go to choose a battery, the humour of the pink bunny isn't going to make me feel good about Energizer, but years of being exposed to that brand name as a leading battery manufacturer might give me the confidence to choose it over another battery that I've never heard of which could be a total lemon brand for all I know. And without a doubt, even the pickiest consumer does not have time for detailed research on every purchase he or she will make.

Coke and Pepsi are locked in a permanent advertising war, competing against each other to get the first and last impression on each person that has to choose a soft drink. But at the same time, they are effectively working together to ensure that a few kabillion people never even bother to try (insert cheapo brand of cola here).

[swirly]

But at the same time, they are effectively working together to ensure that a few kabillion people never even bother to try (insert cheapo brand of cola here).

I find that interesting since everyone in my family would rather have Sweet Valley Cola than any other type. I also see alot of Bubba Cola and Vess Cola when I go to friend's houses. I only know one person who actually prefers Coke or Pepsi (Pepsi in her case) over a smaller name brand. I have to say though that sweet valley cola is the nectar of the gods. : )

Course I also know a lot of people who don't drink colas at all, so that does tend to make it harder to judge what the soda drinking population prefers.

During my re-read of this, before posting, it occured to me that the only time I drink Coke or Pepsi is when I am eating out. If I had to wager, I would guess that is how it is with other people. They drink it when they are at a restraunt that only serves it or when at work that only has Coke/Pepsi products in machines. I think there is a huge difference between what people drink out of the house and what people drink at home. When out of the house you pretty much have to go with what is available, while at home you can chose what you like as well as what is cheaper (Coke and Pepsi usually cost more). It seems to me that the only real time that I ever have to choose between them is when I am at a place that has machines for both Pepsi and Coke. This is usually rare though. So usually I just drink what they have and then drink Sweet Valley Cola here at home. I guess maybe the advertising keeps Coke and Pepsi established as the main ones so that restraunts and other places don't switch to cheaper off-name brands?

[Obi2Kenobi]

I saw this one commercial where you see this guy sitting at a table, about to eat dinner. He suddenly looks surprised, looks down, and sees someone's foot on his "leg" ( ;) ), and he looks up at this beautiful woman. She says, "I've got to go check on the <whatever they were having for dinner>." and gets up. The foot is still there, and he looks at the next woman, who is even better looking. She says that she is going to go help her. He looks to the third woman, the best looking yet, and she says that she has to go to the restroom. Then, he looks farther to his right, and there is this old, fat, bald man grinning at him, and he just nods his head. :P No idea what they were advertising.


A commercial I wish that they would have made would be the famous Luke vs. Vader fight scene, when suddenly, one of their lightsabres die. "Should have used energizer."


I also liked the old Quizno's commercials.

"Do you like this toasted sub, or this untoasted sub with lots of, 'lettuce' (aka, money)?"
"Subject obviously preferred the untoasted sub with lettuce."

"Do you want this toasted sub, or this untoasted sub?"
"Oh, definately the toasted-"
*man shoots subject with blowdart, and she falls on top of the untoasted*
"Subject dived right in to the untoasted sub.

Much better than that horrible singing rat commercial they have now.


I also like the "Fred" commercials. "I'm off to crash the internet, wish me luck!" "Fred, you know that e-mail you told me not to open, well I opened it..." "Fred, do you know that person I just gave my password to?"
Then it says, "We know how hard it can be for IT support people" or something to that extent.


P.S. I love quite a few commercials. It's gotten to a point where my aunt says that the movie "Demolition Man" reminds her of our family. Namely, the part where they are in the car, listening to the all commercial radio station. :)

[ShadowHM]

my favourite commercial at the moment has to be the Viagra ad that shows a series of men of a certain age (indeterminate, but still clearly past the priapism of youth) singing gleefully in the shower. :P

I am not quite sure what all is involved in my liking for this ad, but I do know that there is an element of satisfaction there in seeing an admission that sometimes Willy won't work. You see, I have had a lifetime of seeing ads directed at me, suggesting that my attractiveness to men would be enhanced by my use of cosmetics, form-altering undergarments, hair colouring, crippling footwear and, more recently, cosmetic surgery and botox. Somehow, the admission that (despite all efforts by women to measure up to the standards set by men) sometimes they just cannot follow through on the implied contract and need a little help too strikes me as amusing. :D

[Occhidiangela]

(any libido joke you wish to insert here is now appropriate, vis a vis male and female timing issues)

I find it unfortunate that you see humor in the misery of others . . . oh wait, that's part of humor in the first place

*ducks* a pie in the face . . .

how does one conjugate the verb Homar, anyway?

Homo
Hamas
Hamancheez
Hombreros

Something like that . . .

[Premezilla]

That Nike one with all the sports figures has got my vote as well.

However, there are new Burger King commercials out now, in which people recieve their sandwhiches out of the white BK bag, anyway, in one, there's a exec or VP or something who ordered from BK. So the guy says "Ok who ordered the yadayda-extra-mayo-yadayda-nolettuce-yadayada" and the exec goes "right here" or something along those lines. Then one of the "grunts' goes "Hey, you and I got the same thing! ...sir? You and I got the same thing!" to which the sandwhich passer-outer says "Hey, I think they're more buns in here, wanna kiss 'em?"

:D

[ShadowHM]

I find it unfortunate that you see humor in the misery of others . . . oh wait, that's part of humor in the first place&nbsp;

What misfortune? These men were singing gleefully in their respective showers !

There are medicinal uses for Viagra. But you cannot be unaware that there is a lot of recreational use going on too - by men who want that priapism of youth and are stuck with the toughie of maturity that sometimes won't even rise to that level. And they are the ones whose 'misery' amuses me. :D

(I tried, I really tried to keep this from being ribald. :) )

Edited for poor use of tags. :rolleyes:

[Nystul]

I find that interesting since everyone in my family would rather have Sweet Valley Cola than any other type. I also see alot of Bubba Cola and Vess Cola when I go to friend's houses. I only know one person who actually prefers Coke or Pepsi (Pepsi in her case) over a smaller name brand. I have to say though that sweet valley cola is the nectar of the gods. : )


Since I've never even heard of those brands, it is probably a regional difference. But from what I've seen, Coke and Pepsi are pretty much the overall beverages of choice, followed by Mountain Dew (Pepsi) and then Sprite (Coke). Even amongst non-colas, Dr. Pepper is about the only smaller brand I see a lot of. At work they sometimes have a wide variety of free pop cans in a vat of ice water, and if you see someone reaching deep into the vat it is usually a Pepsi, Coke, or Mountain Dew they are fishing for.

[Sailboat]

Some years back the Clio awards show featured a commercial, I thinik it was foreign, in which two men are riding in a car. The driver is talking earnestly. To paraphrase from memory: "I have to tell you how I really feel about you....I love you. I want you to stay with me..." and so on, carefully avoiding looking at his male passenger. All the while, his passenger is rolling his eyes and looking like this is all too much for good taste. Finally the driver finsihes talking and presses a button on the dash, hanging up his hands-free cell phone. He looks over at his buddy and apologizes.

I liked it because the funny part was the conclusion to which we viewers had jumped. His buddy was uncomfortable not because of some male/male thing, but because the driver's sentiments were so cloying and false-sounding. :)

Sailboat

[Lady Vashj]

*ties self in knot - I'm a naga; I can do that*

Liking commercials is contradictory to the settled order of the universe!

Anyway, I can appreciate the "Robot Wars" spoof that Budweiser came up with a few Super Bowls back. Massive gleaming behemoth of steel blades comes up against Mini Fridge. Mini Fridge opens door, revealing a Bud. Steel Demon approaches and extends an appendage to take the Bud. Gigantic hammer pops out of the back of Mini Fridge and smashes Steel Demon flatter than a steamroller's track.

[degrak]

That new Fiery Hot Pringles commercial is rather funny. Certainly a gem.

[gimlisam]

After careful consideration (read: remembered it while reading the other posts), my favorite commercial that I can remember at this time has got to be a Tabasco Sauce commercial from a few years ago wherein you have this slightly overweight man sitting in his back yard eating a slice of pizza sprinkled quite liberally with Tabasco Sauce. You see a mosquito come buzzing down on to his arm and begin sucking. The man looks at the bug and just keeps eating his pizza, sprinkling on even more sauce. As the mosquito flies away, it explodes.