sjbooher: This is great, to me. But based on the PC-ness of American advertising, I’m guessing this is strictly a European phenomenon. Is this offensive? I don’t know any more. There are so many gray areas and double-standards these days, I don’t know what to think. And after seeing all of the way racial slurs and hateful comments directed at Josh Howard recently, my faith in mankind is on the downswing. A-.
jtherkal: Eh, this one is okay. The potential for comedy is there. A blind guy, a dog and racquetball. But it falls flat for me. Luckily, I love racquetball! But I believe that dog should be wearing glasses. The last thing a blind guy needs is for his seeing-eye dog to get popped with that little blue rocket-ball and lose an eye. That’s just reckless. Someone call PETA. C+.
jtherkal: Boom! Here it is. The second debut of the Windows Vista campaign. Apparently this is the real campaign, with rumors flying around that the Seinfeld-Gates ads have been pulled and were only intended to get people talking before the actual release of the “real” campaign. While I seriously doubt that Crispen purposely made boring pieces of shit, this is starting to feel more like what you’d expect. The idea that PC’s have been unjustly stereotyped is one that, while perhaps untrue(I think PCs and Windows have earned their reputation), is at least an idea.
They’re giving people who use PCs something to identify with, something to rally around. They’re trying to make you feel okay to not be hip like Mac, because people like Pharrell (although he’s already being bashed for selling out, after saying he’s a Mac guy), Tony & Eva, Vera Wang, and some guy with a beard are PCs. A lot of people have PCs, so making them feel like they don’t have to rush out and get a Mac is not a bad starting goal.
And, before you can break a stereotype, you first have to get people to acknowledge that there is, indeed, a stereotype. This does exactly that. Call out the stereotype and start to prove it wrong. Plus, “I’m a PC” is the type of phrase that can catch fire in pop culture. It’ll find its way into sketch comedy shows, YouTube videos, t-shirts, etc. Why on earth didn’t they just launch with this instead of shoveling that load of Seinfeld shit out onto the airwaves? We still haven’t seen anything about the product, so it’ll be interesting to see where this goes next. A-.
sjbooher: Now THIS is good. So really, WHAT was that Seinfeld crap? An amazing turnaround, here. They actually used relevant celebrities this time. Good idea! This is the type of ad the young tastemakers of the world are can grab a hold of, as my colleague said. Does the product still suck? Yeah. But if you don’t know that, this can catch your interest. This succeeds as more of a “brand builder”. A.
As for the Pharrell issue… isn’t Microsoft the one getting played here, for paying a guy that is a definite Mac user to hawk your brand? Microsoft already looked like suckers for using N*E*R*D’s “Spaz” in this Zune ad, when on their album, the track immediately preceding “Spaz”, namedrops the iPod repeatedly!
jtherkal: Apparently this ad has been pulled from television in the UK due to its “homophobic” nature. When they yanked the Snickers Superbowl commercial with two men kissing, I could understand the sensitivity. But this one? If I were gay, I’d be pissed that people think that just because a guy is portrayed as a crybaby-pussy he’s representative of the gay community. The fact that they pulled this for being anti-gay is 1000 times more anti-gay than the commercial itself.
This one is possibly closer to being offensive. But it has a Snickers Gatling gun, which is awesome:
jtherkal: This YouTube comment more accurately states what is offensive about this campaign: I can’t belive a creative agency has done such an offensive commercial, how do effeminate guys feel when they watch this ad? the underlying message is that effeminate men must be shot to become masculine. This is really bad… So is it offensive to effeminate guys? Sure. But it’s equally offensive to both straight and gays. Either way, I like them. And the message isn’t to shoot effeminate guys, it’s to get some nuts. A-.
sjbooher: I agree, ONE THOUSAND %. However, it is a slippery slope. While these ads are not offensive in and of themselves, I just spent two weekends recently with a group of guys that would see the effeminate men shown here, and instantly say: “those guys are gay”. That is because most people are idiots, I guess, and always will be. A-.
And yes, Mr. T. is gold standard when it comes to Ridiculous Black Men in entertainment.
sjbooher: I cringe as these guys talk. There are several ads in this series, all with this trio trying to be funny. Mission failed, in my opinion. I’m sure some people laugh at them, though, so I cannot rule them out entirely. On the positive side, I have never heard of this cereal before, and the description in these ads whets the old’ palette, so they did a good job there. C+.
jtherkal: To put together an entertaining 30-second commercial that spends all 30 seconds talking about the product is a tough task. Here we have spots where people talk about the Raisin Bran Crunch and its benefits for the duration. It’s all raisin bran crunch all the time. The writing is pretty good (”Hmmm, maybe you haven’t heard it, two scroops of crunch…nooo, two scoops of raisins.”), but they failed by trying to make it “extra” funny. The banter between the guy who likes crunch and the guy who likes raisins is a good premise for the campaign. Then they throw in that third little elf-man and try to have him be the punchline. He ruins it for me. But overall, success. “As long as Ms. Flake and Mr. Granola are coming to crunch town, it’s a great time.” A-.
sjbooher: These have been airing quite a long time now, but recently re-registered on my radar due to being run incessantly during Dodgers broadcasts. Over the years I have both hated and loved these spots, but now I’m going to go with love. They are a different take on the now famous Chuck Norris facts, and while I don’t like every single joke, I love the idea. I could do Chuck Norris facts (I like applying them to Ryan Braun, however) all night long if given a willing audience. The product is also well featured, and since these ads are pretty much the only reason I would ever drink this crap beer, they do their job well. A.
jtherkal: I don’t recall seeing this, which makes me one of the saddest men in the world. Perhaps it’s because I don’t live close enough to Mexico, and the media team on Dos Equis figures the only time you would drink Dos Equis is in Mexico. Regardless, “Stay thirsty, my friends,” when delivered by the most interesting man in the world is a phenomenal line. The film footage and the scripts are close to perfect. The potential for this to be a killer campaign is only hampered by the fact that it’s Dos Equis, which apparently has very limited resources. I would watch many more commercials like this and possibly even drink a Dos Equis in its honor. Then while leaving the bar where I had consumed said Dos Equis, say to many people, “Stay thirsty, my friends.” A-.
sjbooher: Hilarious. I love this on every comedic level. My favorite part is when Kanye says, “That was awesome”. This viral campaign also has an accompanying website, where the shenanigans continue. I love the rollover trick with the bald white guy. Of course, though, I have to complain about the advertising portion of this. It’s for Absolut, but for what, exactly? And is that infomercial going to air on TV? Will anyone know about this? How far are they going to take it? Until some of those questions are answered, I’ll go with B-.
jtherkal: Part of me wants to not like it, but I can’t help it. Pretty great. I think even though the initial branding of Absolut isn’t clear, the after-effect is going to be strong. People will notice this, be a part of it, and it should create a buzz for Absolut. I love the part when he asks, “How many times have you told yourself, I feel famous and powerful on the inside, but nobody sees it that way on the outside” and the answer “300 TIMES!” flashes on the screen. Also, the Be Kanye quiz on the website–where you can’t even answer any questions–is good. There is part of me that wonders, what happened to the famous, iconic Absolut advertising? But most of me just likes it. A-.
In anticipation of the latest Batman movie, a couple companies (at least) have partnered with the makers of the movie for co-branded ads.
Comcast Triple Play:
sjbooher: I’ve actually seen this one on tv. Clever. “Some Joker blew up the mini-van.” Get it? The idea of a regular family living in Gotham City is funny, but the writers mailed this one in. Seems like they could have made this funnier and even more enjoyable. B-.
jtherkal: I have to agree. A normal family in Gotham City is fertile ground for comedy, but they didn’t quite nail it here. The fear toxin and the idea that $99 Comcast makes Gotham paradise is sort of funny. Well, maybe not the fear toxin. C+.
Domino’s Pizza:
sjbooher: I like this one more. Hahahahaha. The Joker owes her a car. What a fool he is… doesn’t he want his minions fed? Let the delivery lady be! They could have used a few more pizza shots, though. Nothing sells pizza better than pictures of pizza. A-.
jtherkal: I don’t really care for this commercial. I understand the goons’ motivation–pizza is delicious–but where is Batman? Why wouldn’t they just kill her when she got to the door? The Joker don’t owe nobody no car, bitch! I guess this doesn’t have to be logical, but I still don’t like it. Partially because Domino’s pizza is the worst pizza. D+.
jtherkal: First, let me say that I’m a huge fan of The Hills. I know it’s for idiots and that the people on it are superficial fame seekers, but aren’t we all just a little bit like that? I mean, look at us, we’re writing some stupid blog about ads. Why? To get famous, of course. And for fun. So on to the ad. I’m predisposed to like it, because I love Lauren and I think Brody is pretty cool (except for this). Who better to advertise a phone whose RDB is that you can see yourself in it than people who care almost entirely about themselves? Pretty smart. Then, throw in a little Warrant and you have a winner! This ad had to be written by someone my age, because Warrant had approximately a two year lifespan, and you had to be a 13-year old with a mullet and spandex to really like them–which I was. This commercial is like a sweet piece of Cherry Pie. A-.
sjbooher: Welcome to IRateAds.com, the bootleg edition! How terrible is the video on this one? All we need to make it completely wack is some guy’s head popping in front of the camera… anyway, as surprising as it may be for a teen drama addict such as myself, I’ve managed to avoid the Hills diaspora. I do recognize them, but have no preconceived notions about them. That being said, this would be a good ad if Joe Schmoe and Lucy Loser were starring in it. It’s clever, culturally relevant, etc., etc. A, byatches.
jtherkal: I’ve now seen this one enough to officially have the opinion that there’s something catchy about the music, but nothing that really makes me want the pants. It makes me think white people love San Francisco and that Dockers are for squares. Which I suppose is their target market. Mission sort of accomplished. In related news, for about seven years I wore nothing but baggy khakis and t-shirts. B-.
sjbooher: I love this commercial because of this, Gang Starr’s “Check The Technique”. Another musical commercial win. When this ad comes on, there is a good chance you will find me dancing wildly throughout my apartment. Awesome. Also, Dockers tries to make one thing very clear: “If it ain’t white, it ain’t right.” Can’t fault them for pinpointing a market, and going after it, I guess. I will say that the music and visuals make these people seem “cooler” than I normally would think they were. Success. A-.
jtherkal: Not long ago we rated a Dove shampoo ad, and we rated it poorly. Most advertising targeting females, especially in the beauty industry, is entirely forgettable. This one is not. It delivers the message in a funny, memorable way. Someone out there understands that girls are smart enough to get jokes and that when people laugh, they remember. This may suffer from a slight case of “forget what product it’s for,” but overall I think we’ll start seeing more and more ads that target girls in this way. In my opinion, it’s smart. A-.
sjbooher: Hahahahahahahaha. Very funny, like TBS! “No she did not just do the crazy head twirl, girlfriend! Hell-to-the-naw!” Everything he just said, but downgraded a little more because of the lack of product focus. B.