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.
sjbooher: Remember how I mentioned that the dialog in the NBA split-head ads seemed scripted and forced? This is the exact opposite. Did MJ write this script while smoking a stogie and playing cards at the 19th Hole? I wouldn’t put it past him… but probably not. Does it sound like it could be an inspirational, from the heart speech he might give at the end of some camp for high schoolers? Definitely. Jordan Brand gets it right over and over again. They convey an image of superiority… of greatness… that you just want to be a part of. A+.
jtherkal: It’s hard to go wrong when Jordan is the voice of your brand. And your brand is actually his brand. He’s a proven winner and you instantly associate greatness with the product (except for Hanes, which somehow has managed to develop a “silly underwear” personality with Jordan and Cuba). It’s a good reminder that behind every great player is determination and drive and hard work. I sort of understand using the imagery they used, with no footage of him actually playing, but couldn’t they have found some training footage? Shooting free throws after hours in the gym? Anything? We want to see Jordan in action. A-.
jtherkal: Advertising today is going in new and strange directions. Dr. Pepper certainly recognizes the role YouTube is going to play in it all. Until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of Tay Zonday, but a million other people had. Just a guy making a song. For some reason or another, mostly because it’s ridiculous, millions (over 20 million views!) of people watched his video. So what does Diet Cherry Cholocolate Dr. Pepper do? Give him some production dollars and put a video on youtube. Was it a waste of money? Over four million views say no. He moves away from the mic so he can breathe! The only bad thing I have to say about this is the ending. They didn’t need anything more than the bottle being splashed. That terrible cherry chocolate logo, which was apparently created by someone vomiting design elements into a blender, then blending it and pouring it into a “terrible logo” mold, was unnecessary. A-.
And need I mention the strange awfulness of “Diet Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper”? I can’t even begin to fathom what that tastes like.
sjbooher: Tay is awesome, “Chocolate Rain” is above and beyond awesome, and the idea of this video is absolutely brilliant. While I cannot say I think the end product is perfect — I would have wanted the product featured a little more prominently and told Mista Johnson he can be in “the next one” — it does not matter. Millions of views are getting the brand out there. B-.
sjbooher: Awesome. A simple and clever idea, executed brilliantly. Coke seems to generally do a good job of showcasing the beverage itself in their ads. As a Coke fan, I often find myself salivating after seeing their spots, and this one is no different. A+.
jtherkal: Nice and simple. An ice cold fountain Coca-Cola classic is refreshing and delicious–this does a perfect job reminding us. The term sip-stealing could find its way into popular usage; I know I’ll use it next time I’m stealing sips. But the other line “not a felony in all 50 states” is kind of dumb. A-.
jtherkal: I was flipping through Time Out New York and landed on this bizarre ad. Huh? After taking a look, I deduced that this was not a joke ad. It’s for something called the Mansy, which is going to be available in limited quantities. Hopefully very limited. This ad is like a three car pile-up on the opposite side of the expressway. I have to look for a bit while passing, but once I understand what happened, I speed away, feeling slightly disturbed and slightly ashamed. I’m not sure if that’s the reaction they were going for. D+.
sjbooher: Not up for a little male yoga on the beach, jtherkal? Maybe even at sunset? Yikes. It would seem to me that this is for a very, very, very small, target audience, and it would scare the bejeezus out of everyone else. It’s eye-catching; I’ll give it that. It definitely gets the point across, I suppose, although looking around the net it seems other people also need to first figure out if it is a gag or not. Hmm… effectively shows the product in action, I guess. I gotta do it… A+!
April Fool’s! I still give it an A-, but for different reasons. I like that a company that manufactures clothing for Yoga, which is often seen as a pretentious type of activity (like Common said, “While white folks focus on dogs and Yoga…”) took some time to poke a little fun at themselves and the men out there that joke about the activity. It also catches your eye for a minute, and the shock value will probably get there name out there a little more. I don’t like it, but it works.
jtherkal: It’s good to know the street value of a used 32″ Panasonic television. Since it’s not a flat panel, or even HD, a spanking seems like the appropriate price. The problem is, no woman under 30 worth spanking would be able to carry a tv that large off on her own, so she’d have to bring a friend to watch the spanking, then help her move it. I’d bet that didn’t happen. A-.
sjbooher: Jeez, at least make it a 40+ inch flat panel. No HD? What year is it, again? There’s not even a picture. If you are going to make what is most likely an unrealistic request, you are going to have to put some real effort into the ad to make it happen. Quit wasting everyone’s time, perv. F.
jtherkal: Finally, a McDonald’s ad that isn’t brain-hurtingly repulsive. Why is it so hard for the world’s top fast-food corporation to make a commercial that doesn’t suck? You don’t need to show me much more than McDonald’s food to make me want it. The mere mention of Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets gets my gullet churning. And this ad does just that: focus on food, food, and more food. Add in a little bit of witty banter–including a Mexican and French accent–and you’ve met all the requirements for a successful McD’s commercial. I also like the “dollar menu family” idea. But why would a family be meeting in a board room? If you’re going to have a dollar menu family, put them in a car on a vacation. Or maybe in a living room watching television. Put the food somewhere that families actually eat it and you’ll have an almost perfect McDonald’s commercial. A-.
sjbooher: I like it. That feeling is probably bolstered by the low expectations going into any McDonald’s ad, but even without the context of their terrible history, I think this one stands up fairly well. It’s a clever idea with decent execution (I agree with my associate’s suggestions, especially the setting). A-.
jtherkal: Who knew this ad would trigger an angry mob of pro-adoption folks. The posting on YouTube has a growing list of comments debating whether or not this is offensive. I personally don’t think it’s offensive to adopted people; I think it’s offensive to French people. The fries aren’t upset about the idea of being adopted. They don’t want to be related to the parfait because of the reputation the French have as an elitist, snobbish people. Where are all of the outraged Frenchmen? And aren’t we looking a little hard for something to be offended about?
jtherkal: Are you ready for some football? Are you ready for it all the time, winter, summer, fall, and spring? With this new campaign, ESPN boasts that “Now Every Season Is Football Season.” I’m not sure this is going to send Arena Football viewership through the roof, but not for lack of trying. Arena Football is what it is. The NFL’s younger, less-talented brother who happens to have a wild streak and crazy rules. The campaign was done by my friend and associate GVD, out of Weiden+Kennedy NY. They’re pretty funny and get the point across. The concept is good: You think football season is over? It ain’t.
Lucid Dreaming
jtherkal: Looking at these individually, I’m not going to go easy on Gary. I love the narration about lucid dreaming, but isn’t there something less obvious he could do than trying to fly? Seems like that’s the first idea you’d have, not necessarily the best. B+.
sjbooher: This one is a little too over-the-top for me, with focus seemingly on the “lucid dreaming” joke than on the product. And I didn’t find it particularly funny, but that might just be me. C.
Grandpa
jtherkal: Again, good start. A seemingly crazy old man is fertile ground for great humor, but couldn’t you write some truly wild shit for grandpa to be saying? And the “touchdown” followed directly by “first down”? That don’t even make no sense. Or maybe give him a rabid celebration dance, where he tears off his shirt and marches around the room flexing and shouting “who wants some?” B.
sjbooher: I like this one. It’s funny, and it really focuses on the football aspect. I love the inclusion of vacuum cleaners at the end. I didn’t notice the touchdown-first down combo the first time around though. My associate is right about that. A-.
jtherkal: I didn’t even make the connection between “door to door salesman” and a living room full of vaccuums. In fact, I didn’t even notice the vaccuums at all. Nice subtle humor. Upgrade: B+.
Dog Food
jtherkal: The last one, which I can’t find, is the guy who got eye surgery then eats dog food. My comments are about the same. Decent premise, but is feeding him dog food the funniest gag? Maybe, but I think if you spent a day or two thinking of alternates you could come up with something better. B.
jtherkal: I’ll try not to let the fact that I briefly worked on the digital side of this project influence my critique. In fact, I didn’t think the project was all that exciting. I thought it would be a flop. But these ads get me kind of fired up about it. Maybe Nike SPARQ is awesome? Maybe people will go to the site and use the training? Didn’t exactly work with the Nike Zoom Training I worked on. And Zoom had a detailed, downloadable, 28-day program. This just has a bunch of drills. I think it would help both campaigns if the advertising actually told you more about the available training program. Or if the ads had the url, so people would know where to go.
My Better Is Better
jtherkal: I love the girl whispering, “my quick smells like french toast,” and “my speed’s already watching the next commercial.” I hate “quicky-von-quick-quick.” It’s cool, but can someone please tell me how this lets you know that Nike SPARQ is a training program? I guess it’s enough to just put up a title screen at the end… B-.
sjbooher: My associate is exactly right. I like the comedy and all the athletes… and I actually like “quicky-von-quick-quick” under the “it irritates me in a way that I enjoy it” premise. And while this is definitely a plus for the Nike Brand, if their goal is to get me involved in some sort of SPARQ training, I’m not sure that this does it. B-.
List Of Demands
jtherkal: YES. I like the weird visuals thown in here, like the frog and the kid skipping across the bridge. But mostly this song gets me fired up and makes me want to bust someone in the chops. Rarrrrrrrr. I’m ready to hit the weight room. And they actually show me people training. A miracle. A-.
sjbooher: If this doesn’t pump you up, then you have no competitive nature or need for athletic activity, and you are not invited to the party. As mentioned previously with various Apple ads, great song choices go a long way. That is the case here. Awesome, but with the same caveats as above. A-.
In honor of Brett Favre’s retirement from professional football, we here at irateads.com are taking a moment to remember him and thank him for all the years of hatred and joy he has brought us by rating every Brett Favre ad we can find on YouTube. I grew up a Lions fan, so for most of my life I hated Brett Favre with the intensity of 1000 suns. Then he got old and flawed and gristled. And I grew to love him for his passion and the way he played the game of football. Just a good ol’ boy out there having some fun on a Sunday. It’s a shame no one every harnessed his pure goodness in the perfect advertising campaign–some came close…
Mastercard Ad
jtherkal: The Priceless campaign seems to always have pretty good work and this is no exception. Monday morning quarterback, get it? You know Brett would’ve double bagged it. Brett: A. Mastercard: B+.
sjbooher: Love it. What he said. And I love consistent campaigns that work and brand your product… although I still don’t understand credit card advertising in general, really. Brett: A+. Mastercard: A+.
Rayovac Batteries
jtherkal: You’re Brett Favre, you are America, you are football. And you choose to endorse Rayovac? If you’re Rayovac, every endorsement wet dream you’ve ever had is coming true as Brett reads your shitty tag line to the camera. If you’re Brett, you have to be thinking: where’s Energizer? Brett: F Rayovac: C-
sjbooher: Ho-hum. It’s a good effort by Rayovac to get their name out there, and I like the football-themed, “Laaaaaaabeau Fiiieeeeld”-esque voiceover guy that’s really just an employee. And it’s true, Brett is simply a pretty face, in this one. I have to ask this, though. Do people really get suckered in by moneyback guarantees? Is any consumer buying Energizers and Rayovacs then taking them home to see which one powers their flashlight longer? If it makes people buy your product, it’s genius, as probably about 0% of people ever pull your card. The jury (meaning my opinion) is still out on that aspect of this one. Brett: C-. Rayovac: C+.
Nike
jtherkal: I guess it’s from 1997, so the fact that the music feels all wrong might not be accurate. Maybe in 1997 it was perfect. The fact that this was from over 10 years ago and would still work as an ad today is a testament to Brett Favre and to Nike. Brett: A Nike: A-
sjbooher: To me, this would still work because it’s boring as hell. Maybe that’s because it’s been drilled into my head over and over again how much of a loose cannon Favre is on the field. Maybe this worked better during that time, but I hated Brett Favre then, so I probably would have liked it even less. And what is Nike even advertising? Are they selling Brett Favre figurines? Just the overall brand, I guess, but it’s more of a Favre ad than a Nike ad. Brett: C-. Nike: D.
Bergstrom
jtherkal: Ugh. I guess Brett is a hometown hero, so you’re bound to get some of these. This was played at Lambeau field during a game. I’m sure thousands of drunk Packer fans stopped in their tracks to watch Brett deliver this boring-ass endorsement. But fresh cookies? That’s worth something. Brett: D Bergstrom: D
sjbooher: The fresh cookies alone makes this a great ad. In a town like Green Bay, I’m not even sure if the consumers have much of a choice, when it comes to auto dealerships, and they definitely do not after this ad. Maybe it’s preaching to the choir, but it’s a slam dunk. Brett: B. Bergstrom: A+.
Bergstrom — Smart Car
jtherkal: 16 years? Well, Brett, that’s a commitment to your sponsors. That’s the kind of All-American leadership and dedication we like to see. But Smart Cars? In Wisconsin? I can’t think of a worse place to have a smart car. I’m sure those handle great in a foot of snow. What, did the dealership accidentally fill check the wrong box on their order form? Brett Favre is not the man to be selling Smart Cars. Brett sells trucks, idiots. Brett: D Bergstrom: F
sjbooher: Yeah, this is just plain weird. Brett puts in a fine effort though, as we works with what they give him, just like he did every Sunday for the Packers. While I question Bergstrom’s decision to sell this car in the first place, I’m here to rate the ad, and it’s pretty good. It’s informative and they use their ace-in-the-hole, Brett Favre, in an attempt to sell a possibly unsellable product. And that jingle is quality work — Berrrrg-strooooom They can give a great deal more!. Brett: B. Bergstrom B.
Prilosec
jtherkal: Brett driving some sort of bulldozer? Brett walking in the woods with his dogs, Brett sawing logs! Brett cookin’ crawfish for the boys Brett chillin’ on the dock with his daughter (I assume) Brett throwin’ the pigskin. Yup. That’s just Brett being Brett. Prilosec understands, Brett Favre IS AMERICA! It doesn’t really matter what the product is. Brett: A Prilosec: A
sjbooher: Chalk this up to an ad that worked for at least one consumer. This ad aired right around the time I figured out that I have acid problems and, thanks to Brett, I went out and gave it a whirl. So I guess I can’t too critical, but I do have some issues with this one. While it’s awesome to have Brett doing all that stuff… WHAT THE HELL DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH HEARTBURN? Only one activity is relevant — the crawlfish eating. “Day 5, I just chilled”. And you can’t do that with heartburn? Weird. Brett: A+. Prilosec: C+.
Edge Pro Gel
jtherkal: If you can shave Brett’s man-face, you can shave anything. That’s the selling point here. Edge missed it, you still have Brett shaving. Brett: A Edge: C+
sjbooher: Now that way know “5 o’clock shadow” Brett so well, it’s hard to think of it as a good thing he’s shaving. Also, maybe Reggie forgot to look in the mirror, because he has a goatee, so he sorta didn’t shave either! Anyway, this a fun, playful ad that gets the point across, although it is a bit dated now. Brett: C. Edge: C+.
3-A-Day Dairy
jtherkal: Can we even count this? Was that Brett we saw at 00:28? I think it was. So let me say this: shame on you 3-A-Day. Brett Favre is the face of Wisconsin, the home of cheese. And all you can do is slip him in at the end? No one even cares about those other people. Unless they’re somehow famous people with strong bones and healthy bodies from states known for their diary products, why even bother? Brett: A 3-A-Day: F
sjbooher: It’s not completely Brett-centric, but good nonetheless. Look at those tasty dairy treats. What my cohort may be forgetting is that Favre was not always the picture of wholesome goodness. He went through some painkiller and alcohol addiction days when companies may have shied away from him a bit. Brett: Incomplete. 3-A-Day: B.
Wrangler
jtherkal: I can’t even begin to explain how disappointed I was to not find Brett’s Wrangler commercial anywhere. This is the best I could do. In its original form, the Wrangler commercial is the 100% correct usage of Brett Favre. You walk away with a crystal clear message: Brett Favre is America, Wrangler Jeans are America. For some reason the ridiculousness of pairing this with Mims makes me laugh. Hilarious. Someone spent an afternoon cutting that together. Wild. Strange Video: B- Brett: A+ Wrangler: A+
sjbooher: This is easily my favorite all-time Brett Favre ad. It nails the Wrangler brand image 100%. Perfect. Brett: A+. Wrangler: A+
NFL
jtherkal: How apropos. It is hard to say goodbye. We’ll miss you Brett, even though we sometimes hated you. Brett: A NFL: A
sjbooher: Every cloud has a silver-lining. Now we won’t have to endure another year of “Will he retire? Will he comeback?” debates. Brett: A. NFL: A+
