jtherkal: If anyone loves things in the future, it’s me. Hell, I once ate Future City french fries. I own Futura Super Socks. But this ad, set in some sort of futuristic gladiator stadium, is about the most useless, drab, unimaginative spot I’ve ever seen in the last week. First, the car isn’t fighting anything in that stadium, what are all of those stupid people so excited about? Second, the copy is terrible. “The totally, completely, 100%, all new Mazda 6.” Only they kept the same shitty tagline? “Zoom Zoom. Forever.” is like the kiss of death for anyone working on Mazda. Zoom Zoom is over. Dead. Buried. Let it go. It’s like Who Let The Dogs Out. Good when it came out, terrible now. This does the opposite of making me want a Mazda. F F forever.
sjbooher: First of all, “Zoom Zoom” was never good. Terrible the minute it was birthed and that horrid faux-Caribbean song ran incessantly in my head. Horrid. Second, I agree that the played out “Mad Max” theme is not very inspiring here, but I am more in the “oh, ok, whatever” position. I’ll go with a solid “meh”. Just another boring, forgettable ad. D.
jtherkal: Rumor has it, Hyundai is switching their business from Goodby to The Richards Group. After the release of the Think About It ads, I’m surprised. I thought those were well thought out, well executed, and starting to help Hyundai turn a corner and establish an actual brand voice. Then I saw these Dollars and Sense promotional ads. If you could make a more boring, ignorable ad, I’m not really sure how. F.
sjbooher: Booooorrrrrrr-iiiiiiiiiiinngg. However, in these economic down times, these might tap in to consumer sensibilities. They may strike a chord with people going through the problems mentioned in these ads. And weren’t you just saying brands need to give back? Hyundai is offering a little friendly advice, which may paint them in a positive light. C.
sjbooher: Classic material. At first I was thinking… “hmm… Spy Hunter, people these days probably don’t even know what that is.” But then the voice in the sky says “Your love for car has never been more real…” acknowledging that Pontiac is targeting the 25-35 year olds of the world that remember the game from back in the day. I remember playing this for hours on end at Salerno’s Pizza in Eldersburg, Maryland, while attending various birthday parties and other celebrations, so right away I’m feeling good. Then the outstanding live-action recreation of the video game, furthers that feeling. Then I hear “Pontiac”, and I think, “Oh, that sucks”. But that’s not the ad’s fault. A+
jtherkal: I somehow made it out of my formative years without in-depth Spy Hunter experience. Maybe it was too much Techmo Bowl. I guess this is entertaining enough, but it doesn’t do anything to change my “Pontiac is not a good car” opinion. And Pontiac Is Car…stolen from Honda’s “the fit is go”? My sister bought a G6. B-.
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+
jtherkal: And the mongoose flies! Yes! Why is it so hard to do ads for family cars that make them seem cool? This ad begins to break the nauseating mold that most family car ads are cast from. Get some fresh music and show families tearing it up. Show 250 berserkers screaming down a hill on big wheels. Show that it’s about more than getting from point A to point B, or keeping the kids quiet. We all know family cars are safe and we’ll ask about that in the dealership, but we’re still humans. We still want to feel like the $35,000 cars we’re buying are cool. I would have loved for this to be for a minivan.
sjbooher: That’s all well and good, too bad it’s a rip-off of this CLASSIC H2 ad. I hate copycats. Big wheels are fun though, so I can’t fail it, as much as I want to. C-.
Shhhhhhhh, let’s try and make our ads as quiet and ignorable as possible. We don’t want to wake up anyone who might be sleeping during the Super Bowl. Nor would we want to interrupt their conversation about the game. I think people will respect us for being polite and tactful; that should translate into increased car sales. ERROR.
Hyundai Genesis — Crazy Big Twist
jtherkal: First, ads that are self-aware of themselves always feel like a hack-job. So this already has that going against it. This ad barely even registered on my radar. More poignantly, no one who is shopping for a Mercedes is going to have Hyundai on their radar. Not even after 1000 soft-spoken, “think about it” commercials. And if you can’t afford a Mercedes, do you really care that you can get a car that’s “as spacious”? Is that really what luxury means to you? At least tell us it has the same engine, or safety features, or in dash nav system as the Mercedes. But then again, maybe all you can talk about and still be in the same ballpark is space. Congrats. Does it look and feel like a Lexus or Mercedes ad? Yeah. Was that the point? I think. Is that a good idea? No. D+.
Hyundai Genesis — Aren’t Gonna Like It
jtherkal: I’m pretty sure the USA Today Ad Meter is going to say this ad sucked. No one is going to remember it. And if they do, they’ll probably think they saw an ad for BMW, Mercedes or Lexus. That’s the problem with making your ad look like the ads of your competitor, then saying the names of said competitors in the same ad. People will think they saw an ad for your competitor. On the bright side, the car looks nice and I like that typing sound at the end when the words come up. D+.
sjbooher: “Ooooooooooo!!! He dropped it on Mercedes head like that, son! Ish was deep, kid!” Who are they kidding? A Hyundai is Hyundai and a Mercedes is a Mercedes. If you can get Jay-Z to talk about his Hyundai, then you’ll have my attention. Until then, stay in your lane, pun intended. F.
The Mouth: Do we really have to review this one? It’s forty seconds of talking while we watch a simple black and white cartoon that barely moves. I know that as a writer, I should appreciate a spot like this. Quiet, with a well-written VO; but during the Super Bowl, all it gets is a big, fat yawn. F.
The Hawk: Big, fat yawn is right. If more than 2% of viewers managed to sit through the beginning snooze fest, then I’d be amazed. The most egregious offense to me, is that it has the look, tone and feel of a financial/investment ad, and I HATE financial investment ads. F.
Chevy was brave to admit that they’d been making a completely irrelevant car for the last ten years. You can almost guarantee that every Malibu you see on the road is a rental, because no one would ever buy such a bland car, especially when you give it a fruity name like “Malibu.” So kudos for taking your car’s ignorability head on. That saves this from the F I would normally give anything associated with the Malibu. The very least you could do is give it a better name. That should have been your first step. What, were you scared you’d lose your loyal Malibu fan base? I assure you, those five people won’t hurt your sales.
In this, they claim that “The Chevy brand is on the ascendancy, with Malibu to lead the renaissance.” Who claims that? Wards AutoWorld, which I have never heard of. If Chevy has indeed chosen the Malibu as their beacon of change, it’s a terrible blunder. Even though the look of the car seems much improved, it’s still the MALIBU. No one wants to buy a car called the Malibu. Might as well call it the Chevy Pink Pony. Or the Chevy Tulip Tickle. I’m pretty sure I can ignore this car.
The Hawk: Really? Cops running past a car into a bank heist? REALLY? That’s just stupid. The second spot is just your typical, run-of-the-mill, car commercial that you CAN ignore. Boring. They would get a C, but the stupidity of the bank heist ad pushes them down to D.
This makes me absolutely cringe in terror. It’s, like, sooooooooooooooo, totally, annoying. Dude. And you know what? I’ve seen this ad approximately 3.78 billion times, and guess what? I had NO clue what car it was advertising. Way to go Jeep. This is the type of ad that makes swear to NEVER buy from a company. In fact, anyone have Dr. Kevorkian’s number? I need his “assistance”… F.
The Mouth:
My first reaction to seeing this ad was disgust. What a waste of advertising dollars from Jeep, a company with a product that has demanded some of the industry’s best work. But for some reason, repeated viewing has softened me. Not to say that I like it, because I don’t, at all. I have simply ceased thinking of this as a commercial and ceased noticing there’s a car–or Jeep–in the ad. I simply hum along with the song, which is also pretty awful. I can’t help it if my brain is easily tricked into liking things it sees over and over again.
This is one that slipped through the cracks at Jeep. Jeeps are meant to run animals over. I think a commercial featuring all of the animals in the commercial being run over would certainly be a step in the right direction.
I have a hard time watching this ad without getting completely furious. The dad is a COMPLETE jerk. Does he actually SEE or TALK to his family? In a normal family, if a new car is purchased, it’s going to be news. “Hey guys, I bought a car today.” “Oh yeah, what kind?” “One of those new Ford Hybrid SUV’s”. Why don’t you act a little more sarcastic towards your daughter, jerk?
And also, is the girl so unobservant that she’s never seen the big “Hybrid” label on the car?
On top of all that, as many times as I had seen this, I had no idea what type of car it was advertising.
