I RATE ADS

sjbooher: Strictly on the strength of Lamar Odom, the official player of L.O.N. A+. It’s actually probably too all over the place and did not reach the full potential of the idea. And honestly… what % of people watching this broadcast could even recognize Lamar Odom? And is T-Mobile pissed? Fave Five? 5 Buck Box? $5 Footlong? I do like “it rocks blocking shots, on guys with dreadlocks”, though. And even though I would never eat there, if at all possible, it does make me want to eat Taco Bell.

jtherkal: It’s rocka flocka flames lebron flocka james! I don’t even know what that means or why I’m saying it here, but I like it. When I first watched this during the game, I wasn’t paying attention and because I had seen and hated the poetry ad, I thought this would get an F. But this ad was 1000 times better. I like the song, I like Charles’ delivery, I like the randomness. As for Lamar, you’re too wrapped up in your basketball expert world. Get with the Karshadians! Rob’s Dream Factory! Lamar’s gone mainstream. B+.

sjbooher: I thought about the Kardashian factor… but I’m still not convinced. I need a poll conducted.

jtherkal: It appears that the T-Mobile Fav-5 ads featuring Charles Barkley will be pulled from the air. At least for now. It’s a sad day when a man can’t go out, have a few drinks and head off for a blowjob without losing his endorsement deal. We’ll miss you Chuck.

Remember the day when Dwayne finally got in!?

“That’s why I don’t eat shrimp.”

While I understand T-Mobile’s actions, you have to think this whole thing will blow over. If you’re not a serious sports fan, you probably didn’t even know about Chuck’s DUI. And if you are a serious sports fan, you probably still like him. We’re quick to forgive our athletes their flaws, especially when they’re hilarious. I think T-Mobile could have found a way to use this to their advantage, like having Charles at the bar, six or seven drinks deep, calling Dwayne for a ride to some girl’s house to get “taken care of”. Bring some of those socks. You know the ones.

Don’t drink and drive. Call someone in your Fav-5.

We love you Chuck. Get your life right.

jtherkal: BEHOLD! The first irateads-branded ad posted on YouTube. And the ad just happens to be from one of my associate’s favorite campaigns. Ever since Charles let Dwayne into his top five, I’ve been a fan. This might be my favorite yet. “They have a statue of Rocky, and he’s not even real.” Classic. A.

sjbooher: This one doesn’t make me laugh out loud, like some of the others, but who am I to hold my sense of humor as the end-all-be-all? A.

A week or so ago, T-Mobile released the above trailer-style ad as a build-up to the main event, to be shown during the Super Bowl. I’ve loved this campaign from the beginning, and this is more of the same. They make a great trailer, using an authentic voice-over guy and flashing the date at the end trailer-style. The best part is when Barkley’s voice is echoed, saying “My fav five”.

The Mouth:

I could have done without the trailer. I know the story and I’m not any more interested because of it. The only thing it made me think about was how god-awful the Miami Heat are this year. Eat it, Wade.

And then the moment we’ve all been waiting for… D-Wade makes Chuck’s Fav Five, and gets more than he could’ve ever asked for! “Do like popsicles?” “It’s only 2 o’clock here.” “That’s why I don’t eat shrimp.” Hilarious. A perfect encore to a great overall campaign. A+.

The Mouth:

I love Barkley and I like Wade, so this starts off with a lot of positives. The previous campaign has been good and I think this is a great payoff. “You’re not driving through no tunnel.” My only critique is that I still don’t believe in the value of a fav five, what the hell does it do? Free calling to those five people? Their pictures on whatever you call that initial screen your phone stays on? Someone please tell me. That’s not enough for me to downgrade it much, though. A-.