I RATE ADS

jtherkal: I’m not sure how this type of ad rates on your scale, SJB, because I definitely know who it’s for and I definitely remember it. But mostly I know and remember out of pure hatred. As long as this is running, I’m almost guaranteed to stay as far away from a Toyota dealership as I can. Every morning on my way to the subway, this song echoes in my head and fills me with rage. If Saved By Zero was on the subway platform, I would push it in front of the train. F.

sjbooher: No publicity is bad publicity, my friend. If catchiness is a crime, then this ad deserves 25 to life. After hearing this ad repeatedly during Monday Night Football, I was walking around my apartment singing it. I didn’t realize what it was for… but then thought, “hmm… ’saved by zero’. Maybe a 0% car ad? Oh, I think it’s Toyota.” A jingle with context clues? Slam dunk. A.

jtherkal: So today I received these notices that videos had been removed from our YouTube channel due to copyright violations. I had to read them a few times to understand what they were saying, because certainly no company would ever ask you NOT to watch or show their commercial.

In the case of the Viagra Ad, it seems to be the music company that had a problem with us sharing their song without paying for or obtaining the rights. But in the other case it was Toyota, the actual car company, that asked to have THEIR AD taken down. Now, is it just me, or does asking people NOT to show your ad seem like the most ridiculous thing in the history of marketing? It’s FREE ADVERTISING! The whole reason you make an ad is to have people watch it and hopefully notice or remember it. The ultimate win (well, aside from making a sale) is when someone passes on information about your ad, or even better, passes on the actual Ad for others to see. I’m absolutely amazed and confused by this.

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.

“Seats eight crazies.” Indeed. A-.

Also, it’s the perfect counterpart to the other Toyota Sequoia commercial, which I love.

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-.

The Mouth:
The message is clear, the idea is sort of funny. They could have used more badgers. C+.

The Hawk:
Isn’t there a more ferocious animal they could have used? Are badgers funny or are they trying to use cute things that aren’t ferocious in an ironic sort of way? I don’t get and think it’s dumb. At least I know that’s a for a Corolla when I watch, though, and I do like quiet cars. D-.

First, congrats to Toyota for doing anything involving World of Warcraft. I don’t know much about it, except that it is some sort of online fantasy game for nerds. By recognizing that the world is filled with nerds–and that nerds also need trucks–Toyota taps into a previously untargeted market. This ad manages to speak directly to the nerds, and also subtly mock them. Subtle mocking…the best kind.

The concept was likely born from the infamous Leroy Jenkins video that was all the rage about four years ago. I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.

Leeeeeeeroy Jeeeeenkins! Better.