Holiday and Seasonal Commercials

[WinnieWinkle]

I can be a sucker for the feel good commercials that are meant to tug at your heartstrings but the one for Coke with the Dad going through a Huge Ordeal in over to deliver the daughter's letter to Santa just leaves me cold.  It doesn't make any sense and annoys me excessively.

Edited December 8, 2020 by WinnieWinkle

[mojoween]

On 12/8/2020 at 10:31 AM, WinnieWinkle said:

I can be a sucker for the feel good commercials that are meant to tug at your heartstrings but the one for Coke with the Dad going through a Huge Ordeal in over to deliver the daughter's letter to Santa just leaves me cold.  It doesn't make any sense and annoys me excessively.

Yes!  I saw all this stuff on Twitter where people were falling over in tears and I was like...ok?  It’s a preposterous ad to me.

I haven’t seen a Ferrero Rocher ad this season yet and I don’t even like their ads, but I still miss them when they are gone.

(and also the coconut Ferrero Rocher is absolutely as good {better than, really} as the excessive reactions of the people in the commercials)

[kathyk24]

On 12/8/2020 at 10:31 AM, WinnieWinkle said:

I can be a sucker for the feel good commercials that are meant to tug at your heartstrings but the one for Coke with the Dad going through a Huge Ordeal in over to deliver the daughter's letter to Santa just leaves me cold.  It doesn't make any sense and annoys me excessively.

IMO Coke didn't need a new holiday ad the polar bear ads were great.

[zoey1996]

SNL did a spoof of the Lexus December to Remember ad & it’s freakin’ hilarious!

 

[Jaded]

7 minutes ago, kathyk24 said:

IMO Coke didn't need a new holiday ad the polar bear ads were great.

I realized the other day I hadn't seen any of their polar bear commercials this year. They were a favorite of my Mom's and I loved them too.. 😦

[mojoween]

I’ll never be near the ability to buy a Lexus even if I wanted one, but I have to admit that the music in the December to Remember ads always makes me feel Christmasy.

[Ashforth]

3 hours ago, mojoween said:

I’ll never be near the ability to buy a Lexus even if I wanted one, but I have to admit that the music in the December to Remember ads always makes me feel Christmasy.

I like the music, too. If you can't buy a Lexus, buying a Toyota is reasonably close at a lower price point. I've had two Camry's (one for 13 years! and now a hybrid for 5 years) and both were/are great cars. Plenty luxurious to me.

[peacheslatour]

4 minutes ago, Ashforth said:

I like the music, too. If you can't buy a Lexus, buying a Toyota is reasonably close at a lower price point. I've had two Camry's (one for 13 years! and now a hybrid for 5 years) and both were/are great cars. Plenty luxurious to me.

I love mine.

[smittykins]

17 hours ago, Jaded said:

I realized the other day I hadn't seen any of their polar bear commercials this year. They were a favorite of my Mom's and I loved them too.. 😦

My favorite was the one with the penguins dancing to “Little Saint Nick.”

[zoey1996]

On 12/8/2020 at 10:31 AM, WinnieWinkle said:

I can be a sucker for the feel good commercials that are meant to tug at your heartstrings but the one for Coke with the Dad going through a Huge Ordeal in over to deliver the daughter's letter to Santa just leaves me cold.  It doesn't make any sense and annoys me excessively.

I really like it! Doesn't matter to me if it doesn't make sense - it's the message that matters to me.  Give of yourself - there's nothing more important!  

 

[peacheslatour]

46 minutes ago, zoey1996 said:

I really like it! Doesn't matter to me if it doesn't make sense - it's the message that matters to me.  Give of yourself - there's nothing more important!  

 

Made me cry for real.

[Bastet]

On 12/8/2020 at 7:31 AM, WinnieWinkle said:

I can be a sucker for the feel good commercials that are meant to tug at your heartstrings but the one for Coke with the Dad going through a Huge Ordeal in over to deliver the daughter's letter to Santa just leaves me cold.  It doesn't make any sense and annoys me excessively.

I just watched it, and I had the same reaction.  Is the father unaware Santa isn't real, and thus going through all those ridiculous shenanigans to reach the North Pole is not actually going to deliver the letter to some wish-granting bearded dude?  If he'd opened the damn letter back on the oil rig (or in his truck on the way to work), he'd have known all she wanted for Christmas was him then and there. 

[janie jones]

7 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I just watched it, and I had the same reaction.  Is the father unaware Santa isn't real, and thus going through all those ridiculous shenanigans to reach the North Pole is not actually going to deliver the letter to some wish-granting bearded dude?  If he'd opened the damn letter back on the oil rig (or in his truck on the way to work), he'd have known all she wanted for Christmas was him then and there. 

Santa is real; he's driving the Coke truck. And a good thing, too, because the dad either got reported lost at sea or lost his job, so hopefully Santa can repair that, including the family's trauma at the dad having been missing for weeks. (Presumably missing. If he'd called home, his spouse would have been all "Get the fuck home," and you'd think he wouldn't have continued.)

[Bastet]

33 minutes ago, janie jones said:

Santa is real; he's driving the Coke truck.

Which is part of its ridiculousness, but I can go with Santa being a character in a Christmas commercial a hell of a lot easier than I can go with a father risking life and limb to deliver a letter to Santa rather than just opening it to find out what she wants.

(And, yes, I know he's a character, too; I'm no more supposed to believe a father would actually do any of that shit than I am to believe Santa Claus is real and driving a Coke truck, because it's all just a fairy tale.  But with him, I just can't get lost in the story; I'm too distracted by how preposterous it is.  Sometimes that doesn't bother me, but in this one it does.)

Edited December 15, 2020 by Bastet

[Haleth]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

Is the father unaware Santa isn't real

Wait, what?  Spoiler, missy!  😉

[WendyCR72]

On 12/2/2020 at 3:30 PM, elle said:

It’s been running for 31 years?!  Wow!

I feel that the Hershey’s people have missed the point in saying that they would run both the new and old versions of the commercial.  People don’t like the new one because it interrupts the original so they/we suggested that they separate the two by cutting it into a new commercial.  

We all wait for that “phew” at the end, Hershey’s tptb.  

I swear I'm telling the truth, but the YT post the article first references said outrage about was mine! Wow, cool! My 2 seconds of fame...

[Haleth]

10 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

I swear I'm telling the truth, but the YT post the article first references said outrage about was mine! Wow, cool! My 2 seconds of fame...

Thank you for getting the ball rolling!

[WendyCR72]

9 hours ago, Haleth said:

Thank you for getting the ball rolling!

Griping is my forté. Glad I put it to good use!  😉

[merylinkid]

On 12/13/2020 at 10:43 PM, zoey1996 said:

SNL did a spoof of the Lexus December to Remember ad & it’s freakin’ hilarious!

 

But as usual, SNL just went too far.    Why not stop at "you made a major purchase without consulting me?"   Instead we get dad has been unemployed for 2 years, is a drunk, stupid (doesn't understand there is still a car payment) and is trying to impress his son's girlfriend (ewwwwwwww).    

Last night Hubby and i were watching tv and the Jeep commercial comes on where the guy gets his girlfriend a puppy and she gets him a jeep.   Hubby looks at me and says "I could get you a puppy ...."   I said "Like I am going to make a financial purchase as a surprise."   He said "right???"  So we are on the same page about that.   

I got thinking about those commercials though.   Who ARE these commercials aimed at?    Most people won't buy a car for someone else.   The small set of people who will are not going to be influenced by a commercial.   They will already know what status symbol they want in the drive way. 

[Prevailing Wind]

2 hours ago, merylinkid said:

Most people won't buy a car for someone else.   The small set of people who will are not going to be influenced by a commercial.   They will already know what status symbol they want in the drive way. 

I mentioned this at a family gathering - who buys a surprise vehicle with a giant bow on it - and was gently slapped down by my nephew's wife. The lovely Alicia had bought a Jeep for Alex and put a big bow on it. (She makes more money than he does). BUT...he had been talking about it for months and listed exactly all the options he wanted, so she didn't just blindly go to a Jeep dealer and say, "I want that one with a giant bow."  She knew she was getting what he wanted. (He really didn't expect it - he was waiting for his next raise to go buy it.)

[proserpina65]

On ‎12‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 6:57 PM, janie jones said:

It's from an Old Navy commercial like 20+ years ago.

 

I have to admit, I was amused by George & Weezie in those commercials.

On ‎12‎/‎14‎/‎2020 at 7:19 PM, Bastet said:

I just watched it, and I had the same reaction.  Is the father unaware Santa isn't real, and thus going through all those ridiculous shenanigans to reach the North Pole is not actually going to deliver the letter to some wish-granting bearded dude?  If he'd opened the damn letter back on the oil rig (or in his truck on the way to work), he'd have known all she wanted for Christmas was him then and there. 

The end is touching, but for most of the rest of it, I was thinking "where the hell does he think the North Pole is?".

 

[zoey1996]

The "mailbox" ad for Toyota kind of confused me - why are they driving to that rural mailbox and mailing cards from there?  I didn't get that she was mailing home-made ornaments that then show up on the tree.  Her (service member) dad then surprises her there.  But the song was used for a British (?) missing person crime procedural, so that didn't work for me for the commercial.  I read Toyota's description of the ad, so I better understand it, but then how good is it if it's confusing?  The little girl is adorable, though!

 

[theatremouse]

Y'all the SNL sketch is off-topic here. Feel free to discuss it in the SNL episode topic. Discuss real commercials here.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

On 12/14/2020 at 4:31 PM, janie jones said:

Santa is real; he's driving the Coke truck. And a good thing, too, because the dad either got reported lost at sea or lost his job, so hopefully Santa can repair that, including the family's trauma at the dad having been missing for weeks. (Presumably missing. If he'd called home, his spouse would have been all "Get the fuck home," and you'd think he wouldn't have continued.)

We think alike.  All I could see was Dad is lost at sea and reported as missing, likely dead to his family.  The girl would be crying.  Christmas would be muted because the family is in mourning.  Sure, she'd be happy to see him turn up alive, but FFS dude, make a phone call!  Also, why didn't anyone on his rig or in the mail boat fish him out of the water?  That commercial is horrifying to me. 

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

We think alike.  All I could see was Dad is lost at sea and reported as missing, likely dead to his family.  The girl would be crying.  Christmas would be muted because the family is in mourning.  Sure, she'd be happy to see him turn up alive, but FFS dude, make a phone call!  Also, why didn't anyone on his rig or in the mail boat fish him out of the water?  That commercial is horrifying to me. 

You're right. But when it gets to the end I can't help choking up a little.

[Phebemarie]

6 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

The "mailbox" ad for Toyota kind of confused me - why are they driving to that rural mailbox and mailing cards from there?  I didn't get that she was mailing home-made ornaments that then show up on the tree.  Her (service member) dad then surprises her there.  But the song was used for a British (?) missing person crime procedural, so that didn't work for me for the commercial.  I read Toyota's description of the ad, so I better understand it, but then how good is it if it's confusing?  The little girl is adorable, though!

 

Thank you for clarifying the commercial.  I had no clue there was such a complicated narrative.  🙂 

The family is adorable, but that song is not my favorite.  Why not have a nice instrumental?  That way we could focus on the cute family rather than the annoying vocalist.  

[friendperidot]

On 12/13/2020 at 9:27 PM, mojoween said:

(and also the coconut Ferrero Rocher is absolutely as good {better than, really} as the excessive reactions of the people in the commercials)

a little off topic, do they have the hazelnut? I hate hazelnut and love coconut, I'd probably try them if they are just coconut. 

as for the Coke commercials, I still love the "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," there's a version with candles, I thought (it's been a zillion years) that that was a Christmas ad one year. I haven't seen the new ad y'all are talking about. For some reason Start, MSNBC, and Discovery Science don't show many holiday ads. 

I haven't seen the old Hersey Bells this year, I did see the newer ad and didn't like it. I have a soft spot for the old one because during one airing a few years ago, my then puppy watched the screen intently the entire time the ad was on, the quit as soon as the ad was over. He really doesn't pay attention to the tv at all anymore.

[catlover79]

Has anyone seen the Peter Folgers ad this year? I haven't. I miss it.

I can't believe it took so long for the Chia company to make a likeness of Richard Simmons!! Too funny.  😂

[mojoween]

2 hours ago, friendperidot said:

a little off topic, do they have the hazelnut? I hate hazelnut and love coconut, I'd probably try them if they are just coconut. 

I haven’t had any yet this year but if I’m remembering correctly it’s toasted coconut over coconut cream with an almond in the middle.

It took me a long time to get the Toyota (? that’s what you said?  I’ve never paid attention to what they were actually selling) ad because their driveway is apparently six miles long.  It would have worked better to me if when they got to the mailbox you could see their house in the background.

[chessiegal]

18 minutes ago, mojoween said:

It took me a long time to get the Toyota (? that’s what you said?  I’ve never paid attention to what they were actually selling) ad because their driveway is apparently six miles long.  It would have worked better to me if when they got to the mailbox you could see their house in the background.

The tree isn't at the end of their driveway. The daughter has been making and sending her dad Christmas ornaments. They drive to a Christmas tree farm, where the dad has put all the ornaments she has sent him on a tree, and then surprises her by coming from behind the tree.

[mojoween]

Oh I thought every time the girl made an ornament the mother drove her to their mailbox and then dad brought all the ornaments home with him and decorated the tree at the end of the driveway.

Shit I am going to need to pay real attention next time that ad is on.

[catlover79]

5 hours ago, friendperidot said:

I still love the "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," 

I can never think of that song without hearing Rose singing it on "The Golden Girls". 😂

[Browncoat]

8 hours ago, catlover79 said:

I can't believe it took so long for the Chia company to make a likeness of Richard Simmons!! Too funny.  😂

It's the chest "hair" that really sells it.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

I haven’t had any yet this year but if I’m remembering correctly it’s toasted coconut over coconut cream with an almond in the middle.

Nope, it's hazelnut.

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 12/18/2020 at 7:51 AM, merylinkid said:

Most people won't buy a car for someone else. 

My hubby bought me a car - however we went to the dealer together and I was fully aware of everything and jokingly said....."No bow, please!"

Frankly I would rather sit through political ads than one more car commercial.

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

My hubby bought me a car - however we went to the dealer together and I was fully aware of everything and jokingly said....."No bow, please!"

Frankly I would rather sit through political ads than one more car commercial.

What about Medicare commercials? They're still running those here, along with those awful supplemental ones.

[Mrs. Hanson]

25 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

What about Medicare commercials? They're still running those here, along with those awful supplemental ones.

Oh gosh yes....Joe Namath - go away.  You too, Mike Ditka.  "GET ALL THE BENEFITS YOU DESERVE!!!!"

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Oh gosh yes....Joe Namath - go away.  You too, Mike Ditka.  "GET ALL THE BENEFITS YOU DESERVE!!!!"

As his dentures desperately try to escape his mouth.

[Mrs. Hanson]

Just now, peacheslatour said:

As his dentures desperately try to escape his mouth.

I was thinking veneers but you are probably right.  He is 77, after all.  Who knows?

[catlover79]

16 hours ago, Browncoat said:

It's the chest "hair" that really sells it.

 

[Prevailing Wind]

Well, my Xmas season is over. I've seen the Hershey's Bells (Whew!) and the Corona lit-up palm tree.  I don't care about Peter & his coffee and they no longer show Santa on the Norelco Triple-Head Shaver, so I'm done. I've had my quart of egg nog for the year. Have as good a Lockdown Xmas as possible, everybody!

[smittykins]

Fortunately, yesterday I saw the Hershey’s bell choir ad by itself, without the other commercial tagging along(I’ve seen the second ad alone on YouTube).

[Ashforth]

All of the perfume ads are bad, but especially the Valentino one with Lady Gaga in a dramatic red gown, bellowing her song and emoting so hard that she looks like she's struggling to push out a particularly large, dry turd.

On the other hand, I'm super amused by the Buick commercial full of people who bought SUVs for Christmas - for themselves! It shows a great sense of humor about the usual "surprise your spouse with a new car" trope.

Edited December 20, 2020 by Ashforth

[InDueTime]

I see that the topic of the Hershey kiss bell ad remake has been already discussed (I've seen both versions on TV this year). Speaking of which, I saw a remake of the Corona beer Christmas ad today. However, since it's advertising a seltzer drink, it's likely it will be just shown this season.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/tDe_/corona-hard-seltzer-feliz-navidad

[Maverick]

 I haven't seen that one but the one with the melting Colonel Sanders is equally disturbing.  He's basically dying in front of the little girl, having sacrificed his life to bring them a damn bucket of chicken.  Is the little girl heart-broken?  Sad?  Even slightly concerned?   Nope.  She just turns her back and skips into the house.  

 This is what you get from generations that never watched Frosty the Snowman as a child.  Christmas Psychopaths. 

[Browncoat]

8 hours ago, Maverick said:

This is what you get from generations that never watched Frosty the Snowman as a child.  Christmas Psychopaths. 

But Frosty comes back!  So no need to worry when someone melts -- they'll be back again some day.

[Trey]

16 hours ago, Ashforth said:

All of the perfume ads are bad, but especially the Valentino one with Lady Gaga in a dramatic red gown, bellowing her song and emoting so hard that she looks like she's struggling to push out a particularly large, dry turd.

Yet I love that one. I think the song is beautiful.

I also love the Bleu de Chanel commercial with David Bowie singing Starman. With model Gaspard Ulliel - another contender for tv boyfriend.

Edited December 21, 2020 by Trey

[Zahdii]

I miss Elizabeth Taylor 'White Diamonds' commercial.

[Ashforth]

1 hour ago, Zahdii said:

I miss Elizabeth Taylor 'White Diamonds' commercial.

Not so fast, Comrade.

But she has been dead for a long time now, so to me it got weird to use the commercial. I bet that a lot of viewers wouldn't have any idea who she was.

[Haleth]

9 hours ago, Ashforth said:

Not so fast, Comrade.

But she has been dead for a long time now, so to me it got weird to use the commercial. I bet that a lot of viewers wouldn't have any idea who she was.

 A lot of viewers might only remember her from this commercial.