Holiday and Seasonal Commercials

[paramitch]

I was in the hospital over the holidays, which meant I practically memorized several holiday commercials (unfortunately)! Mostly for negative reasons, so here's my silly rant:

The Mr. Peanut "Nut Bowl" Ad

I don't get this one. I still don't. Mr. Peanut alludes to a "time before nut bowls" then we see vaguely Victorian people stumbling around yelling for each other, then a Victorian girl who giggles that she's "hilarious."

The commercial enraged me unreasonably. My many issues: The antique styling but modern language. That there has never been a time before people congregating around food. What is the actual situation? I figured the "hilarious" girl turned off the lights for entertainment which is why the others are moronically yelling for each other with lamps. Or is she typing something?? I just don't get it.

Target "Santa" Commercial series

I liked the first one of a hot outdoorsy Santa showing up at Target in the snow because I thought it was a clever nod to "Even Santa needs Target." But then the following in the series just made the guy look like a dorky goofball who actually WORKS at Target. WHY??? Then the last one has him at home in his cabin, finding a missed gift, then ORDERING it from Target for delivery. Why?? I thought he WORKED there--? Aghghgh!

Wayfair "Gift Swaps"

Kelly Clarkson is very natural and funny in these, but the premise is just weird to me. Why advertise Wayfair by just showing people bringing their own stuff to a gift swap? Why aren't they all things they got at Wayfair but they love them too much to let them go? That would have been so much better.

And even the cute ending "What the fuuuuudge" she does with Peter Billingsley makes no sense. Why is she saying WTF? Instead she just says it for no reason. It would have been funnier if she had the leg lamp then turned around and SO DID HE. Then she could have had a reason to say it. Etc. I do think it's funny that Peter himself is in it.

Amazon "Singing Janitor" Commercial

I know it's sweet and I liked the idea of this but I think it's clumsily done. Does the guy just walk around singing this one song over and over? Also, the guy's voice at the end doesn't sound like the same person at all. (Interestingly, the commercial changed his voice in later versions!)

Hobby Lobby 

I know the one with the young couple being set up by the old couple could be seen as sweet, but I hate it so much. I mean, evidently they are each getting these anonymous "merry christmas neighbor" cards multiple times per day and just assume they are from each other? Then we have the old couple beaming ickily from behind the curtains, revealing THEY made all the cards. Like, what do they know about these two people? Do they just have to be a guy and girl (this is Hobby Lobby, after all), as opposed to sharing any commonalities?

The "Lonely Table" Ad (Kerrygold)

Like many here, I just didn't get this. The "I want you to want me" song choice is really bad. And why is the table inside the boy's house -- then later in all these weird "stalkery" locations? Then it's back in his (new?) house again but not lonely anymore because people are finally around it? Why not just show the boy repeatedly alone at the table but end happily with it filled with people? So much simpler.

The Macy's Commercials

Alison Brie is really charming in them, but the scripts are horrible and really stupid. Why is her assistant so dumb? He literally asks "Gifts can talk?!" at one point as if he thinks she's being literal. It's embarrassing.

Bailey's

This looks delicious until the guy BITES the bottle at the end. It grosses me out every time. I can almost feel my teeth biting on glass. Aghghg.

Celebrity Endorsement Ads

Julia Roberts -- why is she alone on a roof in Paris? Why is she smirking? Does the Eiffel Tower look better when you're a pampered zillionaire actress alone on a rooftop? Ugh.

Lily James -- why is her "through the looking glass" commercial starting with her glammed up? Why does she look and act drugged on the "other side?" It's just kind of creepy.

I did love the Kroger "Lonely People" spot, the AT&T "call someone you love" commercial with the voices of people giving love and encouragement to people, the Ritz commercial where the little girl makes the Nutcracker and Mouse King stop fighting over some Ritz crackers. And I still love several of the classics in rotation -- the Jingle Bell Kisses (but not the new update, ew!), the Christmas-lights-palm tree, and other classics.

 

[proserpina65]

19 hours ago, paramitch said:

Why aren't they all things they got at Wayfair but they love them too much to let them go?

I think that IS what's happening in the commercial, that they found these things which are so perfect for themselves at Wayfair and don't want to give them away now.  I could be wrong, though.

19 hours ago, paramitch said:

Does the Eiffel Tower look better when you're a pampered zillionaire actress alone on a rooftop?

Doesn't everything look better when one is a pampered zillionaire? lol