Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[proserpina65]

1 minute ago, chessiegal said:

Lume tells men they stink too - thus Mando. My husband says he would have used a 72-hour deodorant during his backpacking days.  He also said there is no way he's putting deodorant on his butt crack. 🤣

But the industry is selling deodorant, thus trying to convince women they smell everywhere. I can't relate. Unless I've gotten so used to my own stink, I don't smell it anymore, but I don't think so.

They do now, but there is a Lume commercial where Dr. Shannon specifically mentions how women are made to feel bad about our natural body odor, then shills a whole body deodorant for women as though she's not being part of the problem.

[Gharlane]

17 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

I feel like Swiffer is trying to gaslight me into believing that most people mop their floors daily. One girl says something like, “at the end of a hard day, the last thing I want to do is mop the floor.” I just always think, “so don’t.” 

On a related note, in one of the commercials, a young woman says she didn't realize she needed to clean her floors after seeing so much hair on it, followed by a shot of the floor covered with hair. I keep thinking she should see her doctor if she's losing that much hair!

Edited April 9 by Gharlane

[TattleTeeny]

Eh, I lose that much hair too, but you couldn't guess by looking. Apparently, it's just not attached very well! But that commercial is crazy because the lady already had the Swiffer that she says she didn't think she needed until she saw how effective it was every day. 

[Gharlane]

I was watching a pharmaceutical commercial and there's a scene taking place ar a class reunion whose school colors are apparently black and white! What is it,a funeral school?🤔

[Tom Holmberg]

21 hours ago, Gharlane said:

I was watching a pharmaceutical commercial and there's a scene taking place ar a class reunion whose school colors are apparently black and white! What is it,a funeral school?🤔

I know schools that have those colors.  The advantage is things like varsity jackets and other apparel in black and white look a lot better than some other school colors (IMHO).

[dleighg]

I keep hearing an ad (I don't see it because apparently I'm always doing something else). It has a song with lyrics "I feel like new sunglasses, I feel like new blue jeans" or something equally inane.

I googled, and maybe it's for Six Flags? I can't find the ad itself.

edited to add. It came on YET AGAIN and I looked. It is for Celebrity Cruises, though I still can't find the stupid ad. I guess the tag line is that if you go Celebrity you are spoiled for any other cruise line. I still don't know what that has to do with sunglasses or blue jeans. 

Edited April 16 by dleighg

[lh25]

On 4/9/2024 at 11:00 AM, Gharlane said:

On a related note, in one of the commercials, a young woman says she didn't realize she needed to clean her floors after seeing so much hair on it, followed by a shot of the floor covered with hair. I keep thinking she should see her doctor if she's losing that much hair!

And probably get her eyes checked as well.

[Prevailing Wind]

If you get Colonial Penn and then turn 86, are you no longer covered?  Jonathan talks about being 50-85 to get their insurance.

[Tom Holmberg]

On 4/20/2024 at 12:00 PM, Prevailing Wind said:

If you get Colonial Penn and then turn 86, are you no longer covered?  Jonathan talks about being 50-85 to get their insurance.

You probably can't get it after 85 because they assume you won't live long enough to pay off your return.

[Prevailing Wind]

20 minutes ago, Tom Holmberg said:

You probably can't get it after 85 because they assume you won't live long enough to pay off your return.

I did listen further - Jonathan later says you can keep the insurance as long as you want to, so, I suppose, once you turn 86, they figure you're not gonna throw away all the money you sunk into it and will keep on paying nine ninety five.

[chessiegal]

Colonial Penn is a scam. You have to live for 2 years after signing up to get benefits. I think there is some kind of diminishing returns once you are eligible for a payout. There's another company, Senior Life I think, that, without naming names, slams Colonial Penn for not paying benefits until you're enrolled for 2 years. Senior Life says benefits are paid immediately. 

[Tom Holmberg]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

Colonial Penn is a scam. You have to live for 2 years after signing up to get benefits. I think there is some kind of diminishing returns once you are eligible for a payout. There's another company, Senior Life I think, that, without naming names, slams Colonial Penn for not paying benefits until you're enrolled for 2 years. Senior Life says benefits are paid immediately. 

At the basic rate of $9.95, after the two year waiting period, you've basically paid in what you would get if you died then.  You'd be better off putting $9.95 in the bank every month.

[meep.meep]

We're overrun with commercials touting the recreational experiences in different states.  Virginia is for lovers, Illinois is in the middle of everything, etc.  So who thought it a good idea for the Oregon commercial to feature talking hiking boots?

[Prevailing Wind]

I keep seeing one for St. Kitts.

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

Am I supposed to "side hug" my kid so people don't think I'm perving on my own children? Or is the kid supposed to be embarrassed by parental affection? Because the kid in the commercial does not look awkward. Can't people just hug their kids and not make something creepy out of it? 

[sempervivum]

38 minutes ago, Ghost of TWOP Past said:

Or is the kid supposed to be embarrassed by parental affection? Because the kid in the commercial does not look awkward.

IMO, the kid totally looks annoyed at being subjected to mom's hugging. In fact, he seems to be giving the side-hug the side-eye.

[proserpina65]

1 hour ago, Ghost of TWOP Past said:

Or is the kid supposed to be embarrassed by parental affection?

A lot of kids get to a stage where they don't want their parents showing affection in front of their friends and/or other people.  (I remember going through a period like that.)  That's what the commercial is showing.  It's not about hugging your kids being creepy.  It's about kids trying to be cool in front of their friends.

 

[chessiegal]

Honeylove bras: Actor with her best Valley Girl voice - "I am seeing this bra all over my Instagram feed. I'm sure you are too." Why no, Valley Girl, I am not seeing this bra on my Instagram feed. What or who are you following on Instagram that you are getting ads for bras? I never get ads for anything on Instagram. 🤷‍♀️

[DXD526]

The de-lickable de-lectable cat treat spots I keep seeing are kind of unsettling. It's kind of weird how the woman is on the phone telling her SO to get some treats, as the cats pace around her, and she's like, "Hurry!" The way they're milling around, it's like she's afraid they'll eat her if they don't get their treats soon!

I'm waiting for a follow-up commercial where the guy comes home to a pile of bones on the floor, and the cats look at him, like, hey, it's your fault, you should have gotten home quicker!

Edited April 27 by DXD526

[Tom Holmberg]

20 hours ago, DXD526 said:

The de-lickable de-lectable cat treat spots I keep seeing are kind of unsettling. It's kind of weird how the woman is on the phone telling her SO to get some treats, as the cats pace around her, and she's like, "Hurry!" The way they're milling around, it's like she's afraid they'll eat her if they don't get their treats soon!

I'm waiting for a follow-up commercial where the guy comes home to a pile of bones on the floor, and the cats look at him, like, hey, it's your fault, you should have gotten home quicker!

 

[proserpina65]

On 4/27/2024 at 1:19 PM, chessiegal said:

Honeylove bras: Actor with her best Valley Girl voice - "I am seeing this bra all over my Instagram feed. I'm sure you are too." Why no, Valley Girl, I am not seeing this bra on my Instagram feed. What or who are you following on Instagram that you are getting ads for bras? I never get ads for anything on Instagram. 🤷‍♀️

I don't have Instagram, but I do get bra ads on my Twitter feed.  Since I pretty much only follow House of the Dragon-related people, I can't for the life of me understand why I'm getting bra ads.

On 4/27/2024 at 2:00 PM, DXD526 said:

The de-lickable de-lectable cat treat spots I keep seeing are kind of unsettling. It's kind of weird how the woman is on the phone telling her SO to get some treats, as the cats pace around her, and she's like, "Hurry!" The way they're milling around, it's like she's afraid they'll eat her if they don't get their treats soon!

I'm waiting for a follow-up commercial where the guy comes home to a pile of bones on the floor, and the cats look at him, like, hey, it's your fault, you should have gotten home quicker!

We all know that our cats will eat us if they're not fed on time.

[dleighg]

10 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Since I pretty much only follow House of the Dragon-related people, I can't for the life of me understand why I'm getting bra ads.

I think Twitter et. al. know exactly who we are by cross-referencing whatever else: FB, google, probably what you watch on TV. They know you are female, your approximate income, and likely how much you weigh LOL.

[Prevailing Wind]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

We all know that our cats will eat us if they're not fed on time.

My Stella is a very patient girl. I don't think she would eat me. She lets me keep sleeping even when her dish is empty. When Bosco was alive, however, I had no illusions that if I died undiscovered, he'd be the first to chow down. Stella would reluctantly follow him if she got hungry enough, but Bosco would have been right there, teeth bared.

[cynicat]

14 hours ago, dleighg said:

I think Twitter et. al. know exactly who we are by cross-referencing whatever else: FB, google, probably what you watch on TV. They know you are female, your approximate income, and likely how much you weigh LOL.

You have NO idea how much they know about us.  Google pitched my company once for advertising and it's sci-fi level stuff.

[Ohiopirate02]

17 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I don't have Instagram, but I do get bra ads on my Twitter feed.  Since I pretty much only follow House of the Dragon-related people, I can't for the life of me understand why I'm getting bra ads.

There was a time when every other ad on my Twitter feed was a bra ad. Different Twitter accounts, but the same ad and blocking it is impossible.  I believe every account Twitter thought was a woman got that ad.  

[chessiegal]

I opened a Twitter account years ago for a reason that is no longer relevant. I never check it, so just did so. No ads for bras or anything else for that matter. 🤷‍♂️

[proserpina65]

22 hours ago, dleighg said:

I think Twitter et. al. know exactly who we are by cross-referencing whatever else: FB, google, probably what you watch on TV. They know you are female, your approximate income, and likely how much you weigh LOL.

Is that how FB knows to recommend accounts about capybaras?  Cause I only ever talked about them on Twitter.

[dleighg]

40 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Is that how FB knows to recommend accounts about capybaras?  Cause I only ever talked about them on Twitter.

I imagine so. I developed an interest in sourdough bread and googled some stuff. Now FB feeds me not only sourdough stuff but everything "prepper" in nature (canning, living off grid, etc etc), none of which I have any interest in. It's kind of fascinating culturally though, so my clicking on stuff just makes it worse. Sigh.

[chessiegal]

My FB feed never, ever shows anything I've googled. 🤷‍♀️

[Ohiopirate02]

21 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

My FB feed never, ever shows anything I've googled. 🤷‍♀️

You can set up your devices in ways to stop Meta and Twitter from pulling data from them or at least reduce it.  You can also fiddle with your Google account to not use your Google searches for ads.  It's also possible that you are not using Facebook or Twitter enough for their ad algorithms to figure out what ads to send you.  Or with Facebook, you are lucky enough to have your feed look like the chronological feed of yore. I know for me, some days I get the content I log into Facebook to see--stuff from my family and friends and stuff from the groups I belong to, other days my feed is filled with ads and suggested posts to the point that I close the app.

I have noticed Twitter is placing more ads in the comments section versus your feed and those ads are targeted based on the content of the original tweet.  I get a lot of book twitter content from authors and such, and I will get ads in the comments from random authors.

[Prevailing Wind]

Google's reading your gmail, too. I had a gmail conversation with a neighbor - he was a special needs schoolteacher and had had a particularly hard day. He said he was gonna have a big glass of bourbon. We exchanged names of our favorite bourbons.

Next day, I got an "ad" for Alcoholics Anonymous.  Not only are they reading, they're being judgmental.

That day, I bought my own website, solely for the email access. Screw you, google. (it's $14  annually & $4 monthly - well worth it.)

 

[chessiegal]

I look at FB at least once a day, sometimes more. I figure my settings on FB are what is preventing ads showing up.

[dleighg]

I keep seeing different versions of an ad for realtor.com. It says something like "our app tells you if there is nuclear waste under the house" (exaggeration) Another voice says "don't all apps do that" The first voice says "Not really."

The "Not really" sets off my BS meter. Sounds like something the lawyers made them put in since clearly some app somewhere might do the same thing.

[Gharlane]

There's this humorous commercial for cheap car insurance that feature a woman who became a speed-walker because she couldn't afford to get car insurance and scenes of her earnestly walking everywhere. One of the scenes has her arriving at a coffee shop at which she works and rips off her jogging suit and throws it in some bushes, leading me to wonder what happens when she goes to work sweaty and possibly smelly and what does she wear when she quick-walks home.

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, Gharlane said:

she goes to work sweaty and possibly smelly

She must use Lume. 🤣

[Tom Holmberg]

53 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

She must use Lume. 🤣

Or Skunky.

[Schmee]

First time poster, love reading the commercials forums...

Anyway, I'm not sure if this commercial is often aired. I think I've seen it maybe 5 times, probably on pluto tv. It's for cotton (the fabric of our lives 🎵) and the narration is something about putting down your phones and telling (or listening?) to stories with friends instead. There's a group of people eating at a restaurant booth and it's a slo-mo pan of them laughing but they're not looking at each other. They seem to be looking to something humorous happening off screen to the right. 

First, how is this even remotely related to cotton? Second, how does this involve stories? Is there some kind of storytelling forum at a restaurant? Maybe I'm too dense to get it but it leaves me perplexed every time I see the commercial.

[Gharlane]

5 hours ago, Schmee said:

Anyway, I'm not sure if this commercial is often aired. I think I've seen it maybe 5 times, probably on pluto tv. It's for cotton (the fabric of our lives 🎵) and the narration is something about putting down your phones and telling (or listening?) to stories with friends instead. There's a group of people eating at a restaurant booth and it's a slo-mo pan of them laughing but they're not looking at each other. They seem to be looking to something humorous happening off screen to the right. 

First, how is this even remotely related to cotton? Second, how does this involve stories? Is there some kind of storytelling forum at a restaurant? Maybe I'm too dense to get it but it leaves me perplexed every time I see the commercial.

I hate that commercial because it seems so random, but I think the narrator and woman on the right who comes into view just as it ends is Ariana from Vanderpump Rules.

[Gharlane]

I swear the Verizon rep, once he's alone with the father, says "It's weed time!"!

Dude, you barely know each other to be doing drugs togther!

 

[chessiegal]

13 minutes ago, Gharlane said:

I swear the Verizon rep, once he's alone with the father, says "It's weed time!"!

Dude, you barely know each other to be doing drugs togther!

 

He says "It's we time" as for the two of them after they got rid of the others.

[CrystalBlue]

8 hours ago, chessiegal said:

He says "It's we time" as for the two of them after they got rid of the others.

Seconded.  That's what I clearly heard too.

[Shrek]

17 hours ago, chessiegal said:

He says "It's we time" as for the two of them after they got rid of the others.

Them saying "It's weed time" would be so much better.

[chessiegal]

9 minutes ago, Shrek said:

Them saying "It's weed time" would be so much better.

If he did say "weed time" I'd remember to ask for the fun Verizon guy 🤣

[mmecorday]

There's an ad for Kingsford charcoal. A couple are preparing a grill for a cookout and their neighbors are spying on them. The grilling couple invites the spying couple over for a cookout. All I can think is, after years of watching the ID channel, nothing good is going to come of this. 

[proserpina65]

On 5/12/2024 at 11:19 AM, chessiegal said:

If he did say "weed time" I'd remember to ask for the fun Verizon guy 🤣

I'd need the weed to tolerate that asshole.

[Schmee]

Here's another one: It's a commercial for one of those word finding game apps. Maybe Wordscapes? Anyway, the woman is going on and on about having more free time to herself and not having to do chores any more because she has her husband doing them I guess? Her husband, meanwhile, is running around in the background doing chores with the woman occasionally asking him to add more chores to his list. He seems very obliging but the woman is quite smug about it all. So the message is "you can get other people to do your household chores and play word games all day on your phone and those people will be happy to do them?" 

[lh25]

Heard one today, I think it was for Honda.  They talk about how you can use the vehicle to get away from it all. Then there is a line like "you might not come back".  OK, I get the idea is that you will be having a great time and won't want to come back, but it sounded a little threatening! 

[Tom Holmberg]

22 hours ago, lh25 said:

Heard one today, I think it was for Honda.  They talk about how you can use the vehicle to get away from it all. Then there is a line like "you might not come back".  OK, I get the idea is that you will be having a great time and won't want to come back, but it sounded a little threatening! 

I think Ford already used that line for the Pinto.