Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[Prevailing Wind]

Was.  I've lost 2 inches since becoming a grumpy old broad.

[Moose135]

The one when the guy is coaching the other on how to say "Nein?" I've seen it once, and I already know that the charge for filing online is $9.99, so repeating nein/nine drills it into your head.

 

Every time I see it, I think he's saying the German "nein" rather than the English "Nine", and it always makes me think of Laurence Olivier asking "Is it safe?"

 

Somehow, I don't think that's what they are going for with this spot...

[GaT]

Someone at Kellogg must have been insane when they OK'd this, who thought parents losing their newborn baby would make an amusing commercial? I keep having visions of the peanut butter & jelly parents banging on the glass screaming while the nurse eats their baby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hPSdt1hXNg

[Stella MD]

 

Acura?  How does your car make me drive like a boss?  How is being a boss a car that answers the phone automatically without your knowldge?  Yeah.  That's Carl Icahn auto-ness there

You'd think that a boss should at least be smart enough to realize that the music had stopped playing and she's been singing into dead air for two minutes, thereby perhaps raising some concern that the phone call she ignored in favor of caterwauling got connected after all. I hate that commercial.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

Dannon Danimals yogurt appears to be meant for little kids. So why does the commercial have a kid whose voice has changed, and looks to be about 15 - 16, shilling it? He's talking to another kid who looks like he's a lot younger in the school lunchroom. Does this mean that yogurt bitch's son flunked a few grades and is still in grade school?

I'm sure there are towns in the U.S. that never built a middle school and still have elementary schools that run up to 8th grade (high school being 9th-12th). 15 or 16 would still be a little old to be in with the younger kids, but plausible.

[Rick Kitchen]

Dannon Danimals yogurt appears to be meant for little kids. So why does the commercial have a kid whose voice has changed, and looks to be about 15 - 16, shilling it? He's talking to another kid who looks like he's a lot younger in the school lunchroom. Does this mean that yogurt bitch's son flunked a few grades and is still in grade school?

 

That was exactly my feeling the first time I saw that ad.  Why the heck are they in the same class?

 

Every time I see it, I think he's saying the German "nein" rather than the English "Nine", and it always makes me think of Laurence Olivier asking "Is it safe?"

 

That is what they're saying.  The teacher is holding up a card that says "nein".

[Brattinella]

I'm sure there are towns in the U.S. that never built a middle school and still have elementary schools that run up to 8th grade (high school being 9th-12th). 15 or 16 would still be a little old to be in with the younger kids, but plausible.

 

From personal experience, this is absolutely true.  Grammar school until 8th grade, then high school is 9th through 12th.

[bilgistic]

Someone at Kellogg must have been insane when they OK'd this, who thought parents losing their newborn baby would make an amusing commercial? I keep having visions of the peanut butter & jelly parents banging on the glass screaming while the nurse eats their baby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hPSdt1hXNg

I immediately fixated on the fact that the baby Pop-Tart is wearing a diaper. Why am I having to think about Pop-Tarts pooping?

[Sandman87]

Poop-Tarts!

[Moose135]

That is what they're saying.  The teacher is holding up a card that says "nein".

 

Thank you - I've never looked at it close enough to see that.

[Lola16]

Is it just me, or does Christina Hendricks' hair color actually look awful in this ad? It's uneven, all faded out at the ends and you can see her roots. http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7HAD/clairol-natural-hair-color-secret-featuring-christina-hendricks

Yea, not good at all.  The hair that they show in between is nice but Hendricks looks uneven.

[Blergh]

Anyone else see the one with 'Patrick the Chef' [ who oddly never mentions his surname  ] ? He says that with his service, folks can order fresh ingredients shipped in specially chilled boxes complete with 'easy to follow recipes' to make fantastic meals AND the company will take off $20 the regular cost for the initial order. $20 less than how much?  It never says. And why would having 'fresh ingredients' shipped with recipes guides be more practical than, I dunno, driving to the nearest market and buying the ingredients there or, for that matter, going to a restaurant- both venues easily costing under $20 much less $20 off the unknown regular cost. The only possible advantage to this would be for a homebound chef wannabee aching to throw a party but living in a food desert whose closest outlet is a Kwik Sak 50 miles away.

  Oh, and the disjointed synch between the audio and visuals of 'Patrick the Chef' brings to mind "WarGames" 'Shall-we-play-a-game?' Joshua!

[Neurochick]

And why would having 'fresh ingredients' shipped with recipes guides be more practical than, I dunno, driving to the nearest market and buying the ingredients there or, for that matter, going to a restaurant- both venues easily costing under $20 much less $20 off the unknown regular cost. The only possible advantage to this would be for a homebound chef wannabee aching to throw a party but living in a food desert whose closest outlet is a Kwik Sak 50 miles away.

 

 

I think that's the reason.  A lot of folks don't live in areas where supermarkets are nearby.  Where I live, I see people in the supermarket getting into cabs to go home, because they don't have a supermarket in walking distance.

[FormerMod-a1]

I think it's more like "here are some specific groceries/ingredients and here is specifically what you can make with these exact things".   Some people honestly would have a hard time picking a recipe and then trying to figure out the best ingredients to buy.  It's overwhelming for them to see all the choices, let alone trying to do it in reverse - buying what looks good and then figuring out what to make.  I am not one of these people but I know more than a few.  Making my own soup w/o using a recipe is a marvel to them.  It's not that they're stupid, just inexperienced with cooking, or frightened of it for other reasons.

[Rick Kitchen]

I watched a vlog on YouTube a while back where a guy had signed up with a company that provides the entire food prep - food and a program that he downloaded to his tablet that showed, step by step, how to prepare the items.  The program showed a step, he performed that step, then he swiped forward to the next step and performed that step.  Every item (except the measuring cups, I guess) was provided.

[Splash]

Dannon Danimals yogurt appears to be meant for little kids. So why does the commercial have a kid whose voice has changed, and looks to be about 15 - 16, shilling it? He's talking to another kid who looks like he's a lot younger in the school lunchroom. Does this mean that yogurt bitch's son flunked a few grades and is still in grade school?

 

I attended a rural school that had the elementary and high school buildings connected by the cafeteria, with K-6 in one building and 7-12 in the other.  It's been awhile since I was in high school, but I think grades 7-12 had lunch at the same time, since we were all in the same building and taking classes from the same teachers.

[Lola16]

Anyone else see the one with 'Patrick the Chef' [ who oddly never mentions his surname  ] ? He says that with his service, folks can order fresh ingredients shipped in specially chilled boxes complete with 'easy to follow recipes' to make fantastic meals AND the company will take off $20 the regular cost for the initial order. $20 less than how much?  It never says. And why would having 'fresh ingredients' shipped with recipes guides be more practical than, I dunno, driving to the nearest market and buying the ingredients there or, for that matter, going to a restaurant- both venues easily costing under $20 much less $20 off the unknown regular cost. The only possible advantage to this would be for a homebound chef wannabee aching to throw a party but living in a food desert whose closest outlet is a Kwik Sak 50 miles away.

  Oh, and the disjointed synch between the audio and visuals of 'Patrick the Chef' brings to mind "WarGames" 'Shall-we-play-a-game?' Joshua!

I was looking for fresh food delivery last Winter when my cousin had twins and was housebound.  They live over 2 hours away from me and are about 20 minutes from a chain grocery.  She is a vegetarian and very fussy so I thought I'd get something delivered.  Everything required so much prep!   Like she'd have the time or energy for it.  I wound up having something sent from Stew Leonard's. 

[CoderLady]

I was tempted to use that service a few months ago when I had a total knee replacement and was housebound for a few weeks. Some site -- Slate, I think -- did comparisons of food delivery services and came to the same conclusion I did: if you just want no-fuss food go with a service that delivers frozen meals, but if you want to and can prepare meals but don't have everything on hand, having the ingredients for an interesting meal delivered and cooking it yourself can be a fun experience. I'd call it IKEA for would-be foodies.

[Prevailing Wind]

I cooked & froze stuff ahead of time for my knee replacement.  Back then, WebVan was in business, and I could get groceries from them, too.  Now, I'd just rely on Jimmy John's bringing me sandwiches.  LOL.

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

Am I hallucinating, or did I really just see a Depends commercial in which they're trying to get people to wear their adult diapers openly in public as a display of solidarity with Depends users? 

 

Here's a link. 

 

But I'm still half-convinced that I am hallucinating. 

[Brattinella]

Am I hallucinating, or did I really just see a Depends commercial in which they're trying to get people to wear their adult diapers openly in public as a display of solidarity with Depends users? 

 

Here's a link. 

 

But I'm still half-convinced that I am hallucinating. 

That was kind of my take on it, too. 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Am I hallucinating, or did I really just see a Depends commercial in which they're trying to get people to wear their adult diapers openly in public as a display of solidarity with Depends users? 

 

Here's a link. 

 

But I'm still half-convinced that I am hallucinating. 

 

Gah, 'underwearness'. I know this is the wrong thread for it, but.....HATE!

[Prevailing Wind]

You're not hallucinating.

[backformore]

I don't get it. Celebrate your incontinence?

If I had to wear Depends, I would want to know that they are not noticeable under clothing. That's the ONLY selling point.

[xaxat]

Recently, I've seen several ads for several "no touch" flushing toilets.

 

I really hope the people that buy them realize that they still need to wash their hands. Because there is other stuff you still have to touch when doing your business.

[Prevailing Wind]

My cats like to sit atop the toilet tank when I'm in the shower.  They'd be flushing that fixture ALL the time!

[bilgistic]

My cat loves to rub her face on every corner and edge. Once when she was standing on the toilet lid as I was getting out of the shower, she flushed the toilet by rubbing her face on the handle.

Bathroom time is a family event when you have kitties!

[St. Claire]

Anyone else see the one with 'Patrick the Chef' [ who oddly never mentions his surname  ] ? He says that with his service, folks can order fresh ingredients shipped in specially chilled boxes complete with 'easy to follow recipes' to make fantastic meals AND the company will take off $20 the regular cost for the initial order. $20 less than how much?  It never says. And why would having 'fresh ingredients' shipped with recipes guides be more practical than, I dunno, driving to the nearest market and buying the ingredients there or, for that matter, going to a restaurant- both venues easily costing under $20 much less $20 off the unknown regular cost. The only possible advantage to this would be for a homebound chef wannabee aching to throw a party but living in a food desert whose closest outlet is a Kwik Sak 50 miles away.

 

I haven't seen the commercial, but one possible advantage I can think of is that the shipment comes with the appropriate amount of the ingredient, thus eliminating the "I only need one clove of fresh garlic, so I'm going to end up throwing away the remainder of the bulb" syndrome. I someone use one of those services that shows you how to pre-make meals to freeze and cook later (Let's Dish) and it's nice to not have to buy, for example, a full bottle of a particular spice when only a half teaspoon is required. 

[Ubiquitous]

I think it was here (but there's no way to search the forums), but someone mentioned an ad campaign for Frank's Hot Sauce featuring a little old lady who says the tagline "I put that sh*t on EVERYTHING!" in reposnse to whatever is being said. I saw a new one in which a nerd is asking her about how she gets lucky so often with her dates. After hearing her response, I thought out loud "You put hot sauce on your date's penis?".

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I think it was here (but there's no way to search the forums)

 

Ubiquitous, there actually is a search feature. At the top right corner of the page, there's a magnifying glass, and if you click on it and go to Advanced Search, you can type in specific terms, then click on the Commercial section and 'Posts'.

 

Also? LMAO about the hot sauce.

[Bastet]

(but there's no way to search the forums),

 

Use the magnifying glass icon (top right of the grey bar at the top of the page) to bring up the search box.

 

Or, you know, what was said in the post directly above mine.  How I missed that, I do not know.  Carry on ...

Edited January 26, 2015 by Bastet

[riley702]

Just saw that State Farm commercial where the guy keeps saying he'll never (get married, have kids, move to the suburbs, etc.) with the next shot showing him doing just that. The last shot is him looking at his wife and kids and saying, "I'm never giving this up." It's supposed to be an "aww!" moment, but I keep thinking that by their own logic, the next shot should be him fighting with the now-ex wife over visitation or child support.

[erikdepressant]

I thought out loud "You put hot sauce on your date's penis?".

Since there's a named fetish for everything, there's probably one for that too, as in, "Last night she gave me a Li'l Smokie."

[atir]

I don't have a magnifying glass at the top right. But I'm using a Kindle so that may be why I'm not seeing that feature. Anyway I hope my comm isn't a duplicate.

I keep hearing commercials for what I thought was Velveeta Bites. Some kind of breakfast food (?). But I finally saw the commercial and the product is Belvita. Urg

[Ubiquitous]

I had the same confusion when I thought I heard an ad for "Velveeta breakfast cookies".

[Sandman87]

Something I just noticed in that gawdawful Charter commercial with the "Charter-ators standing by": When the one in the blue shirt sings "I'm not just the operator", she does a move with her hand and her head that looks like she's miming a blowjob. Apparently I should call Charter for extra-special customer service...

[Lola16]

I am really liking the new Turbo Tax commercials, especially this one with a ruined wedding:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ea1uao2V2WQ

Meh.  I think the casting director missed with the Asian bridesmaid.  Here we have a hapless schleppy white male, unlucky in love, rejected by these picky white women, and looky - a meek Asian girl who looks at him adoringly.  Maybe I'm watching too much 90 Day Fiance' but it reeks.

[peeayebee]

It's only one white woman who runs away. I don't see anything bad or racist about the Asian girl wanting to marry him.

[Lola16]

To me, the TurboTax ad is just as racist as this Dove ad.  I don't think it's intentional but advertisers need to avoid any prejudice real or perceived.

 

[Bastet]

Yikes.  My guess is that wasn't even subconscious racial prejudice, just truly not thinking about the implications of placing them in that order given the backdrop and verbiage, but I think it does say something that no one involved picked up on it. 

[Lola16]

Yikes.  My guess is that wasn't even subconscious racial prejudice, just truly not thinking about the implications of placing them in that order given the backdrop and verbiage, but I think it does say something that no one involved picked up on it. 

Agreed.  As I just sat through a 3 hour ad review last week of these types of ads (sort of a 'don't do this' lecture), I'm probably overly sensitive to it.  It's one thing to be intentionally controversial (like Go Daddy) versus accidentally (like Dove & TurboTax).

[Janet Snakehole]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone by posting that, I did not think of the racial overtones, and I apologize.

If it helps at all, my favorite parts of it are the "have you been injured" and "have you had kids" questions.

[Lola16]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone by posting that, I did not think of the racial overtones, and I apologize.

If it helps at all, my favorite parts of it are the "have you been injured" and "have you had kids" questions.

No apology necessary.  That's what these threads are for - good, bad, and other!

[Bastet]

If it helps at all, my favorite parts of it are the "have you been injured" and "have you had kids" questions.

 

I liked the bit about kids, but really liked "Have you retired?" as the wedding coordinator tosses down her clipboard.

[janie jones]

I did not think that Turbo Tax ad was racist at all.  I say that as someone who has an Asian mom and a white dad and who is herself half Asian with a white husband but who has been around a few couples where it is the sort of relationship that I think people are seeing in that ad.  Actually what I find off-putting is that people's minds went there.  Sometimes Asian women and white men happen to be attracted to each other.

[Aquarius]

I did not think that Turbo Tax ad was racist at all.  I say that as someone who has an Asian mom and a white dad and who is herself half Asian with a white husband but who has been around a few couples where it is the sort of relationship that I think people are seeing in that ad.  Actually what I find off-putting is that people's minds went there.  Sometimes Asian women and white men happen to be attracted to each other.

 

I'm just always happy to see interracial couples of any kind.  I remember when this was a television taboo and I am just so glad we're more or less beyond that.  And I don't see any racism in that ad.  Stupidity of a different sort, yes, but racism, no.

[Sandman87]

The latest Dish Network ad with the rancher family made me do a double-take: "Out here we can live as a family. The kids have their sex chores..."

Upon rewinding the DVR, it turned out that he said "set chores."

[ikmccall]

What's with the Jeff Bridges commercial? Bad CGI background and he's playing a flute?

[xaxat]

What's with the Jeff Bridges commercial? Bad CGI background and he's playing a flute?

 

He has a new spoken word/ambient album, Sleeping Tapes. 

 

 

 

"The world is filled with too many restless people in need of rest – that's why I filled my sleeping tapes with intriguing sounds, noises and other things to help you get a good night's rest,"

[90PercentGravity]

I think McDonald's wants to marry me... or maybe it wants to marry an egg mcmuffin?