Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[Watcher0363]

"Wafels & Dinges" is a Belgian-themed foodtruck in NY.  Wafels are pretty much self-explanatory; but dinges are apparently all the other dishes they sell.

Okay that should have been muffins and dingus for everyone. So as not to seem discrimatory.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Watcher0363

[theatremouse]

Dinges= "things" in Flemish I'm pretty sure? So the truck is basically waffles and other stuff. So, if the Tina Fey commercial does refer to the truck, she means something like, toppings for everybody. If she's not directly referring to the truck, then it's probably more like "stuff of an indeterminate nature for everybody". Or perhaps "thingamajigs for everybody".

Edited August 7, 2014 by theatremouse

[Rick Kitchen]

So it's a New York reference that everybody else in the world is supposed to know?

[Writing Wrongs]

I really hate those Sprint commercials. Why is the dad a hamster?! I don't get it.

[Ubiquitous]

So it's a New York reference that everybody else in the world is supposed to know?

Like most of thier ilk, they thought they were being oh-so hip and clever.

[Sandman87]

"Dingus for everybody!"

I want this on a T-shirt. Pays to advertise, y'see.

[Watcher0363]

I really hate those Sprint commercials. Why is the dad a hamster?! I don't get it.

I use to like those commercials when I thought they were about forming an metaphorical family, from the people you decide to share a cell phone plan with. But now that they are making these people an actual family with a rodent as a parent. It creeps me out. It brings back Richard Gere rumours and the thought that the rodent could be named Sam and the lady who is his wife, really could be enjoy something like that rodent under her skirt while out in public. There is something officially wrong with those commercials now, at least for me.

[Watcher0363]

Like most of thier ilk, they thought they were being oh-so hip and clever.

Is that the West Wing Toby's oh-so hip and clever ilk. We know where that leads, the room is no longer calm.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I really hate those Sprint commercials. Why is the dad a hamster?! I don't get it.

The ads are based on ones in Japan using a talking dog. To quote Sprint's director of advertising, "the animal became a hamster in a plastic ball as the creative team here thought of “mobile” animals". More details can be found here:

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article343196/New-Sprint-ads-feature-%E2%80%98Framily%E2%80%99-and-Andrew-Dice-Clay-as-a-talking-hamster.htm

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[xls]

Red Lobster. "Crack n' dunk" I thought I heard "Crap n' dump"!

[RedZoneTuba]

In the Dish TV network with the kanga-bunny (?) where they're watching college football at the counter in a diner and talking about "going back to college". At the end some guy walks in and says "Take me with you" and the kanga-bunny whispers something like "the boss"?  Is that what it really said and, if so, what does it mean in this context?  He doesn't look like Springsteen to me.

[AimingforYoko]

I really hate those Sprint commercials. Why is the dad a hamster?! I don't get it.

I'd rather have the hamster than the actual Andrew 'Dice' Clay.

[riley702]

In the Dish TV network with the kanga-bunny (?) where they're watching college football at the counter in a diner and talking about "going back to college". At the end some guy walks in and says "Take me with you" and the kanga-bunny whispers something like "the boss"?  Is that what it really said and, if so, what does it mean in this context?  He doesn't look like Springsteen to me.

OK, I had to google it. Apparently, the guy is athlete Brian Bosworth, whose nickname is The Boz.

 

http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7jD3/dish-network-going-back-to-college-ft-matt-leinart

[Bastet]

That commercial is great!  Those three players - Heath Shuler, Matt Leinart and Brian Bosworth ("The Boz") were college superstars who flamed out in the NFL.  To see them poking fun at themselves just made my morning; thanks for posting.

[Sandman87]

Home Town Buffet tells me that they have "sit-down quality" meals. Presumably because the rapid onset of food poisoning will render me dizzy or unconscious, so I should be sitting down to avoid injury.

 

The ads are based on ones in Japan using a talking dog.

You only need to say "because Japan" to explain any amount of TV weirdness. Many examples here.

[friendperidot]

I really don't pay a lot of attention to the tv, especially commercials, just have it on for background noise.I only notice this one once today, it was for some kind of Carnation product. Not really sure what they said, but I heard "mix it with breast milk". Maybe "fresh" milk? 

[riley702]

Hmm, Carnation Instant Breakfast, maybe? Going with it being "fresh milk".

[xaxat]

In another one of those "The chorus may be catchy and appropriate for what you are advertising, but the lyrics are totally not." ads, ESPN is running a promo for SEC football featuring the Johnny Cash song The Man Comes Around. 

 

The song is about the Biblical apocalypse. I know they take their football seriously down there, but. . . .

[Stella MD]

What the hell is 'fresh milk'? Is Carnation concerned that I may use two-month-old expired milk if they don't specifically instruct me not to??

[Prevailing Wind]

I was amazed when I first moved to Georgia that people would talk about "sweet milk" - they meant whole milk, as opposed to buttermilk.  And the more I look at it, the sillier the word MILK seems.

 

I never understood why Ovaltine didn't jump all over that Instant Breakfast crap. When IB first came out, I compared them & Ovaltine had more nutrition & fewer calories & fewer added chemicals than Instant Breakfast and was just as easy to mix.

[OSM Mom]

I always thought Ovaltine was something old people drank when I was a kid.

[Neurochick]

Home Town Buffet tells me that they have "sit-down quality" meals. Presumably because the rapid onset of food poisoning will render me dizzy or unconscious, so I should be sitting down to avoid injury.

 

You only need to say "because Japan" to explain any amount of TV weirdness. Many examples here.

 

Sometimes I think that we in America take ourselves too seriously, while in Japan, they get it, It's only a silly commercial, not a documentary."  

Edited August 13, 2014 by Neurochick

[LoneHaranguer]

 

Sometimes I think that we in America take ourselves too seriously, while in Japan, they get it, It's only a silly commercial, not a documentary."

It's the ad guys who are taking things too seriously, trying to be too informative or artistic. Maybe they think that's what it'll take to win a CLIO, but it's all about people remembering what they saw with a positive feeling and that's what humor does. I still remember the NIssan ad where GI Joe hops into a toy Z car to pick up Barbie at her dream house, so it doesn't have to be overt humor. A different spin could make the hamster-dad ads enjoyable instead of a lame attempt at "artistic".

[Watcher0363]

Sometimes I think that we in America take ourselves too seriously, while in Japan, they get it, It's only a silly commercial, not a documentary."  

The thing about Japanese culture is that they can make commercials with sexual fetish undertones. They're culture gets it, but outsiders only see cute or slightly strange. Americans should be careful when they remake Japanese commercials.

[bilgistic]

I kind of still think that. The commercials with the kids annoyingly, sing-songingly asking for "More Ovaltine, please!!" doesn't sit well with my lizard brain.

Edited August 14, 2014 by bilgistic

[theatremouse]

Are you saying the original Japanese version of the Sprint ad was about people with a dog fetish?

[Watcher0363]

Are you saying the original Japanese version of the Sprint ad was about people with a dog fetish?

Full disclosure!  I have not seen the Japanese Sprint like commercials.

[janie jones]

Can someone explain to me how a Tuscan Scramble, a California Scramble, and and All-American Scramble can be called "World Scrambles"?  (at IHOP)

[riley702]

What the hell is 'fresh milk'? Is Carnation concerned that I may use two-month-old expired milk if they don't specifically instruct me not to??

I think it was just a way to throw the word "fresh" out there, as consumers respond very favorably.

 

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/food/2013/02/the_fresh_wars_in_fast_food_how_the_five_letter_word_came_to_dominate_ads.html

[theatremouse]

Well, Tuscany is in Italy. So apparently the world according to IHOP consists of two countries.

[bilgistic]

It's the International House of Pancakes, so it's understood to be worldly.

[meep.meep]

Maybe it's Baja California! Or All-American refers to North and South America!

So, I guess I don't get it either.

[Prevailing Wind]

Maybe I'm weird, but I love malt-flavored Ovaltine.

[merylinkid]

Ehh, if the Major League Baseball championship is the World Series and all the teams are in the US (Toronto lost their team to DC - where all sports teams go to die), I ain't getting to het up about a campy restaurtant calling three dishes the "World" of anything.

[Ubiquitous]

Can someone explain to me how a Tuscan Scramble, a California Scramble, and and All-American Scramble can be called "World Scrambles"?  (at IHOP)

~We are the world...

[bilgistic]

It sounds delicious, and as I'm nearing the 40 bend, I might just try it soon, along with Ensure and SAM in my pants.

[ZaldamoWilder]

~We are the world...

 

~We are the children...

[smittykins]

Ehh, if the Major League Baseball championship is the World Series and all the teams are in the US (Toronto lost their team to DC - where all sports teams go to die)

[nitpick]Toronto's team is still around; it's Montreal that lost their team to DC[/nitpick]

[friendperidot]

Heard the Carnation commercial again - still sounds like breast milk.

[bilgistic]

That just reminded me of Dave Chappelle as P. Diddy: "Breast milk! You make my daaaaaaayyy!"

Edited August 15, 2014 by bilgistic

[merylinkid]

Sorry I knew it was a Canadian team.    

[riley702]

Maybe I'm weird, but I love malt-flavored Ovaltine.

Me, too! Malt makes chocolate even better.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Okay, what the fuck is 'underwearness'? I just saw an ad where this group of people was walking down the street, and none of them were wearing pants. What did I miss?

[Prevailing Wind]

The malt Ovaltine doesn't have chocolate in it at all...which makes my boss very happy.  Slightest hint of chocolate and she's down with a migraine. Poor woman!

[OSM Mom]

I was wondering the same thing. Put on some pants, people!

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I don't know what it says about me, but I mind the thing about the pants less than I do the thing where people are making up words again. 'Underwearness' is not a real thing, Advertising People, so stop it. Just. Stop. It.

[Stella MD]

I totally agree about the fake words. Plus the whole premise of the ads ('you have no idea how many people wear incontinence underwear') makes no sense from a sales-generation standpoint. You either need them, or you don't. I can't imagine that even the dumbest advertising lemming would say 'wow, everyone is wearing rubber pants? Well, let me rush right out and buy some!'

[CoderLady]

But that's the basis of virtually all advertising for tech toys so I suppose they thought it would work elsewhere. Wrong, but nice try.

[Brattinella]

I used to mix Carnation Malted Milk powder in with Quik, when I was trying to gain weight.  Yummy stuff!

[Brattinella]

Re: Fake Words.  HEALTHING!   Aargh I want to tear out my hair at that one, just STOP it!