Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[Cobalt Stargazer]

On 9/14/2017 at 3:14 AM, bilgistic said:

I had trouble deciding what forum this GlaxoSmithKline commercial belongs in, since there's not a WTF?!? commercial thread. It's for the whooping cough vaccine, and it's a terrifying take on "Little Red Riding Hood".

"Hey, there, Little Red Riding Hood
You sure are lookin' good
You're everything that a big bad wolf could want...."

Sorry, that's literally the first thing that came to mind.

[shapeshifter]

Who thought it was good advertising to have someone say they spent their college savings on a pizza franchise?   

[xls]

Okay. am I the only one who thought this was the latest cell phone?

I cant be!

[chessiegal]

25 minutes ago, xls said:

Okay. am I the only one who thought this was the latest cell phone?

 

I cant be!

Yes. So obvious.  I'd say it's effective because who cares that much about mattresses, but new wonderful cell phones, probably more.

[xls]

On ‎9‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 2:23 PM, Pepper the Cat said:

That is a seriously depressing commercial and does not make me want ice cream. It makes me want to cry.

Awww that's terrible! remember the Little Babys one ? 

[Brattinella]

GAH!!!  Why would you POST THAT AGAIN???

[janie jones]

3 hours ago, xls said:

Okay. am I the only one who thought this was the latest cell phone?

 

I cant be!

Is that not what they were going for?

[Broken Ox]

On 9/10/2017 at 2:29 PM, theatremouse said:

So, the Jane Krakowski Trop Lite ads that originated...I want to say a couple years ago? At least a year ago. Are making the rounds again. The one with the Biggest Loser Trainer Guy whose name I don't remember. Anyway, when it first aired, it was annoying because it was grammatically incorrect. They said "less calories" when it should've been "fewer". Well they've looped it since. So now they do say "fewer", which I find delightful. (It's the little things, folks. The little things.) BUT the original ad involved the dude looking at the label and then commenting on it. The label he looks at still says "less" even while the new audio (with his lips not moving because it's the back of his head over the shoulder looking at the bottle) says "fewer". I can't decide if I think it's hilarious or puzzling or both. They bothered to correct the audio, but not the visual. I'm intrigued by this.

I couldn't believe they actually changed the ad! I used to yell at the TV Every. Single. Time. so I was all prepared to shout, but instead it said "fewer" and I just stood there looking dumbfounded instead.

[SoSueMe]

On 9/17/2017 at 9:13 PM, xls said:

Awww that's terrible! remember the Little Babys one ? 

Thanks for the nightmare I'll be having tonight.

ETA Good Lord, I just googled this. It is a real product? WTF?

Edited September 22, 2017 by SoSueMe

[Silver Raven]

57 minutes ago, SoSueMe said:

ETA Good Lord, I just googled this. It is a real product? WTF?

Yes, it's a real company, out of Philadelphia.

[Haleth]

For all the times that commercial has been linked here I have never clicked on it and I never will.  Just the still pic gives me the willies.

[bilgistic]

You are making a good choice, @Haleth!

[smittykins]

Me neither.  Nope nope nope.

[QuinnInND]

Nope. Me neither! 

[Amethyst]

On 9/17/2017 at 7:59 PM, chessiegal said:

Yes. So obvious.  I'd say it's effective because who cares that much about mattresses, but new wonderful cell phones, probably more.

MTE, I thought that was the point.  The commercial draws your attention because the product looks like something that Apple or Samsung would shill.  The muted color scheme, the sleekness of the product, the trendy music.  

Clever idea.  Still not buying a mattress, though.

[mmecorday]

I've been seeing an ad for a GNC product called Nugenix featuring a retired athlete whose name is not familiar to me. Anyway, the way the people in the commercial are pronouncing the name of the product makes it sound like it's called Eugenics.

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, mmecorday said:

a retired athlete whose name is not familiar to me

That's Frank Thomas, "The Big Hurt", a retired Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career with the Chicago White Sox.

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎8‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 2:34 PM, peacheslatour said:

"Hello, this is Vincent Price speaking to you from beyond the grave, mwhahaha, ahem... for good digestive health eat Yakult or I will eat your braaiinnss.."

I am waiting for Michael Meyers to show up in the Activia ads with Jamie Lee Curtis.

 

There's an ad for a business card printing business featuring a photographer making a business card form one of his photos, but how did he take the photo he is using? https://www.ispot.tv/ad/A1zh/vistaprint-vision

[peacheslatour]

Just now, Ubiquitous said:

I am waiting for Michael Meyers to show up in the Activia ads with Jamie Lee Curtis.

 

There's an ad for a business card printing business featuring a photographer making a business card form one of his photos, but how did he take the photo he is using? https://www.ispot.tv/ad/A1zh/vistaprint-vision

Tripod?

[LoneHaranguer]

17 minutes ago, Ubiquitous said:

There's an ad for a business card printing business featuring a photographer making a business card form one of his photos, but how did he take the photo he is using? https://www.ispot.tv/ad/A1zh/vistaprint-vision

Mirror. You can tell by his watch and the shape of the camera that the image is reversed.

[Jamoche]

6 hours ago, Ubiquitous said:

I am waiting for Michael Meyers to show up in the Activia ads with Jamie Lee Curtis.

[peacheslatour]

Maybe if Jamie Lee had taken her probiotics back in the day she could have killed him the first time!

[Ubiquitous]

18 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Mirror. You can tell by his watch and the shape of the camera that the image is reversed.

That occurred to me, but there are no mirrors at the site, just that shot in the middle of shots of models and I don't think a picture taken in a mirror would look like that. It looks more like another camera was used and the picture was transferred to his camera. It just bugs me seeing that random photo of himself holding the camera that way that he didn't seem to realize he took.

[peacheslatour]

My husband used to be really into photography and has a lot of friends that are pros. They all have about 12 cameras at least. He thinks the guy pu one cmaera on a tripod and took a picture of himself holding another camera.

[Moose135]

To me, it does look like he shot it in a mirror.  Photographers have been known to do that...

[Ubiquitous]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

My husband used to be really into photography and has a lot of friends that are pros. They all have about 12 cameras at least. He thinks the guy pu one cmaera on a tripod and took a picture of himself holding another camera.

Oh, now I understand what you wrote earlier. Maybe I'm being OCD or something about him acting like he didn't know he took that photo. ha ha

[SoSueMe]

5 hours ago, Moose135 said:

To me, it does look like he shot it in a mirror.  Photographers have been known to do that...

LOL, Moose.

[tanyak]

I like Cher. I like Future. But this here Gap commercial. Lawd!

[margol29]

On 9/17/2017 at 7:31 PM, xls said:

Okay. am I the only one who thought this was the latest cell phone?

I cant be!

Don't they know that a bed bug loves dark places? A black mattress is a haven for these bugs! YUK!!

[Brattinella]

1 minute ago, margol29 said:

Don't they know that a bed bug loves dark places? A black mattress is a haven for these bugs! YUK!!

Wow I didn't even think of that, but you are right!  It looks terrific, but I prefer no-bug-sleeping.

[Jamoche]

17 hours ago, margol29 said:

Don't they know that a bed bug loves dark places? A black mattress is a haven for these bugs! YUK!!

It looks gray to me, with dramatic lighting to make it darker and play up the smartphone theme, and then black sheets.

[riley702]

On 9/29/2017 at 11:54 AM, margol29 said:

Don't they know that a bed bug loves dark places? A black mattress is a haven for these bugs! YUK!!

You'd have to have bed bugs present to begin with... A black mattress is not going to lure them into your home.

[Sandman87]

Just saw an ad for the laxative Colace:

(Tough looking biker dude standing there) "Constipation can be a tough customer" (Cute baby bunny with an ascot wanders into frame. Biker dude immediately softens up.)

I'll just keep their product in mind the next time I have the urge to apply a baby bunny to my colon.

[Brattinella]

You have to admit, the baby bunnies in those ads are freaking adorable.

[topanga]

I just watched a 23 and Me ad with a racially ambiguous-looking woman, and the commercial shows different international scenes along with captions stating that she's 46% West African, 12% Middle Eastern and 3% Scandinavian. Okay. What's the other 39%? If it's European, say European, dammit! Please don't list percentages for me if they don't add up to 100.  Gah! 

[CoderLady]

Not just me, then. I started keeping a running total one time and hated when it didn't add up to 100%.

[bilgistic]

It bugs me every time I see it, which is a lot, because it's on all the damn time.

[peacheslatour]

What drives me nuts is when they say stuff like "Product X has half the calories, more protein, less salt, etc. Half the calories of WHAT?  More protein than WHAT?

[SoSueMe]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

What drives me nuts is when they say stuff like "Product X has half the calories, more protein, less salt, etc. Half the calories of WHAT?  More protein than WHAT?

Hey, it sounds good to those who don't wish to scrutinize.

[peacheslatour]

Just now, SoSueMe said:

Hey, it sounds good to those who don't wish to scrutinize.

Lol. Critical thinking should be taught in school just like math and civics. Do they even teach civics any more?

[SoSueMe]

1 minute ago, peacheslatour said:

Lol. Critical thinking should be taught in school just like math and civics. Do they even teach civics any more?

I kind of doubt it, judging by some major political figures and I guess that's all I'm allowed to say on this board. :)

[peacheslatour]

1 minute ago, SoSueMe said:

I kind of doubt it, judging by some major political figures and I guess that's all I'm allowed to say on this board. :)

I doubt it as well but I'm glad you got what I was going for there. :)

[Jamoche]

1 hour ago, SoSueMe said:

I kind of doubt it, judging by some major political figures and I guess that's all I'm allowed to say on this board. :)

I don't remember if I had a civics class, but I do remember learning all about government from Schoolhouse Rock. It's all gone downhill since they went off the air :)

[janie jones]

5 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

What drives me nuts is when they say stuff like "Product X has half the calories, more protein, less salt, etc. Half the calories of WHAT?  More protein than WHAT?

Well if they told us, it would be obvious how unimpressive it is!

[QuinnInND]

7 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

What drives me nuts is when they say stuff like "Product X has half the calories, more protein, less salt, etc. Half the calories of WHAT?  More protein than WHAT?

Of competing similar products I guess. 

[Prevailing Wind]

19 hours ago, topanga said:

I just watched a 23 and Me ad with a racially ambiguous-looking woman, and the commercial shows different international scenes along with captions stating that she's 46% West African, 12% Middle Eastern and 3% Scandinavian. Okay. What's the other 39%? If it's European, say European, dammit! Please don't list percentages for me if they don't add up to 100.  Gah! 

But, but...she's 100% Nicole!

[riley702]

21 hours ago, topanga said:

I just watched a 23 and Me ad with a racially ambiguous-looking woman, and the commercial shows different international scenes along with captions stating that she's 46% West African, 12% Middle Eastern and 3% Scandinavian. Okay. What's the other 39%? If it's European, say European, dammit! Please don't list percentages for me if they don't add up to 100.  Gah! 

I hate the one who doesn't know the difference between nationality and ethnicity. "People would always ask me what my nationality is and I would always say hispanic..." Gah! 

[amass]

They teach civics in 7th grade. Whether everyone learns and retains it is another story....

[LoneHaranguer]

14 hours ago, QuinnInND said:

Of competing similar products I guess. 

They'll usually flash something on the screen. It can be their own regular, less healthy product, or a name brand that they've selected for the most impressive comparison.

[SoSueMe]

13 hours ago, riley702 said:

I hate the one who doesn't know the difference between nationality and ethnicity. "People would always ask me what my nationality is and I would always say hispanic..." Gah! 

How about the "hat" one. Good grief, to be that wound up about the nationality of your hat.....