Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[Jacqs]

49 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Songwriters don't always own the rights to their songs.  Depends on the contracts they signed with the record company.  That's why Michael Jackson owned the rights to most of the Beatles' songs for so long.

Michael Jackson held the publishing rights. The copyright to the Beatles songs is held today by Sony.

[proserpina65]

9 minutes ago, JacquelineAppleton said:

Michael Jackson held the publishing rights. The copyright to the Beatles songs is held today by Sony.

Ah, thank you for the clarification.

[Eliot]

On 7/5/2018 at 3:43 PM, peacheslatour said:

Has there ever been a good toilet paper commercial?

Yes! This entire campaign was, IMO, genius.

https://ispot.tv/a/70nX

Edited July 9, 2018 by Eliot

[peacheslatour]

8 minutes ago, Eliot said:

Yes! This entire campaign was, IMO, genius.

https://ispot.tv/a/70nX

You're right. I loved Daddy Gator and his need to motor out of there.

[Mrs. Hanson]

Okay - not sure if it has been addressed here but I am puzzled by the commercial for American Family Insurance (I think) where the son is telling Farmer Father that he is leaving the farm and Farmer Father is all grumpy and pissed and won't talk about it.  Refuses to talk to son before son flies away.  Turns out there Farmer Father mowed the words into a crop circle saying "PROUD" into the land.

Okay, do we love it because dad eventually tells his son he is proud?  Or, like I originally thought, was dad kind of an ass as he won't express himself?  Suppose sonny boy never looked out the plane window?  Suppose he had his phone tucked away?

[Eliot]

Why does the Febreeze commercial have a female voice-over speaking in the first person about how much she loves her downstairs bathroom but depict a man actually using it? Wouldn't it make more sense to use a male voiceover?

There's a travel company that does the same thing; can't remember what the brand is now, but it has a female voiceover (this time speaking in the second person but switching back and forth as to whether she's addressing a man or a woman).

I'm all for gender neutrality, but there's got to be a better way!

[mmecorday]

Quote

Why does the Febreeze commercial have a female voice-over speaking in the first person about how much she loves her downstairs bathroom but depict a man actually using it? Wouldn't it make more sense to use a male voiceover?

The thing is, those aerosol sprays are often worse than the stink they're trying to cover up. In the immortal words of Stuart Mackenzie in "So I Married An Axe Murderer": "Light a match!"

[peacheslatour]

5 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

The thing is, those aerosol sprays are often worse than the stink they're trying to cover up. In the immortal words of Stuart Mackenzie in "So I Married An Axe Murderer": "Light a match!"

My desk at my old job was located next to the men's room. That "light a match" thing does NOT work.

[Silver Raven]

Could somebody explain the Mayhem ad where he swallows the wedding rings?  Why does the insurance need to get involved?  Just let the rings slide out naturally.

[peacheslatour]

10 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Could somebody explain the Mayhem ad where he swallows the wedding rings?  Why does the insurance need to get involved?  Just let the rings slide out naturally.

I would not want that ring.  I have never heard of insuring wedding rings but then again I only have a puny 1/3 carat diamond. I've seen rings worth thousands that I'm sure should be insured.

[Mrs. Hanson]

2 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Could somebody explain the Mayhem ad where he swallows the wedding rings?  Why does the insurance need to get involved?  Just let the rings slide out naturally.

That ad just ran!  Why would you give a ring or rings to a four year old?  Give him fake ones and give the real ones to the officiant.

[peacheslatour]

13 minutes ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

That ad just ran!  Why would you give a ring or rings to a four year old?  Give him fake ones and give the real ones to the officiant.

My son was a ring bearer at five. He was just fine with the real rings. Maybe the extra year made the difference?

[shapeshifter]

Everytime I see the Consumer Cellular ad from AARP in which the female half of the young looking senior couple cheerily explains their different cell phone preferences by calling her hubby "Texty McTexterson," I feel sorry for her being so clueless about who he might be  texting—or sexting.

[riley702]

1 hour ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

That ad just ran!  Why would you give a ring or rings to a four year old?  Give him fake ones and give the real ones to the officiant.

Usually, they're tied to the pillow with a ribbon. I've never seen a problem, although perhaps choosing the child factored into that.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

My son was a ring bearer at five. He was just fine with the real rings.

But then, your son wasn't Mayhem...

[mythoughtis]

7 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Could somebody explain the Mayhem ad where he swallows the wedding rings?  Why does the insurance need to get involved?  Just let the rings slide out naturally.

I’m pretty sure that’s what the insurance company will say too. 

[Haleth]

20 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Okay, do we love it because dad eventually tells his son he is proud?  Or, like I originally thought, was dad kind of an ass as he won't express himself?  Suppose sonny boy never looked out the plane window?  Suppose he had his phone tucked away?

I was thinking the same thing.  What if the son never looked outside the plane?

17 hours ago, Eliot said:

Why does the Febreeze commercial have a female voice-over speaking in the first person about how much she loves her downstairs bathroom but depict a man actually using it? Wouldn't it make more sense to use a male voiceover?

I love the expression on his face though.  "Oh geez, did I do that?"

14 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

That ad just ran!  Why would you give a ring or rings to a four year old?  Give him fake ones and give the real ones to the officiant.

At my daughter's (beach) wedding a few months ago they had a parrot fly in with the rings.  Fake ones, just in case the parrot decided to take off over the ocean with them.

[Dirtybubble]

14 hours ago, riley702 said:

Usually, they're tied to the pillow with a ribbon. I've never seen a problem, although perhaps choosing the child factored into that.

I actually like the Allstate Mayhem commercial with the ring bearer.  Seeing a grown man act like a four year old (who still wont eat his broccoli) is kinda funny.  Enh it does seem odd a toddler would look at those rings and think I want to swallow that, seems like he would choke.  Our ring bearer kept throwing the pillow down the aisle.  He thought it was a frisbee. 

[funky-rat]

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 5:00 PM, chessiegal said:

But it's not just tp I see posters say they won't buy because of a commercial. It runs the gamut of products/establishments.

I know several people who refuse to patronize restaurants that won't serve their preferred brand of soda.  I have one who has strong opinions, but says if he likes the restaurant, he just orders water or tea.  But the others?  They will cheer on a restaurant's demise if it served the devil's soda, and blame it solely on that.

On ‎7‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 2:43 PM, mmecorday said:

The thing is, those aerosol sprays are often worse than the stink they're trying to cover up. In the immortal words of Stuart Mackenzie in "So I Married An Axe Murderer": "Light a match!"

"We have a piper down!".  I can't resist an opportunity to quote that fantastic movie.  And get the image of hearing a bagpiper play "Do You Think I'm Sexy?" in my head.  And seeing Stuart lick his finger and touch the piper and go "Tssss!" - HOT!

20 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

My son was a ring bearer at five. He was just fine with the real rings. Maybe the extra year made the difference?

We had a 6 year old.  Good kid, but we didn't trust he wouldn't trip or something, and my rings were from my husband's deceased father.  Best man held the rings.  Ring bearer had fakes.

Edited July 11, 2018 by funky-rat

[shapeshifter]

This is more an issue with brand name than the commercial itself, but some startup company is advertising a service to have any digital picture printed onto a piece of glass, suitable for hanging without a frame suitable for framing, and the company is named—wait for it—"Fracture." 

Edited July 12, 2018 by shapeshifter
Corrected

[chessiegal]

24 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

This is more an issue with brand name than the commercial itself, but some startup company is advertising a service to have any digital picture printed onto a piece of glass, suitable for framing, and the company is named—wait for it—"Fracture." 

The point is you don't need a frame - you just hang the piece of glass. I've been seeing this ad for several years.

[riley702]

But why call it "Fracture"? Are they counting on you breaking it and forking out for another?

[Brattinella]

3 minutes ago, riley702 said:

But why call it "Fracture"? Are they counting on you breaking it and forking out for another?

I have to agree; that is exactly how the name struck me.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, riley702 said:

But why call it "Fracture"? Are they counting on you breaking it and forking out for another?

I always thought that was a bad name for it.

[smittykins]

I just saw an ad for a website where you can buy a car totally online.  I don't even drive, but if I did, I'd be wary of purchasing a car without looking it over carefully in person and test-driving it(or arranging for someone to do so on my behalf).

[Eliot]

10 hours ago, riley702 said:

But why call it "Fracture"? Are they counting on you breaking it and forking out for another?

I thought it was because you can get a version of the glass frame that looks wavy and crackly, but I could be wrong.

[Dirtybubble]

3 hours ago, smittykins said:

I just saw an ad for a website where you can buy a car totally online.  I don't even drive, but if I did, I'd be wary of purchasing a car without looking it over carefully in person and test-driving it(or arranging for someone to do so on my behalf).

I've seen ads similar to that as well but I always thought it was find the car you want then contact the person selling the car thru the website and set up a meeting to look at the car in person.  I didn't know you could buy the car online.  Not to mention once it's purchased, then what...how do you get the car?  What about the title transfer, etc.?

[bad things are bad]

Quote

I  just saw an ad for a website where you can buy a car totally online.  I don't even drive, but if I did, I'd be wary of purchasing a car without looking it over carefully in person and test-driving it(or arranging for someone to do so on my behalf).

Kids, I'm in the industry and this is something that many companies are trying to make happen--instead of spending hours at a dealership, deal with it all on line. But it seems to me like test drive should be first, instead of wasting a bunch of time doing the "paperwork" only to find upon delivery that you don't like the car. 

[LoneHaranguer]

9 minutes ago, bad things are bad said:

Kids, I'm in the industry and this is something that many companies are trying to make happen--instead of spending hours at a dealership, deal with it all on line.

That was something that companies were trying to make happen 20 years ago. I remember Wall Street throwing gobs of money at two IPO's that came out in the same week for companies that barely had anything for a web site yet. I don't recall the name of one of them, but the other, autobytel.com is still around. 

[funky-rat]

If you're talking about Carvana, I looked in to them when we were looking for a car for my husband (I hate dealerships) but their selection of cars in my budget was nil.  Still, I would love to try one of their car vending machines......

[cynicat]

17 hours ago, riley702 said:

But why call it "Fracture"? Are they counting on you breaking it and forking out for another?

You all sure remembered the name, right?

[OpalNightstream]

Are the Rock Auto commercials that bad on purpose? Or was it a cost saving move and they asked a 10 year old to make it?

[Jamoche]

On 7/12/2018 at 4:36 AM, smittykins said:

I just saw an ad for a website where you can buy a car totally online.  I don't even drive, but if I did, I'd be wary of purchasing a car without looking it over carefully in person and test-driving it(or arranging for someone to do so on my behalf).

When Minis first came out, configuring them on the website (not totally online) was the only way to get them, but they did have one of each model at the dealer to test drive. But I wouldn't buy a used car without applying everything I've learned from Judge Judy.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Jamoche

[peacheslatour]

20 hours ago, cynicat said:

You all sure remembered the name, right?

Oh yeah, I've been looking around on their website.

[Dirtybubble]

46 minutes ago, OpalNightstream said:

Are the Rock Auto commercials that bad on purpose? Or was it a cost saving move and they asked a 10 year old to make it?

I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say it's on purpose.  There aren't any commercials out there that cheap looking so I guess it stands out.

[Eliot]

On 3/26/2018 at 4:56 PM, Eliot said:

I am confused by one of those home DNA-testing commercials.

Whoever the announcer is goes on this long rhapsody about how "you find out that your great-great-great uncle was a fisherman in Ireland with blue eyes just like you!"

Shouldn't it be "blue eyes just like yours?" Otherwise, the person she's talking to would also be a fisherman in Ireland, no?

So it turns out I owe Ancestry.com an apology! They ran this commercial this morning and this was the first time I actually SAW it versus just HEARD it as I was puttering about my kitchen. Sure enough, the descendant is depicted standing behind the wheel of a fishing boat. So, grammatically at least, the commercial is correct.

Who'da thunk?

[chessiegal]

The Good2go car insurance commercial with the guy shaving his head, saying he has hair but after paying his car insurance, he can't afford to go to a barber absolutely cracks me up. That's ridiculous.

[meep.meep]

On 7/12/2018 at 9:39 AM, bad things are bad said:

Kids, I'm in the industry and this is something that many companies are trying to make happen--instead of spending hours at a dealership, deal with it all on line. But it seems to me like test drive should be first, instead of wasting a bunch of time doing the "paperwork" only to find upon delivery that you don't like the car. 

We buy new cars on line at my work.  They get delivered.  Usually people have driven one on their own, or driven one that someone else has, and decide to order one of those.

Why is that any different than going to the dealer and ordering a car?  You have to take it when it comes, or lose your deposit.

[riley702]

On 7/12/2018 at 4:57 PM, cynicat said:

You all sure remembered the name, right?

It WAS the topic of conversation...

[bilgistic]

No one's buying it, though.

[riley702]

Hence the discussion.

[bilgistic]

I haven't seen the commercial and I'm not going to go looking for it, but this has reminded me of those little decorative plexiglass cubes (spheres, too, maybe?) in the 1980s. Each cube was etched with an image on the back (a unicorn, a wizard, etc.) and the image appeared kind of three-dimensionally/floaty through the front of the cube. I had either a unicorn or pegasus or horse cube, for some reason, though I was never a "horse girl". Maybe I got it as a gift.

Am I making this up? Did this exist?

[Jamoche]

4 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Am I making this up? Did this exist?

Did and still does! Google image search on "laser engraved cube"

[Haleth]

On 7/12/2018 at 7:36 AM, smittykins said:

I just saw an ad for a website where you can buy a car totally online.  I don't even drive, but if I did, I'd be wary of purchasing a car without looking it over carefully in person and test-driving it(or arranging for someone to do so on my behalf).

A neighbor was telling me last night that someone bought their house sight unseen.  The new owners live across the country and bought this house based on what they saw on the internet.

[funky-rat]

9 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I haven't seen the commercial and I'm not going to go looking for it, but this has reminded me of those little decorative plexiglass cubes (spheres, too, maybe?) in the 1980s. Each cube was etched with an image on the back (a unicorn, a wizard, etc.) and the image appeared kind of three-dimensionally/floaty through the front of the cube. I had either a unicorn or pegasus or horse cube, for some reason, though I was never a "horse girl". Maybe I got it as a gift.

Am I making this up? Did this exist?

4 hours ago, Jamoche said:

Did and still does! Google image search on "laser engraved cube"

I remember them from the late 90's/early 2000's.  At every flea market and craft show.  My late MIL bought my husband one with a golfer inside.  It had a color changing base it sat on, and was heavy glass.  I sold it at a yard sale a few years ago.  I still see them occasionally.

[bilgistic]

I remember them being acrylic, though. I might be making that up. The one I had was only about three inches squared.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think they are fug, no matter the material.

Like this one...creepy. Her eyes and arm! May your granddaughter's ghoul remain with you.

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I remember them being acrylic, though. I might be making that up. The one I had was only about three inches squared.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think they are fug, no matter the material.

Like this one...creepy. Her eyes and arm! May your granddaughter's ghoul remain with you.

The whole thing is horrifying.

[CoyoteBlue]

Ruby Tuesday commercial : Rachel Dratch plays triplets who scream at the top of their lungs for no appreciable reason, while grimacing constipatedly.

Who the hell signed off on that and why is she screeching?

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, CoyoteBlue said:

Ruby Tuesday commercial : Rachel Dratch plays triplets who scream at the top of their lungs for no appreciable reason, while grimacing constipatedly.

Who the hell signed off on that and why is she screeching?

It's her idea of "acting"?

[Stella Rose]

On 7/10/2018 at 8:19 PM, Moose135 said:

But then, your son wasn't Mayhem...

I forgive A LOT because Mayhem is effin HOT.   (Sorry bout it).  I have loved him since he was Olivia's BF on Law and Order.  Hot, crusty, growly older dude for the win.    DIBS!

Edited July 15, 2018 by Stella Rose