Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[Silver Raven]

Why does this ad have cartoon people at the beginning and real people at the end?  Can't they be consistent?

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wuiv/yakult-created-over-80-years-ago

[SmithW6079]

On 10/2/2018 at 10:45 PM, janie jones said:

I've never met a celebrity, but I have a feeling I'd want to call them by their full name if I did, and I don't think I'm alone.  I think that's why they're addressing him as Dennis Quaid, not because they think we won't otherwise know who he is.

Graham Norton on his chat show frequently refers to his guests by first and last names even after he's introduced them.

[Jacqs]

What is the Little Girl saying in the Nativity part? And why is she wearing such a big necklace in it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgORQLTshDI

[Tom Holmberg]

1 hour ago, JacquelineAppleton said:

And why is she wearing such a big necklace in it?

She showed her breasts at Mardi Gras?

[friendperidot]

Shame on you Tom Holmberg! But good grief that made me laugh.

[Jacqs]

The Irish wouldn't have done this "innocent child contacts strange old man through toy telephone" advert just ten years later. Not after the paedo priests scandal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl2u24_d2w0

[KnoxForPres]

I don’t thing there was any ““gaslighting” I’m pretty sure it was a promotion.  And a sad one. And I did it,

The Scampi to me the was only one worth anything .  Because of deal I withheld the crack laden biscuits and opted for broccoli as my side.  I got a Caesar  salad and didn’t eat the croutons.  No carbs when you’re serious  

So my guy and I were there and we were going to eat some shrimp  I went scampi  double (smart) and he went some type of fried and scampi. He’s easy to please and I’ll say it’s a decent tartar but out of the box fried shrimp. I then ordered a fiesta or something which was a crime against shrimp. We ate it so they didn’t die in vain  but this is when I had to  tell him I love him but we won’t come here again.

But it was honest marketing. Endless shrimp til whenever it lasts on the calendar. The girl was as nice as she could be but you just get to a point where internally you go, you know it’s endless and it’s shit and we will never do it again

ETA I swear there was a post here about RL gaslighting. It’s too random for me to make up 

Edited October 10, 2018 by KnoxForPres

[BW Manilowe]

The current Jimmy Dean foods commercials make me a little crazy. He narrates them, but he’s been dead since 2010 (or so says Wikipedia). Obviously it’s narration pulled from previous ads (or the entire ad is being recycled, except maybe for changing/updating any onscreen slogans), unless the ad agency involved & the company have found a way to bring someone back from the dead.

Edited October 10, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To add italics.

[mmecorday]

"I'd like to tell you how I feel about sunny mornings and sausage and now through the magic of cryogenics, I can!"

[Tom Holmberg]

3 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

the ad agency involved & the company have found a way to bring someone back from the dead.

I assumed they were sort of copying the KFC ads, but having the real Jimmy Dean.  There's a channel, RFD, that shows the old Jimmy Dean variety show.  The Jimmy Dean Show was the first national exposure for the Muppets.  Rowlf the Dog was a regular on the show.  The show was pretty weird; they'd have C&W stars like Minnie Pearl or Chet Atkins, and then N. Y. comics like Jackie Mason on the same show.

On ‎10‎/‎2‎/‎2018 at 9:45 PM, janie jones said:

I've never met a celebrity, but I have a feeling I'd want to call them by their full name if I did, and I don't think I'm alone.

I once was walking by a building and the Dalai Lama came out.  I couldn't help yelling "Hello, Dalai!" I figured I'd never get another chance. True story.

Edited October 10, 2018 by Tom Holmberg

[Browncoat]

36 minutes ago, Tom Holmberg said:

I once was walking by a building and the Dalai Lama came out.  I couldn't help yelling "Hello, Dalai!" I figured I'd never get another chance. True story.

So at least you've got that going for you.  Which is nice.

[spaceghostess]

On 9/23/2018 at 1:39 AM, JacquelineAppleton said:

god, eighties McDonalds ads make you scratch your head. Wish i could've been crowned Homecoming Queen at a Maccas:

Oh, no. NO. I didn't even have to watch one second of the video to know exactly what this shit was because it's burned into my synapses. This spot ran incessantly when I was a preteen (you know: a tagalong tomboy making a scene).  My brother and I are the same number of years apart as the creepy brother and his sister in the ad, and we both found it excruciating. My mom, however, thought it was adorable and charming and liked to remark that the commercial reminded her of us!? I wish I could say she was being blisteringly sarcastic, but no, she was completely, cluelessly serious. I'm happy to report that I was never homecoming queen, nor did I spend any meaningful life moments in McDonald's with my brother leering at me. Thus began my lifelong hatewatch of all McDonald's ad campaigns. My brother, after graduating from Tisch, became . . . a producer of t.v commercials. In his long and illustrious career, he's never had a hand in anything this hideous.

Edited October 11, 2018 by spaceghostess

[spaceghostess]

9 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

The current Jimmy Dean foods commercials make me a little crazy. He narrates them, but he’s been dead since 2010 (or so says Wikipedia). Obviously it’s narration pulled from previous ads (or the entire ad is being recycled, except maybe for changing/updating any onscreen slogans), unless the ad agency involved & the company have found a way to bring someone back from the dead.

Thank you for clearing this up for me. I had the t.v. on but was in the kitchen, so only heard the audio of this ad and was like, "What the hell? He HAS to be dead." 

[Bastet]

The Jimmy Dean commercial has been the subject of scorn here for quite some time; I read about it long before I saw it.  I tried to figure out why it bothers me in a way that running Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds commercials long after Taylor had died did not, and I think it's that it's a repackaging of an old commercial rather than simply a posthumous airing of an old one intact, with something about turning the old on-camera visual to a VO over non-Dean footage, plus the specific verbiage -- "I wish I could tell you how I feel about a morning like this."  Except, you know, instead of the guy on the mountaintop in front of the backdrop he's describing talking about it, these are now the words of a dead guy who thus cannot feel anything, and couldn't tell us about it even if he could.  He's DEAD.  There's no feeling or talking.  It bugs.

[Jacqs]

9 hours ago, Tom Holmberg said:

I once was walking by a building and the Dalai Lama came out.  I couldn't help yelling "Hello, Dalai!" I figured I'd never get another chance. True story.

He probably hears "Hello, Dalai!" a lot when he's having sex ;)

3 hours ago, spaceghostess said:

Oh, no. NO. I didn't even have to watch one second of the video to know exactly what this shit was because it's burned into my synapses. This spot ran incessantly when I was a preteen (you know: a tagalong tomboy making a scene).  My brother and I are the same number of years apart as the creepy brother and his sister in the ad, and we both found it excruciating. My mom, however, thought it was adorable and charming and liked to remark that the commercial reminded her of us!? I wish I could say she was being blisteringly sarcastic, but no, she was completely, cluelessly serious. I'm happy to report that I was never homecoming queen, nor did I spend any meaningful life moments in McDonald's with my brother leering at me. Thus began my lifelong hatewatch of all McDonald's ad campaigns. My brother, after graduating from Tish, became . . . a producer of t.v commercials. In his long and illustrious career, he's never had a hand in anything this hideous.

the pre-teen "tagalong tomboy" in the advert looks like Esther from "Orphan".

Why are so many creepy children in media, female?

[Brattinella]

I still like Jimmy Dean.  I grew up watching him on TV, he has been hawking sausage products most of my life.  I daresay his family still owns the name and company.  I don't think he is any more weird than Liz Taylor, Orville Redenbacher or Colonel Sanders.  And The Dalai Lama is a monk.

[bilgistic]

9 hours ago, Bastet said:

The Jimmy Dean commercial has been the subject of scorn here for quite some time; I read about it long before I saw it.  I tried to figure out why it bothers me in a way that running Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds commercials long after Taylor had died did not, and I think it's that it's a repackaging of an old commercial rather than simply a posthumous airing of an old one intact, with something about turning the old on-camera visual to a VO over non-Dean footage, plus the specific verbiage -- "I wish I could tell you how I feel about a morning like this."  Except, you know, instead of the guy on the mountaintop in front of the backdrop he's describing talking about it, these are now the words of a dead guy who thus cannot feel anything, and couldn't tell us about it even if he could.  He's DEAD.  There's no feeling or talking.  It bugs.

"These have always brought me luck." *shudder*

[Jaded]

12 minutes ago, Brattinella said:

I still like Jimmy Dean.  I grew up watching him on TV, he has been hawking sausage products most of my life.  I daresay his family still owns the name and company.  I don't think he is any more weird than Liz Taylor, Orville Redenbacher or Colonel Sanders.  And The Dalai Lama is a monk.

From what I can find Jimmy Dean's former company was purchased in the early 80's by Sara Lee Corp. and is now owned by Tyson Foods following its 2014 acquisition of Hillshire Brands. 

[Brattinella]

19 minutes ago, Jaded said:

From what I can find Jimmy Dean's former company was purchased in the early 80's by Sara Lee Corp. and is now owned by Tyson Foods following its 2014 acquisition of Hillshire Brands. 

Thanks for the info!

[friendperidot]

I respond to the Jimmy Dean commercials with, "You're dead! Go to the light!"

[Stella Rose]

On 9/21/2018 at 11:14 PM, LucindaWalsh said:

I went in one one time to see why some people on another thread raved about it. It was horrible. It made me think I was in a storage room where all ready to be tossed food from other grocery stores was being stored. I made one quick swing around and left, never to return. 

In my town there are 10-12 Aldi stores, only 2 of them are decent enough to shop at without worrying about bringing home bugs.  They are decent for packaged goods, canned foods, etc. at a bargain.  I wander in occasionally when the 3 stepkids descend for the weekend and I have to feed and juice the lot.

Commercials...  got nothin' sorry.

[Stella Rose]

On 10/3/2018 at 3:58 AM, millennium said:

I'm from a generation that would address him as Mr. Quaid (and I suspect many if not most millennials would too).   I find it stilted and awkward for someone to address him as "Dennis Quaid," as in, "Thank you, Dennis Quaid."   That's not how most folks speak.   That they do it in the commercials makes me think it's either for name recognition or to make the commercial a bit quirkier.

This makes me think of my favorite commercial of all time.  If you say so, Mr. Loggia~!

[meep.meep]

On 10/10/2018 at 3:20 PM, Tom Holmberg said:

I once was walking by a building and the Dalai Lama came out.  I couldn't help yelling "Hello, Dalai!" I figured I'd never get another chance. True story.

Was he with Carol Channing?

[Westiepeach]

I saw Maya Angelou in the airport once a few years ago. I went up to her like I knew her. I made her promise to call me the next time she was in town so we could do lunch and catch up. She agreed. I had never met her before.

I was very sad when she passed away. We never did do lunch. 

[Jacqs]

John Belushi will remain the most famous Albanian American whatever Jim does.

[chessiegal]

I think this has been asked before, but I don't remember an answer - why $19/mo? Shriner's, St. Jude, Wounded Warrior, ASPCA.

[Bastet]

4 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I think this has been asked before, but I don't remember an answer - why $19/mo? Shriner's, St. Jude, Wounded Warrior, ASPCA.

I think it's just the same theory behind pricing something at $9.99 rather than $10 - research probably indicated under $20 was the sweet spot of what the greatest number of people felt they could afford to part with per month for a good cause - but I'm interested to hear if there's something behind it other than psychology.

[janie jones]

3 hours ago, Stella Rose said:

This makes me think of my favorite commercial of all time.  If you say so, Mr. Loggia~!

 

That's my favorite commercial, too!

[millennium]

3 hours ago, Stella Rose said:

This makes me think of my favorite commercial of all time.  If you say so, Mr. Loggia~!

 

i LOVE that commercial.   i was a copywriter for an ad agency (don't be hatin') so I regard the Loggia commercial as a personal triumph for whoever wrote it.  Somehow, he/she convinced his/her creative director, the account executives, AND the client to sign off on a  shamelessly wackadoodle concept.    Nothing short of a miracle in the ad world.

[sempervivum]

Geico ad involving 2 geezers watching a younger guy across the street who's trying to put out his garbage, but everything sticks to his hands. The geezers comment on who this guy is, some football player, I think? I can't understand his name, and I can't understand what this whole thing has to do with insurance. I keep wondering why they don't go over and help the guy, instead of letting him spill trash all over the street.

[Tom Holmberg]

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 9:45 AM, Brattinella said:

And The Dalai Lama is a monk.

Tony Shalhoub is Monk.

[mmecorday]

I don't understand that one either, sempervivium.

I also don't understand a recent Crest commercial I saw. These kids in costume are participating in a taste test of Halloween treats that are good for them. One of the participants is so repulsed by what she's eating that she throws up! I was watching this while I was eating! The message is that Halloween is for candy and if kids overindulge in sweets, Crest has them covered as far as tooth decay is concerned. I'm sure there are better ways to get this message across.

[Tom Holmberg]

15 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

I saw Maya Angelou in the airport once a few years ago.

My father was in an airport bathroom and Ted Turner was at the urinal next to his.  I told him he should have turned and asked if he was Ted Turner while pissing on his leg.  Unfortunately he didn't do it.

[lu1535]

Could someone please explain the new Orbitz commercial with the 2 girls in suits and sunglasses. I must be dense or out of the loop because I just don't get it and it annoys the crap out of me.

[LoneHaranguer]

52 minutes ago, Tom Holmberg said:

Tony Shalhoub is Monk

Mostly. Other actors played young Monk and his father.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Mostly. Other actors played young Monk and his father.

The kids who played young Monk were fantastic.

[Silver Raven]

Dead!Jimmy Dean should not be talking about "kicking off", nor about not being able to explain things to us.

2 hours ago, lu1535 said:

Could someone please explain the new Orbitz commercial with the 2 girls in suits and sunglasses. I must be dense or out of the loop because I just don't get it and it annoys the crap out of me.

Not quite sure, but there are several ads with the same pair.

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, lu1535 said:

Could someone please explain the new Orbitz commercial with the 2 girls in suits and sunglasses. I must be dense or out of the loop because I just don't get it and it annoys the crap out of me.

Orbitz commercials have never made sense, imo.

[Blergh]

A bit puzzled re 'did they think this through' re the Frank's Red Hot Sauce commercial. OK, taking off the table the whole deal of using profanity in front of the Queen (who I'm sure has had to have heard that term from Prince Phillip to say nothing of soldiers and stable staff), I have to wonder why a company would encourage folks to consider their own product to be presumably the s-word. Hello, do they think there's a market for humans wanting to buy something edible that's the equivalent of their own waste?

[Brattinella]

Well, Frank's Hot Sauce IS the shit. :)

[peacheslatour]

Two that are driving me slightly crazy (crazier?) right now. The Hershey's commercial with a song where I swear sounds like they're saying "whenever you're lucid, I celebrate you..."

And the "professional" sports watching guys. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the difference between a professional and an amateur is that a professional is paid for what they do. So if I get Xfinity and become a professional sports watcher they are gonna pay me or what?

Edited October 13, 2018 by peacheslatour

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

Two that are driving me slightly crazy (crazier?) right now. The Hershey's commercial with a song where I swear sounds like they're saying "whenever you're lucid, I celebrate you..

LOL! I'd never heard that when seeing those commercials before, but now you've mentioned it, I will :p. 

[janie jones]

On 10/12/2018 at 4:12 PM, Blergh said:

A bit puzzled re 'did they think this through' re the Frank's Red Hot Sauce commercial. OK, taking off the table the whole deal of using profanity in front of the Queen (who I'm sure has had to have heard that term from Prince Phillip to say nothing of soldiers and stable staff), I have to wonder why a company would encourage folks to consider their own product to be presumably the s-word. Hello, do they think there's a market for humans wanting to buy something edible that's the equivalent of their own waste?

I honestly don't think people who use the word "shit" to mean "stuff" are at all thinking of actual feces when they use the word or hear it in context.  I myself rarely use the word "shit" to mean "stuff," and have never thought of feces when hearing a Franks' Red Hot commercial.

[Blergh]

Fair enough, Janie jones. However; since stuff has exactly the same number of syllables as that other term, I've never seen a reason to use them interchangeably (except when repeating someone else's usage of the other term via calling it 'stuff' so as to respect the person I'm talking to).

[janie jones]

Some people swear a lot. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Browncoat]

"Frank's Hot Sauce is the stuff" doesn't mean the same thing as "Frank's Hot Sauce is the shit", and saying it's "the shit" is not the same as saying it's shit. You'd have to say it's the best ever stuff.  I suppose they could have said "Frank's Hot Sauce is the shizzle" and offended fewer people.  Simply saying it's the best ever or the best ever stuff doesn't have the same impact, although that does mean the same as saying it's the shit.

[Bort]

7 hours ago, Blergh said:

Fair enough, Janie jones. However; since stuff has exactly the same number of syllables as that other term, I've never seen a reason to use them interchangeably (except when repeating someone else's usage of the other term via calling it 'stuff' so as to respect the person I'm talking to).

But that's the joke of the commercial. Shit is a rather inoffensive curse word and it's used in casual conversation all the time. Saying "I put that shit on everything" can be said to just about everybody and it wouldn't be a social faux pas. But the queen? Probably not a good idea.

[janie jones]

4 hours ago, Browncoat said:

"Frank's Hot Sauce is the stuff" doesn't mean the same thing as "Frank's Hot Sauce is the shit", and saying it's "the shit" is not the same as saying it's shit. You'd have to say it's the best ever stuff.  I suppose they could have said "Frank's Hot Sauce is the shizzle" and offended fewer people.  Simply saying it's the best ever or the best ever stuff doesn't have the same impact, although that does mean the same as saying it's the shit.

Yeah, but (at least in any advertisement I've encountered) they don't refer to it as "the shit," they refer to it as "shit."  Their catchphrase, as kariyaki mentions is "I put that shit on everything."

[Browncoat]

2 hours ago, janie jones said:

Yeah, but (at least in any advertisement I've encountered) they don't refer to it as "the shit," they refer to it as "shit."  Their catchphrase, as kariyaki mentions is "I put that shit on everything."

Oh.  Never mind.  [/Emily Litella]

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎10‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 12:25 PM, sempervivum said:

Geico ad involving 2 geezers watching a younger guy across the street who's trying to put out his garbage, but everything sticks to his hands. The geezers comment on who this guy is, some football player, I think? I can't understand his name, and I can't understand what this whole thing has to do with insurance. I keep wondering why they don't go over and help the guy, instead of letting him spill trash all over the street.

I think the joke is the guy is good at catching footballs (because his hands are sticky, ha ha), but the real headscratcher to me is I swear I've seen a commercial with the same joke/pun many years ago.