Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[cynicat]

13 hours ago, Jamoche said:

 

To begin with, it's a stupid product. Sure, make my t-shirts take up twice the space. But the grammar errors! "Wardrobe" doesn't have an 's' on it unless you're talking about furniture, which they aren't. And most of the 'dialog' sounds just slightly off, like something that came from Google translate.

Wow, that totally sounds like it went through the google translator.  Who says wardrobe instead of closet?  It reminds me of a Japanese cartoon made into English.  The more I listen to it, the funnier it gets.

"Clothes are a mess again even though you organize them hard!"

"Easy Tray organizes your clothes not to be messy"

[Prevailing Wind]

Definitely a First World problem. If you've got that many pieces of clothing, you need to donate at least half of 'em.

[sempervivum]

'Best of Geico'- I think this is a faux/parody 80's ad based on the 'Best of the 60's' (etc.) music compilation ads. I'm so old that it took me a while to figure out that this was supposed to be hilarious, because the décor, clothing and hair look pretty familiar! In fact my initial thought was 'Huh, I used to have a sweater/jeans combo just like that lady is wearing...wait, are those high waist acid wash jeans with a bulky fair isle sweater tucked in? And those shiny bright brown boots....' Of course, in real life, there are no doubt millennials/teens who are frantically trying to find out where they can buy these clothes.

What really clued me in was all the brass trim everywhere in the room, although I guess even that's coming back in style again.

[Jamoche]

6 hours ago, cynicat said:

Who says wardrobe instead of closet? 

If it's standalone furniture, it's a wardrobe - probably more common in areas older than built-in closets, though. But I'm pretty sure they're using it in the sense of "collection of clothes" and Google translate steered them wrong.

[janie jones]

On 12/24/2018 at 1:36 PM, Jamoche said:

But the grammar errors! "Wardrobe" doesn't have an 's' on it unless you're talking about furniture, which they aren't.

They are, though.  "Clothes are messy while you take them out from your wardrobe."  And later they say "wardrobes, drawers..."  The weird thing is that they don't just say "shelf," since that's neither a closet nor a wardrobe in the ad.

I'm an ESOL teacher, and that whole thing sounds exactly like something one of my students would write.

Edited December 27, 2018 by janie jones

[mmecorday]

Quote

To begin with, it's a stupid product. Sure, make my t-shirts take up twice the space. But the grammar errors! "Wardrobe" doesn't have an 's' on it unless you're talking about furniture, which they aren't. And most of the 'dialog' sounds just slightly off, like something that came from Google translate.

What the hell did I just watch? It's like the robot child from "Small Wonder" now has a family of robots all programed by Sheldon Cooper!

[peacheslatour]

I just saw the Pimple Popper MD commercial. I have no words for how disgusting this thing is except to ask what the hell is wrong with this country, where something like this passes as "entertainment"?

[chessiegal]

8 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I just saw the Pimple Popper MD commercial. I have no words for how disgusting this thing is except to ask what the hell is wrong with this country, where something like this passes as "entertainment"?

Considering it's on TLC, it doesn't surprise me. Nothing is too disgusting for that network.

[peacheslatour]

Just now, chessiegal said:

Considering it's on TLC, it doesn't surprise me. Nothing is too disgusting for that network.

I was watching The Godfather on AMC, I was certainly not expecting to be accosted by such an obscenity.

[cynicat]

21 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I just saw the Pimple Popper MD commercial. I have no words for how disgusting this thing is except to ask what the hell is wrong with this country, where something like this passes as "entertainment"?

I flove this show!

[Bastet]

26 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I just saw the Pimple Popper MD commercial. I have no words for how disgusting this thing is except to ask what the hell is wrong with this country, where something like this passes as "entertainment"?

I don't much care for the title, and I haven't seen commercials for it so I don't know how I feel about the promotion of it (since it's TLC, rather than Discovery Health, the answer would probably be negative), but the few times I've seen the show I've found it interesting, like I do most medical shows.  I've learned about skin conditions I didn't even know existed and seen some cool treatments. 

[proserpina65]

On ‎12‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 7:40 PM, peacheslatour said:

Has anybody seen the ad for Thryv? I guess it's small business software. Their mascot could be the brother of the over active bladder that's always dragging some poor lady off to the loo.

 

I thought it looked like a cross between that bladder and the Cologuard box.

Edited December 27, 2018 by proserpina65

[chessiegal]

I'm curious about the Roomba commercial with the cat sitting on it when it's moving. Did they actually get a cat to do that or is it CGI?

[peacheslatour]

8 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I'm curious about the Roomba commercial with the cat sitting on it when it's moving. Did they actually get a cat to do that or is it CGI?

There are tons of videos on You Tube of cats riding around on Roombas. Apparently it's a thing.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Just saw an ad about Mesothelioma.

Thought they were talking about Mistletoe-liema (which isn't even a word lol). That's what I get for listening to music at the same time as the tv is on.

[Jaded]

32 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I'm curious about the Roomba commercial with the cat sitting on it when it's moving. Did they actually get a cat to do that or is it CGI?

TinyKittens in Canada had a popular viral video of a kitten they rescued named Cassidy who has two legs riding a Roomba. This one used to have the song Low Rider playing it but YouTube and Facebook removed the video when it included it. YT waited quite awhile before they took it down though. Shelly who started TK kept him since they have formed such a strong bond especially when he needed therapy, care and etc. to live then thrive.
 

[Brattinella]

Okay, WTF is wrong with Warner Music that they have to block that OLD song?  It was released in 1975!!

[Prevailing Wind]

12 hours ago, Brattinella said:

Okay, WTF is wrong with Warner Music that they have to block that OLD song?  It was released in 1975!!

They don't wanna pay royalties to the band/songwriter? The video folks didn't get proper licensing & pay the royalties? Could be several reasons, actually.

[Tom Holmberg]

17 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I thought it looked like a cross between that bladder and the Cologuard box.

Our small business software now cures moderate to severe overactive bladder and detects colon cancer. All for one low, low price.

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, Tom Holmberg said:

Our small business software now cures moderate to severe overactive bladder and detects colon cancer. All for one low, low price.

That's some damned good software!

[Tom Holmberg]

17 hours ago, AntiBeeSpray said:

Mistletoe-liema (which isn't even a word lol).

Mistletoe-liena is an irrational fear of encountering someone bending over underneath some mistletoe.

[smittykins]

4 hours ago, Tom Holmberg said:

Our small business software now cures moderate to severe overactive bladder and detects colon cancer. All for one low, low price.

And no special prep!

[mojoween]

In the Progressive ad where the agents are all protecting stuff in the neighborhood one says that the fire pit was last used at oh-six-hundred.

Who uses a fire pit at six o’clock in the morning?

[smittykins]

Exactly what I was thinking!

[peacheslatour]

7 hours ago, mojoween said:

In the Progressive ad where the agents are all protecting stuff in the neighborhood one says that the fire pit was last used at oh-six-hundred.

Who uses a fire pit at six o’clock in the morning?

Coke heads?

[MrsClaus]

On 12/29/2018 at 9:32 AM, mojoween said:

In the Progressive ad where the agents are all protecting stuff in the neighborhood one says that the fire pit was last used at oh-six-hundred.

Who uses a fire pit at six o’clock in the morning?

Serial killer?

[chessiegal]

On ‎12‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 10:32 AM, mojoween said:

In the Progressive ad where the agents are all protecting stuff in the neighborhood one says that the fire pit was last used at oh-six-hundred.

Who uses a fire pit at six o’clock in the morning?

An ad writer who has no idea what 0 six hundred means.

[TheLastKidPicked]

On 12/16/2018 at 10:23 AM, Ubiquitous said:

There's a Ford ad I heard on the radio and I assume there's a TV version too, but there's a line where the announcer says that every "Bolt, stitch, and line of code is tested and retested". What the hell is he talking about?

A little inside information about this, because I was involved with the J.D. Power survey for new Fords.

The SYNC (MyFordTouch) touchscreen is a real pain to use.   This actually caused Ford products to fall in the reliability standings, even though it had nothing to do with reliability.  The notes we saw on a regular basis were:

"You have to scroll through three menus to change the warm air from defrost to floor!  Why can't we just have a knob like the good old days?"  And that counted as a defect.

So they are speaking directly to those people.  

 

On 12/25/2018 at 11:16 AM, sempervivum said:

'Best of Geico'- I think this is a faux/parody 80's ad based on the 'Best of the 60's' (etc.) music compilation ads. I'm so old that it took me a while to figure out that this was supposed to be hilarious, because the décor, clothing and hair look pretty familiar! In fact my initial thought was 'Huh, I used to have a sweater/jeans combo just like that lady is wearing...wait, are those high waist acid wash jeans with a bulky fair isle sweater tucked in? And those shiny bright brown boots....' Of course, in real life, there are no doubt millennials/teens who are frantically trying to find out where they can buy these clothes.

And, a little inside information about this, because I was involved in the surveys about Geico.  Older folks don't trust Geico because they are viewed as a Johnny Come Lately.  So that commercial is actually brilliant-- showing the "best of" to demonstrate that the company has been around a while.

Edited December 31, 2018 by TheLastKidPicked

[chessiegal]

16 minutes ago, TheLastKidPicked said:

Older folks don't trust Geico because they are viewed as a Johnny Come Lately. 

I'm an older person and I know they've been around a long time. I even insured my car with them until I had a mid-life crisis and bought a Porsche. Geico would not insure the car.

[TheLastKidPicked]

8 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I'm an older person and I know they've been around a long time. I even insured my car with them until I had a mid-life crisis and bought a Porsche. Geico would not insure the car.

You should be in the "Best of Geico/ Best of the 60's music compilation" ads.  With your taste in fast cars your song would be:

The Little Old Lady From Pasadena

Go Granny Go Granny Go Granny Go!

[chessiegal]

I'm curious about the Cover Girl make-up ad for the foundation that doesn't rub off. How do you get it off? Can you get it off with soap and water or some kind of solvent/make-up remover?

[Bastet]

8 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I'm curious about the Cover Girl make-up ad for the foundation that doesn't rub off. How do you get it off? Can you get it off with soap and water or some kind of solvent/make-up remover?

I haven't seen that commercial, but that's a good question.  This summer, I was maid of honor in a wedding, and since the bride, bridesmaid, and I all do not wear make-up (the two of them do occasionally, but I hadn't at all in nearly 25 years), the bride hired a make-up artist to paint our faces in a low-key style befitting three people who rarely/never wear make-up.  As the make-up artist finished with me, I had the sudden thought, "Wait - how do I get this shit off when I get home tonight?  Do I have to do something special or can I wash my face normally?"  In the absence of any specialty products, she suggested using baby oil, and then immediately washing normally.

I think that may have been mostly about the eye make-up though (I have largely repressed the whole ridiculous wedding exercise from my brain); I would hope even the most hardy foundation could be washed off without industrial-strength cleaners.

[chessiegal]

15 minutes ago, TheLastKidPicked said:

You should be in the "Best of Geico/ Best of the 60's music compilation" ads.  With your taste in fast cars your song would be:

The Little Old Lady From Pasadena

Go Granny Go Granny Go Granny Go!

I had my mid-life crisis at 35. I was in a DINK situation. I figured I might as well get the car I wanted. It was a chore to find someone to insure it at a reasonable cost. A friend told me about a Nationwide agent who might help. We had 2 other cars plus a home, and by bundling all of them, the insurance wasn't astronomical.

[peacheslatour]

48 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I'm curious about the Cover Girl make-up ad for the foundation that doesn't rub off. How do you get it off? Can you get it off with soap and water or some kind of solvent/make-up remover?

Lacquer thinner.

[Jamoche]

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I'm an older person and I know they've been around a long time. I even insured my car with them until I had a mid-life crisis and bought a Porsche. Geico would not insure the car.

Geico only half-insured my car when I was in college. It was the first time I'd bought my own insurance so I didn't read the fine print closely enough, and I'd never heard of liability-only insurance.

Turns out that's the only kind they offer for cars over 10 years old, which I discovered when my '77 Grand Prix was in what would've been a minor low-speed fender-bender if I'd hit something whose fender wasn't even with my grill. In 1987. SMH.

[callie lee 29]

8 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I'm curious about the Cover Girl make-up ad for the foundation that doesn't rub off. How do you get it off? Can you get it off with soap and water or some kind of solvent/make-up remover?

I would imagine makeup remover, soap and water*, or a makeup remover cloth would get it off. There's a lot of foundation/makeup that's non-rub off.  I have some, along with makeup setter, that's how I get it off. 

[Jacqs]

This talk of makeup reminds me of that TV movie with a young Lindsey Haun and whoever was in charge of these things had put WAY too much makeup on her. She was about 9 and it looked ridiculous!

[Prevailing Wind]

Back when I wore makeup, I used to remove my waterproof eye makeup with a dab of baby shampoo. Cheap, no-tears, and it was efficient. I also use hair conditioner as a shaving gel. Multi-tasking toiletries!

[MissAlmond]

I want to show proper respect to the makers of those yellow sunglasses.  They must have millions of those things in some warehouse!  Yet, since the dawn of infomercials, they've stayed au courant in whatever it is their glasses claim they can do.  Hats off!

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 4:36 PM, Jamoche said:

 

To begin with, it's a stupid product. Sure, make my t-shirts take up twice the space. But the grammar errors! "Wardrobe" doesn't have an 's' on it unless you're talking about furniture, which they aren't. And most of the 'dialog' sounds just slightly off, like something that came from Google translate.

Holy crap! Yu were not exaggerating about this commercial!

 

On ‎12‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 1:16 PM, sempervivum said:

'Best of Geico'- I think this is a faux/parody 80's ad based on the 'Best of the 60's' (etc.) music compilation ads. I'm so old that it took me a while to figure out that this was supposed to be hilarious, because the décor, clothing and hair look pretty familiar! In fact my initial thought was 'Huh, I used to have a sweater/jeans combo just like that lady is wearing...wait, are those high waist acid wash jeans with a bulky fair isle sweater tucked in? And those shiny bright brown boots....' Of course, in real life, there are no doubt millennials/teens who are frantically trying to find out where they can buy these clothes.

What really clued me in was all the brass trim everywhere in the room, although I guess even that's coming back in style again.

Wait, there isn't a "Best of Geico"?

[xaxat]

Progressive Flo's sister Janice is (by design) really annoying. But I can't help but think that her Instagram must be really popular if she can afford that big ass house.

[AuntiePam]

That wardrobes commercial -- the dialogue does sound like it came through a translator.  Wow.  (Maybe it's from aliens.

23 minutes ago, Ubiquitous said:

Wait, there isn't a "Best of Geico"?

Yes, there is a Best of Geico.

[Brattinella]

Okay, the Chantix commercial with Ray Liotta:  WHY is it shot in slow-motion?  It makes Ray look like he is crippled or messed up in some way! He isn't, is he?

[Maverick]

 I don't know if he is, but his face....

[mmecorday]

He has a very Arch Hall Jr. face.

[Aryanna]

What's with the commercial with the guy dressed as an airline pilot feeding his dog in what looks like a conferenc room in a high rise office building? None of that makes sense.

[CoderLady]

I've only seen the full length version once but he's a security guard. After patrolling all night with his little dog he's stopping for lunch/dinner in the morning in the part of the commercial that always plays. It's not very clear without the setup, though.

[Haleth]

Why would a security guard bring his little Scottie (?) to work?  It would make more sense with a German shepherd, but I guess the dog food is only for little dogs?

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

Why would a security guard bring his little Scottie (?) to work?  It would make more sense with a German shepherd, but I guess the dog food is only for little dogs?

That is a West Highland White terrier. I think he just brings it for company. I've worked in highrise buildings. The security guys were not there to battle evildoers, they're supposed to just call the cops.

[mmecorday]

I think that's a sweet commercial. I love the music and the dog is so cute.