Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[Ubiquitous]

I didn't say that about HJB!

[peacheslatour]

On 6/22/2019 at 10:46 AM, Nordly Beaumont said:

I got so curious about the Arby's commercials - why do they say "Arby's, we have the meats!" pause "for sandwiches!" It's so weird. What else would the "meats" be for? So I googled it and found it's (supposedly) a way to let younger people know that they have more than just roast beef because apparently roast beef is for old people? I guess? Anyway, how does adding "for sandwiches" tell people they have more than just roast beef? Why do they have a personality-free gray haired man as the spokesperson if they want to bring in younger customers? Why not get some teenagers? I just don't get it.

Quote

16 minutes ago, Ubiquitous said:

I didn't say that about HJB!

No you did not. WTF?

[LoneHaranguer]

On 6/22/2019 at 1:46 PM, Nordly Beaumont said:

I got so curious about the Arby's commercials - why do they say "Arby's, we have the meats!" pause "for sandwiches!" It's so weird. What else would the "meats" be for?

I think they wanted people to know you can't just come in and ask for a pound of roast beef, like at a butcher shop or deli, but didn't want to get Ving Rhames back to record whole new ads.

[funky-rat]

On 6/20/2019 at 4:40 PM, mmecorday said:

I think helicopter parenting started here in the U.S. during the Satanic Panic of the 80s.

Topic? I think Satan is behind that terrible rendition of "Go Your Own Way" in the Anoro commercial. The way that guy sings makes him sound like he's super constipated and needs Linzess.

And now we have Human Trafficking panic.  So much so that an innocent work crew working on a new store here had their white van photographed and made to go viral on social media, and the cops paid them a visit (the post said it was "probably" innocent but you can't be too sure).  Makes me all stabby.

That version of "Go Your Own Way" is also horribly auto-tuned.

[chessiegal]

Human trafficking is real and alive in the US. My husband is a retired federal prosecutor who tried many human trafficking cases. Our domestic violence and abuse center sees cases of it.

[funky-rat]

25 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Human trafficking is real and alive in the US. My husband is a retired federal prosecutor who tried many human trafficking cases. Our domestic violence and abuse center sees cases of it.

I do not deny that whatsoever.  However, people are ruining the reputations of innocent people over irrational panic.  Social media is full of photos people took of someone who looked at their kid for too long, or who drove through a neighborhood too slowly.  Someone is going to get hurt or killed because they're going to go viral and people are going to overreact.  The work crew at the store was threatened by a number of people because someone posted their van, where they could be found, and their license plate.  All without calling the cops first.

Absolutely teach people what to look for and be aware of, but so much of what I see is so overblown.  I don't talk to people's kids anymore.  I try not to look at them for more than a second.  No more "He's cute" or "That's a pretty dress" to their parents, lest I be branded a creeper.

Edited June 24, 2019 by funky-rat

[Ubiquitous]

2 hours ago, funky-rat said:

That version of "Go Your Own Way" is also horribly auto-tuned.

Aren't they all?

[catlover79]

5 hours ago, bad things are bad said:

as wet as it's been here this spring, you mow when you can because the next dry day could be a week away

You're exactly right. Besides, that's the story of my dad's life!!! He mows until the last possible second, even with ominous rainclouds above.

[Haleth]

On 6/21/2019 at 8:27 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

The kiosks are free-standing tall desks, several in the bank lobby. No wall of tellers. There's still a rope maze for the waiting queue and then you go to the next available teller, standing at his or her kiosk/desk, like they were hotel concierges or something.

A good friend just lost her job because the bank where she works is installing these things.  Banks, grocery stores, airports, etc... all cutting employees by installing technology.  I feel sorry for the people who are being replaced by machines.  I feel sorry for elderly people who want to talk to a real person instead of a machine.  

[mmecorday]

As a wise man -- and I think it was Dennis DeYoung from Styx -- once said, "The problem's plain to see. Too much technology. Machines to save our lives. Machines dehumanize."

[Browncoat]

56 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

As a wise man -- and I think it was Dennis DeYoung from Styx -- once said, "The problem's plain to see. Too much technology. Machines to save our lives. Machines dehumanize."

Domo arigato.

[Prevailing Wind]

6 hours ago, Haleth said:

A good friend just lost her job because the bank where she works is installing these things.  Banks, grocery stores, airports, etc... all cutting employees by installing technology.  I feel sorry for the people who are being replaced by machines.  I feel sorry for elderly people who want to talk to a real person instead of a machine.  

But these are NOT machines instead of tellers. The tellers are still there, just not in a row. I still chat with them & tell them that all those $2 bills I ask for will be used as tips for the tour guides, boat captains, and hotel maids on my Road Trip. I've gotten some good advice about things to see from the tellers.

[joanne3482]

Poshmark is for selling your old, name-brand stuff, right?  So then how did these women earn "thousands" selling their stuff on Poshmark, one so much so that she pays for the family vacations on what she earns from Poshmark? Wouldn't you have saved so much by not buying the crap to begin with? 

I don't understand the Buick commercials where the 2 people talking mistake one Buick for another. Are they saying all Buicks look the same? Because that's the message I'm receiving. 

[Brattinella]

57 minutes ago, joanne3482 said:

Poshmark is for selling your old, name-brand stuff, right?  So then how did these women earn "thousands" selling their stuff on Poshmark, one so much so that she pays for the family vacations on what she earns from Poshmark? Wouldn't you have saved so much by not buying the crap to begin with? 

She never bought them in the first place.  No one could afford to buy $700 shoes by the dozen and sell them for $100.  This is all stuff she got for free.  For what, I can't imagine.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, Brattinella said:

She never bought them in the first place.  No one could afford to buy $700 shoes by the dozen and sell them for $100.  This is all stuff she got for free.  For what, I can't imagine.

So it should be called Gold Digger Mark?

[Haleth]

15 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

Poshmark is for selling your old, name-brand stuff, right?  So then how did these women earn "thousands" selling their stuff on Poshmark, one so much so that she pays for the family vacations on what she earns from Poshmark? Wouldn't you have saved so much by not buying the crap to begin with? 

That's what I say about these rebate sites too.  The commercials always show women bragging about how much they saved by getting rebates, but they never add up how much they would have saved had they not bought all the crap to begin with.

[Prevailing Wind]

I DO use eBates, but my Big, Fat Check (that takes about 6 months to accumulate) is usually under $6, because I only use it on stuff I need.  That said, you have to remember to USE the damn thing. Bought a laptop at O'Depot & forgot to "activate Cash Back" so my rebate would have been worth more.  Still, I would have bought the stuff anyway, so six bucks in a rebate is six bucks I've saved.

[funky-rat]

4 hours ago, Haleth said:

That's what I say about these rebate sites too.  The commercials always show women bragging about how much they saved by getting rebates, but they never add up how much they would have saved had they not bought all the crap to begin with.

I know a few people who do Poshmark for stuff they get at thrift stores, or free/cheap on FB Marketplace.  You can get some good stuff out there for cheap, but I would rather not spend the time tracking it all down, etc.  I work a full time job that often has overtime involved, and I prefer to spend my free time doing something else.  If I didn't have to work, that might be another story.

Poshmark isn't just for fancy stuff.  They sell lots of everyday stuff in there too.  I've considered trying it - my husband has lost a lot of weight, and he has some good quality clothes that are too large but still have lots of life left in sizes from 3x - 6x.  I take my stuff to a local store that buys women's clothes and accessories, and issues store credit.  What she doesn't want, I usually sell on FB Marketplace.  If it doesn't sell there, I will often toss in the clothes with other items I do sell, letting them know that they can use them to wear out in public (they are still in good shape), or just around the house if they're not  to their liking.  That way, they're out of my house, and in the hands of someone who can use them.  I sold some plus sized swimsuits I had that I had never worn (still had tags - I got them for sale really cheap on clearance, then lost weight and they are too large) and in each case, I asked the person if they could use shirts, and they all said yes, and were thrilled I tossed a few things their way.

[janie jones]

4 hours ago, Haleth said:

That's what I say about these rebate sites too.  The commercials always show women bragging about how much they saved by getting rebates, but they never add up how much they would have saved had they not bought all the crap to begin with.

That's not the point, though.  Plenty of people are just going to buy 30 pairs of shoes regardless, so they will be saving money. 

I mean, if I have a coupon for $0.50 off tampons, can I not say I saved 50 cents since I still spent 6.49?  What about the fact that I would have otherwise paid 6.99?

[Suzn]

I think the point is that people are over-buying, way beyond their need and if they need to save money, they could save more money by not being an over-consumer.  Nobody "needs" 30 pairs of shoes.

[Jynnan tonnix]

3 minutes ago, Suzn said:

I think the point is that people are over-buying, way beyond their need and if they need to save money, they could save more money by not being an over-consumer.  Nobody "needs" 30 pairs of shoes.

Sometimes I feel as though I buy 30 pairs of shoes which turn out to hurt my feet half an hour after first wearing them for every one pair which actually continues to feel as comfortable as they did in the store...

[Suzn]

3 minutes ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Sometimes I feel as though I buy 30 pairs of shoes which turn out to hurt my feet half an hour after first wearing them for every one pair which actually continues to feel as comfortable as they did in the store...

Oh, I know about the search for comfortable shoes...and for me, to find a purse that "works".

[janie jones]

8 hours ago, Suzn said:

I think the point is that people are over-buying, way beyond their need and if they need to save money, they could save more money by not being an over-consumer.  Nobody "needs" 30 pairs of shoes.

That's the point of people who argue that the people in the commercial are overspenders, but it's not the point of the commercial.  If you are spending less than you otherwise would have for the purchase of the exact same item, you've saved money.

[Suzn]

11 hours ago, janie jones said:

That's the point of people who argue that the people in the commercial are overspenders, but it's not the point of the commercial.  If you are spending less than you otherwise would have for the purchase of the exact same item, you've saved money.

Yours is the point they want you to take away, even as they encourage over-spending.

[janie jones]

I'm aware and stated as much in my post you quoted.

[chessiegal]

On 6/17/2019 at 3:03 PM, chessiegal said:

I'm seeing an ad for a product called MobileHealth for getting help if you fall. Evidently their hook is the woman saying when she fell, 3 handsome firemen came to rescue her. Hah! Wonder if you get your money back if ugly firemen show up.

I'm quoting myself because my husband had a medical emergency while he was on the treadmill at the gym on Tuesday and was taken by ambulance to the ER. While I was with him for the hours it took for an admitting doctor to see him, the 2 EMTs who brought him in were back in the ER and stopped by to see how he was doing. Boy howdy - they were handsome. I thought it was so nice of them to come check on him.

Thank goodness for people who work in emergency services. Turns out it wasn't life threatening, but needed medical attention.

[Hyacinth B]

On 6/25/2019 at 3:44 PM, joanne3482 said:

Poshmark is for selling your old, name-brand stuff, right?  So then how did these women earn "thousands" selling their stuff on Poshmark, one so much so that she pays for the family vacations on what she earns from Poshmark? Wouldn't you have saved so much by not buying the crap to begin with? 

...

Because she's selling counterfeits she bought on Canal Street in NYC for 5 times more than she paid for them, and Poshmark doesn't care.

[Gramto6]

6 minutes ago, Hyacinth B said:

Because she's selling counterfeits she bought on Canal Street in NYC for 5 times more than she paid for them, and Poshmark doesn't care.

Now that doesn't surprise me at all. 

[Brattinella]

They sure look like CFM shoes to me.

[Ubiquitous]

5 hours ago, Brattinella said:

They sure look like CFM shoes to me.

I suspect they don't use counterfeit ones for their ads. ;-)

I noticed that other commercial for selling apps is back that features the fugliest clothes I have ever seen!

[funky-rat]

12 hours ago, Hyacinth B said:

Because she's selling counterfeits she bought on Canal Street in NYC for 5 times more than she paid for them, and Poshmark doesn't care.

It happens quite often (not just Poshmark, but I think some people have a false sense of security with resale sites when many do not authenticate).  I wouldn't buy any prestige brand there (not that I'd buy prestige brands to begin with).  The seller could have been duped themselves, and don't realize the item is counterfeit.

I have a fairly young co-worker who is always wearing prestige brand stuff and carrying prestige brand bags.  She's not getting legit ones on what she makes here, unless she has some trust fund or something, and I hightly doubt it.  But she's also fairly naieve, and I think she THINKS she got the real deal at a great price.  She has an LV bag that I'm 99.9% sure is faker than fake, but she doesn't.  And I hope she didn't get taken for too much.

There was an episode of Judge Judy a few years back where a woman bought some high-end bags off of Craigslist (it looked like she had the money), and she didn't get them cheap enough that it would send off any red flags immediately, but she got suspicious and took them to be authenticated, and they were all fake.  The person selling them said his father bought them for his mother and paid a pretty penny for them, but the person who bought them brought along a professional authenticator.  I recall at the time thinking the seller's dad got duped and it went down the line, and they weren't bags with print that was mismatched, or had "off" colors, or anything that would very quickly indicate a fake.

[Browncoat]

On 6/24/2019 at 1:25 PM, bad things are bad said:

as wet as it's been here this spring, you mow when you can because the next dry day could be a week away

I thought of y'all when I was out mowing earlier today -- a storm popped up on the horizon.  Lots of mean-looking dark clouds.  But I finished mowing! (And the storm passed me by.  Not even so much as a sprinkle from it at my house.)

[friendperidot]

I guess I'm old or I've been poor all my life or something, but I don't get "prestige brands." My sister seems to think that a celebrity putting their name on something makes it somewhat better quality, I think it's just adding to the price. Pioneer Woman at Walmart is still pots/pans/dishes purchased at Walmart. If you like them, go ahead, but Pioneer Woman isn't any better than Faberware. And I think some of her dishware is kind of pretty, she uses colors I like.

But for clothing, purses, shoes, nope, if a designer, prestige brand wants me to advertise for them, wear their name across my boobs or butt or feet, they're going to have to pay to rent the space. Shoes, underwear, I want new, the rest of it, I'm happy with thrift stores and flea markets. 

[catlover79]

9 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I thought of y'all when I was out mowing earlier today -- a storm popped up on the horizon.  Lots of mean-looking dark clouds.  But I finished mowing! (And the storm passed me by.  Not even so much as a sprinkle from it at my house.)

Yay!! Glad to hear it. 😊

[configdotsys]

On 6/29/2019 at 12:17 AM, friendperidot said:

I guess I'm old or I've been poor all my life or something, but I don't get "prestige brands." My sister seems to think that a celebrity putting their name on something makes it somewhat better quality, I think it's just adding to the price. Pioneer Woman at Walmart is still pots/pans/dishes purchased at Walmart. If you like them, go ahead, but Pioneer Woman isn't any better than Faberware. And I think some of her dishware is kind of pretty, she uses colors I like.

But for clothing, purses, shoes, nope, if a designer, prestige brand wants me to advertise for them, wear their name across my boobs or butt or feet, they're going to have to pay to rent the space. Shoes, underwear, I want new, the rest of it, I'm happy with thrift stores and flea markets. 

This has always been my thing about clothing. Advertising it ridiculously expensive and people who wear name brands broadly across whatever they are wearing are not only paying an inflated price for the garment but they are doing the advertising for free to a company making millions and millions of dollars. I agree with you, if you want me to advertise your brand so you can rake in the dough, pay me for it. I've been buying Gildan 6.5 ounce cotton tee shirts in dozens of colors from the same web site for years and they are about $4 each. The quality is good, the colors are nice, the shirts are soft and I am not a walking billboard. Works great.

I live in NY so maybe I have a more cynical view but I would be very nervous to list a designer item on something like Poshmark and then meet a stranger on the street to make the exchange. 

[chessiegal]

12 minutes ago, configdotsys said:

I live in NY so maybe I have a more cynical view but I would be very nervous to list a designer item on something like Poshmark and then meet a stranger on the street to make the exchange. 

I may be wrong, but I thought you sent your item to Poshmark, they list it, and send it to a person who buys it.

[configdotsys]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

I may be wrong, but I thought you sent your item to Poshmark, they list it, and send it to a person who buys it.

Oh! I did not know that. I thought it was the same as that other app with the commercial that drove me nuts with the guy selling off his stuff to take his girl on a "date night." He was meeting with people in the street.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

 I've been buying Gildan 6.5 ounce cotton tee shirts in dozens of colors from the same web site for years and they are about $4 each. The quality is good, the colors are nice, the shirts are soft and I am not a walking billboard.

I've been buying Gildan t shirts for my DH for years. They come in a rainbow of colors and as you say the price and quality are excellent.

[Tom Holmberg]

4 hours ago, configdotsys said:

I live in NY so maybe I have a more cynical view but I would be very nervous to list a designer item on something like Poshmark and then meet a stranger on the street to make the exchange. 

Some towns and cities have "safe areas" set up for this, often at police stations and the like.

[Prevailing Wind]

In Georgia, we just meet at the Waffle House.

[Jynnan tonnix]

On 6/28/2019 at 12:31 PM, funky-rat said:

It happens quite often (not just Poshmark, but I think some people have a false sense of security with resale sites when many do not authenticate).  I wouldn't buy any prestige brand there (not that I'd buy prestige brands to begin with).  The seller could have been duped themselves, and don't realize the item is counterfeit.

I have a fairly young co-worker who is always wearing prestige brand stuff and carrying prestige brand bags.  She's not getting legit ones on what she makes here, unless she has some trust fund or something, and I hightly doubt it.  But she's also fairly naieve, and I think she THINKS she got the real deal at a great price.  She has an LV bag that I'm 99.9% sure is faker than fake, but she doesn't.  And I hope she didn't get taken for too much.

There was an episode of Judge Judy a few years back where a woman bought some high-end bags off of Craigslist (it looked like she had the money), and she didn't get them cheap enough that it would send off any red flags immediately, but she got suspicious and took them to be authenticated, and they were all fake.  The person selling them said his father bought them for his mother and paid a pretty penny for them, but the person who bought them brought along a professional authenticator.  I recall at the time thinking the seller's dad got duped and it went down the line, and they weren't bags with print that was mismatched, or had "off" colors, or anything that would very quickly indicate a fake.

Add me to the list of those who doesn't understand the draw of prestige brands. When it comes right down to it, though, someone who unwittingly buys a knockoff as a "great deal" is probably paying for what they get. Maybe paying more than they might for similar quality without the faux designer label, but if they get the satisfaction of walking around thinking they are carrying the real deal and it looks pretty much the same at casual glance, there's really not much harm done to my mind. 

If it falls apart three weeks later, of course, they might learn a lesson, but I have no idea, really, how much better the quality of legitimate designer items compares with the average knockoff. Most of the handbags, etc, that I have bought over the years have averaged around $30-$50, and I've always gotten at least a few years of wear out of them.

[KittyMom4]

2 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Add me to the list of those who doesn't understand the draw of prestige brands

I'll join your table! I have a coworker is enthralled with name brand stuff, LV, Coach, Vera Bradley*, Versace, you name it, she'll buy it. I struggle with paying such high prices for something that I will eventually ruin as I am not kind to my bags and purses. 

*She used to carry Vera Bradly laptop bag, tote bag, lunch bag and purse in varying VB (ugly) patterns, it gave me a headache to look at her for too long.

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Add me to the list of those who doesn't understand the draw of prestige brands.

The idea s that people will think you are successful and be impressed if they see you with expensive items, so it appeals to the status-conscious. The reality is that a lot of people will just think you're careless with your spending.

On 6/29/2019 at 12:17 AM, friendperidot said:

My sister seems to think that a celebrity putting their name on something makes it somewhat better quality, I think it's just adding to the price.

It's more like assurance of a certain level of quality, depending on the celebrity. George Foreman is no longer associated with clothing at Walmart (just branded "George" now).

[Prevailing Wind]

18 hours ago, GoodieGirl said:

I struggle with paying such high prices for something that I will eventually ruin as I am not kind to my bags and purses. 

That's me and shoes.

[Haleth]

30 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

That's me and shoes.

And sunglasses.

[funky-rat]

21 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Add me to the list of those who doesn't understand the draw of prestige brands. When it comes right down to it, though, someone who unwittingly buys a knockoff as a "great deal" is probably paying for what they get. Maybe paying more than they might for similar quality without the faux designer label, but if they get the satisfaction of walking around thinking they are carrying the real deal and it looks pretty much the same at casual glance, there's really not much harm done to my mind. 

If it falls apart three weeks later, of course, they might learn a lesson, but I have no idea, really, how much better the quality of legitimate designer items compares with the average knockoff. Most of the handbags, etc, that I have bought over the years have averaged around $30-$50, and I've always gotten at least a few years of wear out of them.

There's no harm if the person buys them for themselves and uses them for their own purposes.  I never believed the big designer houses were being hurt THAT MUCH with knock-offs (they're hurting themselves more by making secondary/lower quality lines for outlets and discount stores - it lowers their "cred" in the prestige market - see: Coach).  The harm comes when they then re-sell them, believing they have something good, and need some extra cash.  I buy stuff on the secondary market all the time, but I don't buy prestige brands, so I'm not as concerned about knock-offs.

There is palpable quality difference with some of the brands.  The ones that are made with real leather are often made with vinyl in the knock-offs, the stitiching is poor, the hardware is cheap, and the patterns can be mis-matched.  The Dooney & Bourke leather bags are phenomenonal.  They make a different line where the bags are vinyl, but they're still sturdy and high quality (but took expensive for my pocketbook).  But stuff like Vera Bradley?  I never understood the $$$$ they command.

[Colleenna]

38 minutes ago, funky-rat said:

There's no harm if the person buys them for themselves and uses them for their own purposes.  I never believed the big designer houses were being hurt THAT MUCH with knock-offs (they're hurting themselves more by making secondary/lower quality lines for outlets and discount stores - it lowers their "cred" in the prestige market - see: Coach).  The harm comes when they then re-sell them, believing they have something good, and need some extra cash.  I buy stuff on the secondary market all the time, but I don't buy prestige brands, so I'm not as concerned about knock-offs.

There is palpable quality difference with some of the brands.  The ones that are made with real leather are often made with vinyl in the knock-offs, the stitiching is poor, the hardware is cheap, and the patterns can be mis-matched.  The Dooney & Bourke leather bags are phenomenonal.  They make a different line where the bags are vinyl, but they're still sturdy and high quality (but took expensive for my pocketbook).  But stuff like Vera Bradley?  I never understood the $$$$ they command.

I think part of the appeal of "luxury" brand women's clothing is that it tends to be "vanity sized." A size 10 in normal clothing misght be a size 4 in a high-dollar brand, so you can lie to yourself and say "I wear a size 4."

[KittyMom4]

1 hour ago, funky-rat said:

But stuff like Vera Bradley?  I never understood the $$$$ they command.

You and me both, to me they look like someone took my grandma's old curtains and made them into a purse. Some of the patterns were pretty but I still wouldn't spend $$$ to purchase one. 

30 minutes ago, Colleenna said:

I think part of the appeal of "luxury" brand women's clothing is that it tends to be "vanity sized." A size 10 in normal clothing misght be a size 4 in a high-dollar brand, so you can lie to yourself and say "I wear a size 4."

Wow, I did not know this. 

[funky-rat]

4 minutes ago, GoodieGirl said:

You and me both, to me they look like someone took my grandma's old curtains and made them into a purse. Some of the patterns were pretty but I still wouldn't spend $$$ to purchase one. 

I live in an area with a large Amish and Mennonite population (Mennonite of all manner of strict/not strict sects).  Years ago, the Mennonite girls liked to carry their Bibles in carriers with handles. They were made from patterned quilted fabric.  Sometimes they would wear matching, or similarly/complimentary patterend quilted vests.  Vera Bradley stuff reminds me of the Mennonite girls and their Bible carriers.

Edited July 2, 2019 by funky-rat

[chessiegal]

I had no Idea Vera Bradley was a thing. I needed a new purse, and bought one in a discount rack at Macy's. It's plain red, and is like a small back pack. I've had several people say, oh, is that Vera Bradley? And I think, who the hell is Vera Bradley? It was just a purse that suited my needs and wasn't all that expensive.