Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[peacheslatour]

39 minutes ago, dleighg said:

the only stereotype I know about diet sodas is the (usually) gal who orders a Big Mac, a large fries, and a .... diet coke because "they're on a diet." Agree about never thinking it was about nerds. Or is that why nerds are stereotypically skinny?

My son and his buddies were nerds. They were theater nerds and spent most of their time playing D&D. The drink of choice was always Mountain Dew.

[dleighg]

19 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

The drink of choice was always Mountain Dew.

Of course! It's loaded with caffeine I believe. I remember when my son was in high school, he and a couple friends spent a weekend hanging out in the basement, playing video games, and drinking tons of MD. He had the most stupendous headache the next day that I was able to diagnose once he told me just HOW MUCH MD they'd drunk LOL. 

[chessiegal]

There is a local waterfront restaurant that is advertising that I don't understand why they are burning up their ad dollars on. They show their banquet room with seating for 250, happy hour with folks crowded around the bar, and a full restaurant. This place isn't even open for take out most days. Restaurants are restricted to 50% indoor capacity, and no way would a large group be allowed in an indoor banquet room.

[Gramto6]

29 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

There is a local waterfront restaurant that is advertising that I don't understand why they are burning up their ad dollars on. They show their banquet room with seating for 250, happy hour with folks crowded around the bar, and a full restaurant. This place isn't even open for take out most days. Restaurants are restricted to 50% indoor capacity, and no way would a large group be allowed in an indoor banquet room.

Maybe to remind people of "the good old days"? Where we could gather in crowds w/out fear of virus? Maybe trying to woo some back for limited in restaurant service? It does seem odd, but maybe they are really struggling and trying to some how draw customers out. Myself personally it will be a very, very long time before I get take out or go to a restaurant again. Not that I ever did in the past ...maybe once a year...

[theatremouse]

I have 2 theories:

1) they bought the ad space a while ago, anticipating being open again by now, but oops, they're not but they couldn't get a refund so they run it anyway

2) they had the existing ad already filmed from long ago (possibly something they aired in the past), and decided to advertise again, but not film anything new, so they're just reusing the same ad they would've always used before and not thinking through how it looks

[Gramto6]

5 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

I have 2 theories:

1) they bought the ad space a while ago, anticipating being open again by now, but oops, they're not but they couldn't get a refund so they run it anyway

2) they had the existing ad already filmed from long ago (possibly something they aired in the past), and decided to advertise again, but not film anything new, so they're just reusing the same ad they would've always used before and not thinking through how it looks

Yeah it is a mystery and you may well be right...already purchased/non refundable advertising....but it is just not going to happen, maybe better for them to eat that advertising $$.

[Browncoat]

I just saw the most idiotic Allstate commercial.  This woman rolled out of bed, wrapped in her blankets, then kept rolling through town, picking up all sorts of things (sod, garden hose, flowers, clean laundry, etc.) as she rolled.  I don't get it.

[Maverick]

It's a insurance commercial.  It's not going to make sense.  Ever since those cavemen took off years ago, every insurance company now tries to have the most absurdist scenarios they can dream up. 

 If it's Allstate ad and it doesn't have those "safe drivers save forty percent" dorks it can only be a step up.  

[cynicat]

9 hours ago, Maverick said:

 If it's Allstate ad and it doesn't have those "safe drivers save forty percent" dorks it can only be a step up.  

Except...as annoying as that ad is, you were able to remember and exactly recite the benefit of Allstate, because they pounded it into your head.  

[peacheslatour]

4 hours ago, cynicat said:

Except...as annoying as that ad is, you were able to remember and exactly recite the benefit of Allstate, because they pounded it into your head.  

That always bugged me. Safe drivers save forty percent compared to what? Geico? Joe Blow's Insurance Emporium? Lloyd's of London?

[dleighg]

4 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Safe drivers save forty percent compared to what? Geico? Joe Blow's Insurance Emporium? Lloyd's of London?

I've always assumed it was that you got a discount if you had no accidents (and maybe had one of those devices installed the checks whether you brake suddenly, etc etc). And I guess it's probably 40% off the premium charged to an 18 year old male, who's already had two accidents, who drives a sports car LOL. 

[theatremouse]

I always thought back in the day it was 40% what customers were quoted before switching. I remember at one point asking for a quote and being specifically asked what I currently paid. But that's self-fulfilling logic then because of course people who would not end up saving with them would not end up switching to them.

[SoMuchTV]

Here's another one that has me scratching my head.  I've seen it several times on streaming shows.  It's in black and white, and has 3 separate panels (usually the middle one is an ASL interpreter), and they're talking about the importance of voting.  It goes on for maybe 30 or 40 seconds, then it just cuts off in mid-sentence.  The first time, I thought it was some kind of technical issue, but now I've seen it several times and it always cuts off at the same place.  Are they purposely making some kind of point I'm missing? Just a general error?  Anyone else seen it?

[funky-rat]

On 9/14/2020 at 9:38 AM, chessiegal said:

Poshmark ripped off my stepdaughter, They had a will send you a big bag, clean your closet, send us all the items for free, and we'll sell them and send you the money. She had been working as a public defender and had a lot of very nice business suits in excellent condition that she wore to court and no longer needed when she became a stay at home mom. She sent all her suits, and they told her they could not sell any of them, so she would get no money. Yet she went on their web site and found some of her suits in her exact size for sale. They wouldn't budge and gave her no money. What a ripoff!

Poshmark is more like Ebay - the users list the items - not Poshmark.  Are you talking about something like Thredup?

On 9/14/2020 at 3:53 PM, configdotsys said:

Weird. Are there different methods for selling on Poshmark? I could swear that it was Poshmark that a friend of mine looked into and the way to sell was that you took a picture of the item and posted it, when someone bought it, Poshmark sent you a pre-postage paid box with the buyer's name on it and you shipped the item. Once the buyer gave the thumbs up, Poshmark released the money. Isn't that how it works?

No.  Everytime I have bought from Poshmark, the item comes from the seller directly, like Ebay.

Edited September 23, 2020 by funky-rat

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, funky-rat said:

On 9/14/2020 at 9:38 AM, chessiegal said:

Poshmark ripped off my stepdaughter, They had a will send you a big bag, clean your closet, send us all the items for free, and we'll sell them and send you the money. She had been working as a public defender and had a lot of very nice business suits in excellent condition that she wore to court and no longer needed when she became a stay at home mom. She sent all her suits, and they told her they could not sell any of them, so she would get no money. Yet she went on their web site and found some of her suits in her exact size for sale. They wouldn't budge and gave her no money. What a ripoff!

Poshmark is more like Ebay - the users list the items - not Poshmark.  Are you talking about something like Thredup?

Yes - I corrected myself upthread. It was ThredUp that ripped off my stepdaughter.

[Lovecat]

On 8/17/2020 at 4:45 PM, margol29 said:

I don’t know what this commercial is for but some guy is brushing his teeth and a “motivational speaker” is telling him to brush in circles. “ Do another one, another one, another one.” this MS is not very motivating.  It is like an ear worm. Another one, another on..........

 

On 8/17/2020 at 4:57 PM, Silver Raven said:

The "motivational speaker" is singer DJ Khaled.

 

 

On 8/17/2020 at 4:59 PM, Bastet said:

That's a Geico commercial with DJ Khaled.  It's one of their "So what are you waiting for?" commercials with celebrities -- for John Stamos to knit you a scarf, for Idina Menzel to sing your own theme song, for DJ Khaled to be your motivational coach.  I think it was the first one of that series, but maybe I just saw it first.

That's actually one of my favorites at the moment.  My husband and I have taken to yelling "Tiny circles!  Put in the work!  Don't give up!" to "encourage" each other through mundane tasks.  We are simple cats.

On 9/11/2020 at 12:24 PM, Aryanna said:

If a person is 50 in 2020 then that means they were 10 in 1980. So their formative years happened in the 80s. I would think that would make them an 80s kid. A 50 year old would remember things about the 70s, especially the latter half, but they probably wouldn't have a strong personal connection to that decade. Your formative years is when you decide what music you want to listen to, what shows and movies you want to watch and you start developing a personal style. That would give you more of a personal connection to a time period. 

As a gen-u-ine 50-year (and one month)-old, I can say that it depends on the context.  Yes, primarily I'm an 80's kid, and consider those my "formative years," but man, parenting in the late 70s was so whack when compared to today's standards, that there's kind of a badge of honor having been a 70s kid and surviving to tell the tale 🙂

[peacheslatour]

2 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

 

 

That's actually one of my favorites at the moment.  My husband and I have taken to yelling "Tiny circles!  Put in the work!  Don't give up!" to "encourage" each other through mundane tasks.  We are simple cats.

As a gen-u-ine 50-year (and one month)-old, I can say that it depends on the context.  Yes, primarily I'm an 80's kid, and consider those my "formative years," but man, parenting in the late 70s was so whack when compared to today's standards, that there's kind of a badge of honor having been a 70s kid and surviving to tell the tale 🙂

I guess I would be a "seventies kid" I was 13 in 1970 and I remember the freedom we had. Although I was a latchkey kid so I had even more freedom than most. I'm here to say I saw a lot of fingers blown off by fireworks, fatal car wrecks and the drugs, oh, the drugs. And the sex, so much sex.

[Ubiquit0us]

I keep seeing these acne cream commercials in which a young woman with a zit is making excuses to not go out but none of them involve the pandemic. I understand that the initial commercial was filmed before lockdown, but they keep making new ones and it's so obvious an excuse...

 

On 9/19/2020 at 1:08 AM, CrystalBlue said:

Speaking of ranch dressing, there's that Jake From State Farm commercial with Parker, the pizza delivery person, who is such a fan of State Farm she swings by (Black) Jake's house to deliver free pizza, "an atomic brownie cuckoo cuckoo crusty, and a side of ranch" which is a gallon jug.  Hate that commercial and the way she says "and a side of ranch" is weird.

Isn't that woman stalking Jake From State Farm going to get fired for giving him all that free food from where she works? 

 

On 9/11/2020 at 1:22 PM, janie jones said:

I don't understand the one where the mo-taur is watching the other mo-taurs migrate.

I think it's a take on the trope of the Old West where some cowboys are watching a herd of horses in a canyon.

[Red Bridey]

So a new-ish Grub Hub or Uber Eats ad has Patrick Stewart and another guy squaring off about their dinner choices that end up being delivered. Am I supposed to know who the other guy is because I don't. Who is he and why are they enemies? This ad is kind of a failure for me.

[dleighg]

6 minutes ago, Red Bridey said:

So a new-ish Grub Hub or Uber Eats ad has Patrick Stewart and another guy squaring off about their dinner choices that end up being delivered. Am I supposed to know who the other guy is because I don't. Who is he and why are they enemies? This ad is kind of a failure for me.

You're gonna die. I didn't know who it was until the very very end when he said something like "I am my daddy" and then said something like "wait that can't be right." I then realized it was Luke Skywalker! He's old! (Mark Hammil)

Edited September 25, 2020 by dleighg

[peacheslatour]

Quote

Who is he and why are they enemies? 

Star Trek and Star Wars are dueling franchises.

[Red Bridey]

I am going to die. Time marches on, I get it, but I did not recognize Luke Skywalker as a grown old grey-bearded old guy! Shocked. I am shocked.

[BigBingerBro]

OK, I don't know what I saw as I was multi-tasking at the time but...  The commercial was for Smile Direct club.  A mother is video-taping her teen/pre-teen daughter who is in bed.  She's either waking up or crying in bed and I didn't hear exactly what the mother was saying.  Then it shows the daughter opening a package from Smile Direct and the mother is asking what she thinks of it....   Totally bizarre.  Has anyone seen this?

[xaxat]

This ad for a VW SUV makes me laugh. A guy is walking around a rocky, desolate landscape with the narrator's catchphrase, "Getting lost is the whole point."

It was filmed at Vasquez Rocks (AKA the Star Trek Rocks) which is a staggering thirty miles from downtown LA.

[Prevailing Wind]

7 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

OK, I don't know what I saw as I was multi-tasking at the time but...  The commercial was for Smile Direct club.  A mother is video-taping her teen/pre-teen daughter who is in bed.  She's either waking up or crying in bed and I didn't hear exactly what the mother was saying.  Then it shows the daughter opening a package from Smile Direct and the mother is asking what she thinks of it....   Totally bizarre.  Has anyone seen this?

I didn't catch the beginning, but the girls arms looked kind of freakish to me. She's WAY too skinny.  And I've heard really bad things about Smile Direct & how they'll ruin your mouth and not accept responsibility.

[janie jones]

On 9/25/2020 at 7:10 AM, Ubiquit0us said:

I keep seeing these acne cream commercials in which a young woman with a zit is making excuses to not go out but none of them involve the pandemic. I understand that the initial commercial was filmed before lockdown, but they keep making new ones and it's so obvious an excuse...

I don't think that would work, because her excuses are supposed to be ridiculous, not legitimate reasons to stay home.

On 9/25/2020 at 7:10 AM, Ubiquit0us said:

I think it's a take on the trope of the Old West where some cowboys are watching a herd of horses in a canyon.

But's a mo-taur watching mo-taurs migrate. That's like a person watching a herd of people migrate. I suppose a domestic horse might watch wild horses run by but probably not to admire their majesty. The more I think about it, the creepier I find it, to be honest.

[crazycatlady58]

4 hours ago, janie jones said:

I don't think that would work, because her excuses are supposed to be ridiculous, not legitimate reasons to stay home.

But's a mo-taur watching mo-taurs migrate. That's like a person watching a herd of people migrate. I suppose a domestic horse might watch wild horses run by but probably not to admire their majesty. The more I think about it, the creepier I find it, to be honest.

I wonder where do they get their gas? The mo-taur commercials make my back hurt. Never being able to lay down or lean back against something seems like it would be painful. 

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, crazycatlady58 said:

I wonder where do they get their gas? The mo-taur commercials make my back hurt. Never being able to lay down or lean back against something seems like it would be painful. 

How do they brush their teeth?

[proserpina65]

On ‎09‎/‎25‎/‎2020 at 9:16 PM, xaxat said:

This ad for a VW SUV makes me laugh. A guy is walking around a rocky, desolate landscape with the narrator's catchphrase, "Getting lost is the whole point."

It was filmed at Vasquez Rocks (AKA the Star Trek Rocks) which is a staggering thirty miles from downtown LA.

Isn't that where Leonard's car was stolen on Big Bang Theory, while he, Sheldon, Raj and Howard were taking Star Trek inspired photos on the way to a comic book convention?

 

[Neurochick]

On 9/25/2020 at 1:43 PM, Red Bridey said:

I am going to die. Time marches on, I get it, but I did not recognize Luke Skywalker as a grown old grey-bearded old guy! Shocked. I am shocked.

Saw the commercial three times before I realized it was Mark Hammil.  Old?  The man's only in his 60's.

[dleighg]

11 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

Saw the commercial three times before I realized it was Mark Hammil.  Old?  The man's only in his 60's.

he's just not the young kid we probably all have in mind for luke!

[Red Bridey]

2 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Saw the commercial three times before I realized it was Mark Hammil.  Old?  The man's only in his 60's.

Yeah, but I am 60 and sometimes I feel very old! If he's older than me...

[Ubiquit0us]

22 hours ago, dleighg said:

he's just not the young kid we probably all have in mind for Luke!

"Aren't you kinda old to be a stormtrooper?"

[mmecorday]

Good one, Ubiquit0us!

The announcer in this linked commercial sounds like he's saying "Enjoy a cult with your family!"

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

[CrazyInAlabama]

I see zero point in the Allstate commercial where the woman turns into a giant ball of fabric, and rolls down the hill.   

I don't see a point with the other Allstate one either where they have various objects on the car top, and Edith Piaf is singing.  

Edited October 9, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

5 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I see zero point in the Allstate commercial where the woman turns into a giant ball of fabric, and rolls down the hill.   

That one caught my attention because I couldn't figure out what it was for, to see at the end it was for Allstate. I have to say I didn't know they offer identity theft and phone insurance. In other words, you can wake up every morning knowing your totally covered, like the woman rolling down the hill. Then it made sense.

[peacheslatour]

22 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I see zero point in the Allstate commercial where the woman turns into a giant ball of fabric, and rolls down the hill.   

And she's so fucking happy about it. I think if I were pinned in a inescapable roll of various rugs, sheets and god knows what else, rolling at speed, out of control down hill on city streets, it would be the single worst day of my life and I would be praying to several deities I don't believe in to spare me so I could devote my life to good works.

[KWalkerInc]

14 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

And she's so fucking happy about it. I think if I were pinned in a inescapable roll of various rugs, sheets and god knows what else, rolling at speed, out of control down hill on city streets, it would be the single worst day of my life and I would be praying to several deities I don't believe in to spare me so I could devote my life to good works.

I noticed they had to include a disclaimer:  "Do not attempt.  Demonstration."  Sadly, I'm still not 100% convinced there won't be some idiot somewhere who would try to re-create the commercial somehow to get attention.

[Nicmar]

On 9/25/2020 at 4:43 PM, BigBingerBro said:

OK, I don't know what I saw as I was multi-tasking at the time but...  The commercial was for Smile Direct club.  A mother is video-taping her teen/pre-teen daughter who is in bed.  She's either waking up or crying in bed and I didn't hear exactly what the mother was saying.  Then it shows the daughter opening a package from Smile Direct and the mother is asking what she thinks of it....   Totally bizarre.  Has anyone seen this?

yes and I thought it was stupid!

[Nicmar]

On 9/28/2020 at 8:56 PM, crazycatlady58 said:

I wonder where do they get their gas? The mo-taur commercials make my back hurt. Never being able to lay down or lean back against something seems like it would be painful. 

I could of sworn I saw another Mo-taur commercial except that he wanted the bike half on top and then I started imaging a a wheeling running  down the road with human legs flailing about.. 🤣

[peacheslatour]

13 minutes ago, Nicmar said:

I could of sworn I saw another Mo-taur commercial except that he wanted the bike half on top and then I started imaging a a wheeling running  down the road with human legs flailing about.. 🤣

Like centaurs?

 

 

Edited October 14, 2020 by peacheslatour

[xaxat]

The Mo-taur is an asshole. The commercial where he is at the gym? Not only is he breaking the rules by staying on the treadmill, his loud ass motor is spewing pollution at people who are trying to get healthier.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm so clueless that until everyone on here called him a Mo-taur, I thought it was Mo-tor.     I hate that commercial.   

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Ashforth]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm so clueless that until everyone on here called him a Mo-taur, I thought it was Mo-tor.     I hate that commercial.   

 

Agreed, I hate all of the Mo-taur commercials. They gross me out.

[friendperidot]

I guess this one makes me scratch my head. One of those food delivery services where maybe you combine some stuff to make the meal, but some things come ready to pull out of the freezer and pop in the microwave. This one has smoothies and some of them look good. But as part of the commercial, the woman is spooning out some stuff in one of the cups as part of the prep for some dish. But what she's spooning out looks like aluminum foil turned into some semi-solid food stuffs. At the same time, the voice over is talking about quality ingredients. What is that stuff? I think I'm fairly knowledgeable about food stuffs but I cannot think what on earth that silver stuff is. I cannot think of any food that is shiny silver and metallic looking. Granted, I haven't been inside a store for nearly a year and I don't use any food prep delivery service. I do my cooking the old fashioned way, from real food and from scratch.

[Nicmar]

On 10/14/2020 at 10:57 AM, peacheslatour said:

Like centaurs?

 

 

LOL! YEP

 

[Neurochick]

On 10/15/2020 at 1:19 AM, friendperidot said:

Granted, I haven't been inside a store for nearly a year and I don't use any food prep delivery service. I do my cooking the old fashioned way, from real food and from scratch.

Do you grow your own food?  That's cool if you do, there's nothing like real fresh vegetables and fresh eggs.

 

[peacheslatour]

16 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

Do you grow your own food?  That's cool if you do, there's nothing like real fresh vegetables and fresh eggs.

 

Ooh, I would kill for a fresh egg!

[janie jones]

On 10/14/2020 at 10:19 PM, friendperidot said:

I guess this one makes me scratch my head. One of those food delivery services where maybe you combine some stuff to make the meal, but some things come ready to pull out of the freezer and pop in the microwave. This one has smoothies and some of them look good. But as part of the commercial, the woman is spooning out some stuff in one of the cups as part of the prep for some dish. But what she's spooning out looks like aluminum foil turned into some semi-solid food stuffs. At the same time, the voice over is talking about quality ingredients. What is that stuff? I think I'm fairly knowledgeable about food stuffs but I cannot think what on earth that silver stuff is. I cannot think of any food that is shiny silver and metallic looking. Granted, I haven't been inside a store for nearly a year and I don't use any food prep delivery service. I do my cooking the old fashioned way, from real food and from scratch.

Does it maybe just look metallic because there's ice on it from the freezer?

[Gramto6]

It sounds like the Daily Harvest commercial. The only problem I see with that service is you need a lot of freezer space. That might be one of the few I would try, but , old tiny freezer so wouldn't work for me.