Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[SmithW6079]

How the hell is this FDA approved?

 

Who know$ what motivate$ the approval proce$$ of new drug$ the$e day$?

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

Re: the Buick ads...I actually went to a presentation at Buick's ad agency where the director discussed the ads and their reasoning. She talked about what Buick's image had been, and showed a slide of a little old lady in a Buick. It was the elephant in the room--Buick as an old person's car

 

The ads have been quite successful in moving Buick's average buyer age down (and honestly the cars are WAY better than they used to be. I'd happily drive a Lacrosse!)

 

The woman getting into the Taurus instead of the Buick was funny as I used to own that exact rental car special Taurus. But I think they should have used a last generation Camry instead :)

[Ubiquitous]

I'm not sure I understand. If you max it out and never pay, you only get a cash-back reward once, when you buy something. Whereas if you spend and pay it off, you'll regularly be getting two cash-back rewards.

Correct. You get rewards for making the purchase and a second when you you pay for it.

[riley702]

Correct. You get rewards for making the purchase and a second when you you pay for it.

So...

 

Unless I plan on maxing out my credit card and never paying for it, how is this a great thing?

This is the part I'm not understanding.

[janie jones]

I don't understand what you don't understand.  Is it because most people would pay off their cards anyway, so how is this an incentive?  I don't think it's meant to be an incentive to pay off the card, but to be an incentive to use this card, as opposed to other cards who just reward you for using them.

Edited February 28, 2015 by janie jones

[frenchtoast]

It's getting double rewards because you get them when you buy and then you get them when you pay your bill. Hubby travels a lot, racks up hotel points. He also has a credit card where he can earn hotel points, but he only earns them when he pays the bill. So, this new card, you're earning them twice because it's at purchase time and then again at bill paying time. So it makes more sense to pay it off more.

 

The annual fee is probably exorbitant, though. And clearly the commercial did not get the message across very well, either.

[riley702]

I understand that. I don't understand why ubi thinks getting double rewards isn't a good deal. I don't understand how you all didn't understand I wasn't quoting myself. :P

Edited February 28, 2015 by riley702

[riley702]

There's an ad for for a new credit card that's a real head-scratcher. They claim to give you a cash-back reward for every purchase you make, AND when you pay it. Unless I plan on maxing out my credit card and never paying for it, how is this a great thing?

 

 

I'm not sure I understand. If you max it out and never pay, you only get a cash-back reward once, when you buy something. Whereas if you spend and pay it off, you'll regularly be getting two cash-back rewards.

Correct. You get rewards for making the purchase and a second when you you pay for it.

 

 

So...

 

Unless I plan on maxing out my credit card and never paying for it, how is this a great thing?

This is the part I'm not understanding.

Edited February 28, 2015 by riley702

[Prevailing Wind]

I think ubiquitous meant "unless my usual strategy is to max...", then getting paid to pay the bill would make a difference to that strategy. Most folks try not to use that form of money mis-management, so paying the credit card bill would get done whether they got paid for it or not.  As mentioned above, it's not an incentive to pay the bill, but to use the damn card in the first place.

[frenchtoast]

Sorry, riley, it went right over my head. *sheepish* I get it now.

[Ubiquitous]

I think ubiquitous meant "unless my usual strategy is to max...", then getting paid to pay the bill would make a difference to that strategy. Most folks try not to use that form of money mis-management, so paying the credit card bill would get done whether they got paid for it or not.  As mentioned above, it's not an incentive to pay the bill, but to use the damn card in the first place.

Yeah, you're going to pay for what you buy anyway, so what's the point, other than over complicating your cash back reward?

[Jamoche]

Basically, they're doubling the reward, they're just saying it in a way to attract attention. (At least I assume they're doubling; one thing all cashback reward ads are very short on is any indication of just how much the reward *is*)

[Sandman87]

Apparently the guy in the H&R Block commercials is undergoing a change in his gender identity: "I'm Erica! Get your billions back!" Or perhaps he should pronounce "America" more carefully. I also find it interesting that when he puts his LP on the turntable ("Money money money money. Money!"), the woofers in his speakers start pumping in and out before the bass and drums kick in.

[Haleth]

I don't mind Mr Block (in fact I think he's kind of adorable) but that song makes me think of The Apprentice and anything Trump related is an absolute turn off.

[Sandman87]

I suppose they couldn't afford to license Pink Floyd's "Money", so they went with that one instead.

[Tunia]

I don't mind Mr Block (in fact I think he's kind of adorable) but that song makes me think of The Apprentice and anything Trump related is an absolute turn off.

 

 

The way he's shouting, he sounds just like Trump too, so I'm thinking The Apprentice similarity is quite deliberate.

 

You get rewards for making the purchase and a second when you pay for it.

 

 

...and the techno-babe is still paying by paper check.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Tunia

[Taylorh2]

Pink Floyd ?  Isn't that the O'Jays  "For the Love Of Money" ?

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Pink Floyd ?  Isn't that the O'Jays  "For the Love Of Money" ?

 

The O'Jays did sing For The Love of Money, but Pink Floyd recorded Money, which is a completely different song.

[paramitch]

Okay, there's a commercial that just has me weirdly perplexed, and I'm probably going to sound nuts for having a problem with it, since it's very very sweet at heart.

 

It's basically a music video for the Lonestar song "I'm Already There," and it's incredibly literal: You see the kid call his Dad who's away from home and longingly ask him when he's coming home. The lyrics then start up and we see the Dad thinking of happy times with his son. Then the Dad comes home at the crescendo, and the tagline is "Be there," along with a notation: "Both child and parent suffers when they are separated. Be sure let them know you care and you're still there for them, it's an important value."

 

Which is all fine -- nothing wrong with that sentiment. But the whole thing is just so weird to me -- the ad's literal imagery from the song, its absolute lack of subtext, the almost comically obvious theme (I guess it's better than, "Don't not be there."), etc.

 

But as literal as the use of the song is, it doesn't really work, because the song is about someone who wants to be there but can't (not won't). So it ultimately doesn't fit the scenario at all to me.

 

The ad adds a level of discomfort for me since it's from Foundation for a Better Life (or Values.com), which was founded by Philip Anschutz, a conservative Evangelical Christian who extensively also funds pro-life, anti-discrimination and anti-science legislation, and who actively supports creationism and intelligent design. Also, the ad's URL seems to change all the time -- sometimes it's for Values.com, sometimes it's for another site whose name I can't remember.

 

I just feel like they're using a nonreligious, almost comically broad message ("be there for your kids") to rope people into a wider campaign and belief system that actually is conservative and religious in nature.

 

But again, all of this could just be me. Something about it just doesn't work for me though, so thanks for letting me share.

[erikdepressant]

I just feel like they're using a nonreligious, almost comically broad message ("be there for your kids") to rope people into a wider campaign and belief system that actually is conservative and religious in nature.

Those commercials all get the eyeroll from me, paramitch.  It's a shame, because I usually like the songs in them.  Their sappiness is just so over the top.  And you're right; there's nothing subtle or realistic about them.  I think their formula is:

 

[(older hit song) + (simplified dilemma) + (sentimental imagery)] X message = recruitment

 

I don't want to sound like I support The Foundation or anything, but it is sad that in the 21st Century, we still need to remind people to do the right/nice thing.

 

Whenever they show one with adolescents, my mind replaces the soundtrack with the My Chemical Romance song "Teenagers."

 

ETA: I'm too old to know this, but here's "Teenagers."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6EQAOmJrbw

Edited March 2, 2015 by erikdepressant

[90PercentGravity]

"Anastasia.com: Dating with[sic] women from Europe" Um... WTF did I just see?

[Cobalt Stargazer]

"Anastasia.com: Dating with[sic] women from Europe" Um... WTF did I just see?

 

I read that as 'sick women from Europe,' which made even less sense.

[Callasin]

"Anastasia.com: Dating with[sic] women from Europe" Um... WTF did I just see?

 

 

 

I read that as 'sick women from Europe,' which made even less sense.

 

The creepy thing is that the first time I saw this commercial was during an ID show about a man that murdered his mail order Russian bride.

[riley702]

Eep! That's unfortunate.

[Taylorh2]

I saw that one about the "mail order Russian bride" murder.  It was really good.

[Sandman87]

Apparently if I use Charmin toilet paper, I may use "up to four times less" than I do now. Let's see...if X is one roll, then I'll end up with -X+4X=3X. Which would mean that for every roll I use three new rolls will appear, presumably popping out of my backside. Soon I will be smothered to death as my home is buried in thousands of rolls of soft, bear-approved paper.

I obviously took too many math classes in college.

[Rick Kitchen]

So Connie from Consumer Cellular, telling us about the "Connie Plan" says "I don't believe in putting my name on a contract."  So apparently she has never gotten credit, bought a house or a car?

 

[90PercentGravity]

Wow. Does that ad really have a jive-talking dancing black man in a jaunty hat?

[Taylorh2]

What are you talking about ?  I don't a "jive-talking dancing black man" 

 

I see a man who has joined in on a senior dance/exercise class.

 

Really ?

Edited March 3, 2015 by Taylorh2

[LoneHaranguer]

 

Soon I will be smothered to death as my home is buried in thousands of rolls of soft, bear-approved paper.

In ads, an "up to" generally translates to "a whole lot less than" so you can put aside that possibility.

[Sandman87]

Damn, I was looking forward to my absorbent multi-ply demise, because I wanted to have bears frolicking around my corpse.

[friendperidot]

On Cloo, there's an ad for NCIS: LA, and the narration is "if you're a drug dealer or a terrorist" and I hear it as "if you're a drug dealer or a Derek" and I always wonder what's wrong with Derek - I think he's a good dancer.

 

And this maybe should go in the medical thread, but heard tonight, if you have blah, blah, blah and hidden heart defect. If it's a hidden heart defect how would you know?

[Muffyn]

I hid my heart defect in the back of a kitchen cabinet.  I'll just have to find out what the other condition is to see if this medicine is right for me,

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I hid my heart defect in the back of a kitchen cabinet.  I'll just have to find out what the other condition is to see if this medicine is right for me,

 

Maybe the bladder that leads that woman around by the hand all the time knows where the hidden heart defect is.

[Prevailing Wind]

Don't ask my skull where it is...it's full of ice cream.

[Aquarius]

I hid my heart defect in the back of a kitchen cabinet.  I'll just have to find out what the other condition is to see if this medicine is right for me,

 

Or just ask your doctor.  But be sure to let him or her know of any medical conditions you have.

[erikdepressant]

The Dove "Fruit Scavenger Hunt (cringe)" commercial is stupid.  And it reminded me of the movie Gone Girl.

 

The reason I'm posting it here is the tagline "Choose a pleasure less ordinary."  Because it's Dove chocolate, I comfortably misheard that as, "Choose a pleasureless ordinary."

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svks7H3eB3Y

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Huh, that was very Gone Girl-ish. And yeah, their voiceover person needs to enunciate a little more. Also, now I want dark chocolate.

[Jamoche]

Or just ask your doctor.  But be sure to let him or her know of any medical conditions you have.

Or if you have certain fungal infections. Exactly which ones, they never say - which would make them uncertain fungal infections, right?

[Muffyn]

Between the hidden heart defects, the uncertain fungal infections, elephants sitting on our chests and the bladder external to the body, no wonder we need so many advertisements for medicines.  Of course if your bladder is outside of your body, you would have SAM outside of your pants rather than in your pants.  And you could potentially train the elephant to sit elsewhere.  Maybe yogurt cures all of these ailments?  

[FormerMod-a1]

^ And only at PTV does that hilarious post make sense!

[Aquarius]

Or if you have certain fungal infections. Exactly which ones, they never say - which would make them uncertain fungal infections, right?

 

I don't know about you, but I prefer a fungal infection with conviction.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Between the hidden heart defects, the uncertain fungal infections, elephants sitting on our chests and the bladder external to the body, no wonder we need so many advertisements for medicines.  Of course if your bladder is outside of your body, you would have SAM outside of your pants rather than in your pants.  And you could potentially train the elephant to sit elsewhere.  Maybe yogurt cures all of these ailments?  

 

Don't forget nose blindness. Because that's apparently a thing now.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

If it's a hidden heart defect how would you know?

You wouldn't if you didn't go looking for it, which they're implying you should do before using the product (and if something happens don't blame them if you didn't look hard enough because it's not like they didn't say anything).

[peeayebee]

The reason I'm posting it here is the tagline "Choose a pleasure less ordinary."  Because it's Dove chocolate, I comfortably misheard that as, "Choose a pleasureless ordinary."

It certainly sounds like that. I don't know why she doesn't pause a bit before "less." I get the feeling that "pleasureless" is referencing something else.

[Rick Kitchen]

The Dove "Fruit Scavenger Hunt (cringe)" commercial is stupid.  And it reminded me of the movie Gone Girl.

 

The reason I'm posting it here is the tagline "Choose a pleasure less ordinary."  Because it's Dove chocolate, I comfortably misheard that as, "Choose a pleasureless ordinary."

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svks7H3eB3Y

 

No.  Nononononono.  People who write in library books should be executed.

[Prevailing Wind]

 

People who write in library books should be executed.

Don't you just hate it when somebody decides to be an after-the-fact proofreader & makes corrections? And they're WRONG??

[Aquarius]

Don't forget nose blindness. Because that's apparently a thing now.

 

I can't wait to hear what they call the medication, and what animated figure they develop to sell it.  Or maybe they'll go the "doctor diagnosed me with a DISEASE!" route.

[Moose135]

 Maybe yogurt cures all of these ailments?  

 

No, but I'm sure Super Beta Prostate does!

 

Super Beta Prostate

[riley702]

Huh, that was very Gone Girl-ish. And yeah, their voiceover person needs to enunciate a little more. Also, now I want dark chocolate.

Of course, I always want dark chocolate, but this isn't helping.