Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[ennui]

Donuts going to Small Talk?

Jon Hamm will be in all the H&R Block ads this season:

"H&R Block has unveiled its advertising campaign for this tax season, “Get Your Taxes Won,” which is aimed at getting clients “the most money back on their taxes and having the best overall tax-filing experience.”

The campaign will spotlight actor Jon Hamm, of “Mad Men” fame. Hamm is featured in several roles each of the TV and radio spots throughout the season, including a 1930s New York policeman and a Roman emperor."

There's more, Google it yourself.  :)

Edited December 30, 2016 by ennui
WHERE'S RICHARD GARTLAND?!

[QQQQ]

Being driven to distraction by the Visa commercial where the adult son says, "Tomorrow's the big 5-0. Doing anything?" and then surprises him with awesome seats at a football game. The way he looks around in wide-eyed amazement at the game and speaks in a slow voice , the dad seems like he's being released from the nursing home for the first time in years. That's not what today's 50 looks like, marketing wunderkinds. 

Maybe I'm not hearing correctly, and it's the dad's 90th birthday...? Or maybe it's the first nice thing the son has ever done for his father, which has led to premature aging.

[Silver Raven]

A black guy had his DNA tested with Ancestry and then announces the results were very specific.  Then they show us the results.  His ancestry covers practically half of Africa.  How specific is that?

[CoderLady]

11 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

A black guy had his DNA tested with Ancestry and then announces the results were very specific.  Then they show us the results.  His ancestry covers practically half of Africa.  How specific is that?

I've often wondered what Ancestry would do to snag that untapped market: people who had no way to trace their ancestry back more than a couple of hundred years because their nearest ancestors had been kidnapped and involuntarily relocated with no existing records from before the event. So this is it -- they can tell you where some of your ancestors might have come from, but nothing specific.

The thing is, if you test back far enough everyone has the same ancestors. So Ancestry.com can just bite me unless they're willing to trace my ancestors to the exact village/settlement they were snatched from, and when. I'd pay for that.

[friendperidot]

when I see the Ancestry.com ads, I wonder if, with enough DNA from enough people, whether it may narrow things down a little. It seems to me like if there is a larger sample of the population, especially of people who have never traveled far from home, it might be a way to get more specific about traits. (that may not be the right word)

[Broken Ox]

I am a fine upstanding citizen, but I've watched enough ID Channel and Dateline that I don't want my DNA voluntarily in anybody's database.

What makes me scratch my head is the pharmaceutical ads that tell me not to take XYZ drug if I'm allergic to said drug. Really? This has now moved into the realm of "enough people have done this dumbass thing that we now have to cover ourselves from malpractice by telling you not to take something you're allergic to"?

[Brattinella]

15 minutes ago, Broken Ox said:

I am a fine upstanding citizen, but I've watched enough ID Channel and Dateline that I don't want my DNA voluntarily in anybody's database.

^^^ THIS.  100%.

[mojoween]

Macy's ad (I think, it might have been JC Penney) says you can save on "social dresses!"

....

The fuck is a social dress?  Will it go out on its own so I can stay home in my PJ's?

[Prevailing Wind]

It's a dress you wear when you think you might catch a social disease.

[smittykins]

2 hours ago, Broken Ox said:

 

What makes me scratch my head is the pharmaceutical ads that tell me not to take XYZ drug if I'm allergic to said drug. Really? This has now moved into the realm of "enough people have done this dumbass thing that we now have to cover ourselves from malpractice by telling you not to take something you're allergic to"?

My question would be, how would you even know(assuming you'd never taken it before)?

[Brattinella]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

Macy's ad (I think, it might have been JC Penney) says you can save on "social dresses!"

....

The fuck is a social dress?  Will it go out on its own so I can stay home in my PJ's?

Aren't "socials" kin to "Cotillions" or "sock hops"? 

[peacheslatour]

5 hours ago, mojoween said:

Macy's ad (I think, it might have been JC Penney) says you can save on "social dresses!"

....

The fuck is a social dress?  Will it go out on its own so I can stay home in my PJ's?

I want one! I hate going to "social" events.

[friendperidot]

I don't want my DNA in anyone's data bank either, but just thinking in statistics. But why do they advertise that you can compare your results with your siblings? Shouldn't siblings DNA be pretty similar? My brother and sister both got my Dad's nose, I got Mom's, but there is enough family resemblance between us you know we are related. And the older I get, the more I look like my mother, when I was young, I looked like my Dad, except for the nose thing, and I would have had a nose job if I had gotten that!

[Prevailing Wind]

I guess it's so you can find out if mom fooled around. Or if the hospital handed out the wrong baby. A little late now to find that out, but, hey...it's an option!

Edited January 1, 2017 by Prevailing Wind

[friendperidot]

Along with not having my DNA in anyone's data bank, I don't want Geico or Progressive monitoring my driving. My great-nephew (aka the kid) and I were looking for auto insurance for him, he just turned 18, he wanted to know more about those things to see if they could save him money, nope not for him, not with his driving, but I just about went ballistic. Kids education today in Oklahoma does not include George Orwell.

[ennui]

22 hours ago, friendperidot said:

Shouldn't siblings DNA be pretty similar?

I heard a story once about someone who tried to dodge a paternity test by sending his twin brother in his place.

[xaxat]

Speaking of H&R Block ads, when I first saw this one, I didn't realize that it was adding machines that were exploding and thought it was some cell phone company trolling Samsung and their exploding Note 7s.

[chessiegal]

On ‎1‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 7:24 PM, ennui said:

I heard a story once about someone who tried to dodge a paternity test by sending his twin brother in his place.

If it was his identical twin brother - dumb. If his twin brother was fraternal, not so dumb.

[Maverick]

 Except it would still show a familial match...which would undoubtedly lead to him being pegged as the father only no he (and his brother) would be in trouble for defrauding the test.

[smittykins]

*Listening to commercial while on iPad*

"Try the new freeze-dried trainer by NordicTrack."

???

*Looks up*

Oh, the new Free Stride trainer...

[Cobalt Stargazer]

3 hours ago, smittykins said:

*Listening to commercial while on iPad*

"Try the new freeze-dried trainer by NordicTrack."

The first thing I thought was, They took Jack LaLanne out of cryo-freeze? So thanks for that.

[Madding crowd]

I don't get the ads for Quilted Northern toilet tissue where they try to tell us going to the bathroom is so horrifying that the birds on the wallpaper and the frog toilet paper holder can only wish for death ( slight exaggeration). Why do they want to associate their product with something negative? Obviously it's meant to be funny but it's taking a normal biological process and trying to make people ashamed they are offending inanmate objects. Opposite of the " enjoy the go" people.

[Haleth]

8 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I don't get the ads for Quilted Northern toilet tissue where they try to tell us going to the bathroom is so horrifying that the birds on the wallpaper and the frog toilet paper holder can only wish for death ( slight exaggeration). Why do they want to associate their product with something negative? Obviously it's meant to be funny but it's taking a normal biological process and trying to make people ashamed they are offending inanmate objects. Opposite of the " enjoy the go" people.

True but the commercials are so darn funny.  I still chuckle about Constable Bob.

[janie jones]

11 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I don't get the ads for Quilted Northern toilet tissue where they try to tell us going to the bathroom is so horrifying that the birds on the wallpaper and the frog toilet paper holder can only wish for death ( slight exaggeration). Why do they want to associate their product with something negative? Obviously it's meant to be funny but it's taking a normal biological process and trying to make people ashamed they are offending inanmate objects. Opposite of the " enjoy the go" people.

I think they're targeting the "ha ha ha poop is so gross it's funny" camp, who will never feel shame about pooping.  I'm sure there isn't a lot of overlap between people who enjoy these commercials and people who buy Poopourri.

[mojoween]

I haven't been single since 1988.  Is declaring "I've met someone!" the way you go about telling everyone on earth that you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

[Eliot]

6 hours ago, Haleth said:

True but the commercials are so darn funny.  I still chuckle about Constable Bob.

I have to step in and defend these commercials, which I absolutely love and believe are a miracle of messaging.

Every other toilet paper commercial in the WORLD tries to sell itself on being softer, more absorbent, stronger, whatever. I love that Quilted Northern takes the contrarian approach and basically says, "None of that matters! You just want to get in and out of the bathroom quickly, and we'll help you do that. The End."

I love these commercials so much I ONLY buy Quilted Northern now.

[theatremouse]

4 hours ago, mojoween said:

I haven't been single since 1988.  Is declaring "I've met someone!" the way you go about telling everyone on earth that you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

It is if you live your life as though your existence were a Hallmark movie.

[meep.meep]

What a great New Year's resolution!

I bet my employees will hate it.  But, they don't like anything anyway.

[Jamoche]

6 hours ago, mojoween said:

I haven't been single since 1988.  Is declaring "I've met someone!" the way you go about telling everyone on earth that you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

I thought it was updating your Facebook status.

[janie jones]

7 hours ago, mojoween said:

I haven't been single since 1988.  Is declaring "I've met someone!" the way you go about telling everyone on earth that you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

Just that you met someone that you are likely to start dating.  Which is why I hate this commercial.  What a stupid thing to announce.

[DeLurker]

12 hours ago, janie jones said:

I think they're targeting the "ha ha ha poop is so gross it's funny" camp, who will never feel shame about pooping.  

There target market is male in the 7 - 18 range?

[Jamoche]

Just now, DeLurker said:

There target market is male in the 7 - 18 range?

I remember college - even if you extend the range to 21, that demographic is not buying TP. Well, not for bathroom use, anyway.

[ennui]

On 1/1/2017 at 8:23 PM, xaxat said:

Speaking of H&R Block ads, when I first saw this one, I didn't realize that it was adding machines that were exploding and thought it was some cell phone company trolling Samsung and their exploding Note 7s.

 

I've seen the exploding calculators a couple of times now. I like the coffee cup, "I'm an accountant, not a magician."  :)  And then Jon Hamm appears at the end. 

[havahabit]

I'm sure this has been discussed to death elsewhere but I had to  post due to my rapidly growing hatred for everything Sophia Veraga. So as much as I would love to splurge on a Ninja Coffee Bar...I won't. Because WTF is a cringle/crinkle cup of coffee? How hard is it to pronounce "single" unless you'e Cindy Brady with her lisp?

Edited January 6, 2017 by havahabit
words are necessary for understanding

[OmegaX123]

56 minutes ago, havahabit said:

I'm sure this has been discussed to death elsewhere but I had to  post due to my rapidly growing hatred for everything Sophia Veraga. So as much as I would love to splurge on a Ninja Coffee Bar...I won't. Because WTF is a cringle/crinkle cup of coffee? How hard is it to pronounce "single" unless you'e Cindy Brady with her lisp?

Is this the commercial you're talking about?

 

Because if so, I definitely hear 'single cup or a carafe'.

[havahabit]

1 minute ago, OmegaX123 said:

Is this the commercial you're talking about?

 

Because if so, I definitely hear 'single cup or a carafe'.

This is the one-it sounds so much clearer here than on my tv....my old damn ears hear kringle cup on tv. oh well, new tv or hearing aids....

[Maverick]

2 hours ago, havahabit said:

I'm sure this has been discussed to death elsewhere but I had to  post due to my rapidly growing hatred for everything Sophia Veraga. So as much as I would love to splurge on a Ninja Coffee Bar...I won't. Because WTF is a cringle/crinkle cup of coffee? How hard is it to pronounce "single" unless you'e Cindy Brady with her lisp?

 Is that you, Buddy Hinton?

[mojoween]

I must be missing something in the fine print because how can losing ten pounds be on Weight Watchers if a purchase is required?  That's not really on them now is it?

[backformore]

A commercial that had me literally scratching my head is a t mobile ad about fees. Only the fees are bugs, crawling on family members when they get too close to certain people.  They get lice from associating with people who have a different phone plan?  I'm confused.  And itchy.

[ebk57]

I really don't understand (and really hate, but decided I'd put this here) the Ally Bank series of commercials, particularly the hitchhiker and the beekeeper ones. (Okay, those are the only two I remember right now, but I think there's at least one more).  How are those supposed to make me want to bank with Ally?  What do they have to do with banking at all?  And they're just totally unpleasant. Blech.

[theatremouse]

1 hour ago, backformore said:

A commercial that had me literally scratching my head is a t mobile ad about fees. Only the fees are bugs, crawling on family members when they get too close to certain people.  They get lice from associating with people who have a different phone plan?  I'm confused.  And itchy.

I'm not saying this is correct, or that the ad makes sense, but I suspect what they were going for was something more like fees of that nature are as annoying as suddenly finding something crawling all over you? And can also surprise you by how numerous they are...something something bug similes.

[LoneHaranguer]

11 hours ago, theatremouse said:

And can also surprise you by how numerous they are...something something bug similes.

While I see how employees at the company could feel that way having to deal with taxes and fees varying by state, why would an individual customer? If they wanted to complain about how ill-prepared their competitors often are in being able to quote a bottom-line price to someone, they'd have a point. But, if you don't live in a high-tax state, why would you want to pay just as much as if you did?

[peacheslatour]

I love the VO guy on the Entresto commercial. You shouldn't take Entresto if pregnant because it could hurt your unborn "bebe". As one who loves those True Facts About various animals videos on YouTube, I love it.

[backformore]

16 hours ago, theatremouse said:

18 hours ago, backformore said:

A commercial that had me literally scratching my head is a t mobile ad about fees. Only the fees are bugs, crawling on family members when they get too close to certain people.  They get lice from associating with people who have a different phone plan?  I'm confused.  And itchy.

I'm not saying this is correct, or that the ad makes sense, but I suspect what they were going for was something more like fees of that nature are as annoying as suddenly finding something crawling all over you? And can also surprise you by how numerous they are...something something bug similes.

Yeah, but the commercial had people with FLEAS  (fees?)  crawling all over them, and picking bugs out of each others' hair -  which is why I said  it had me literally scratching my head.   I can't watch ads about lice or flea   without that weird feeling that the bugs are ON ME.    

[theatremouse]

Oh I'm with you @backformore. I get it. I saw that ad three times after we started talking about this and it did the same thing to me. But I was trying to divine a reason WHY they are subjecting us to this and that's all I came up with.

5 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

While I see how employees at the company could feel that way having to deal with taxes and fees varying by state, why would an individual customer? If they wanted to complain about how ill-prepared their competitors often are in being able to quote a bottom-line price to someone, they'd have a point. But, if you don't live in a high-tax state, why would you want to pay just as much as if you did?

I don't think it's so much about the taxes as the fees. Which vary, I think, based on some exec's whims more than anything to do with a particular state, other than the fact that certain states may have bans on certain types of fees. It's less about wanting to pay as much as someone in a higher tax state (or a more fee-allowing state) it's about the presence of a zillion fees being annoying? Or something? I don't know. They're idiots for this campaign anyway because now we're going to associate being itchy with their company (or I would if I could remember who it was but I don't because I turn it off every time).  

Edited January 6, 2017 by theatremouse

[ennui]

1 hour ago, backformore said:

Yeah, but the commercial had people with FLEAS  (fees?)  crawling all over them, and picking bugs out of each others' hair -  which is why I said  it had me literally scratching my head.   I can't watch ads about lice or flea   without that weird feeling that the bugs are ON ME.    

Don't ever watch "Monsters Inside Me." 

[Prevailing Wind]

It's T-Mobile.  I saw it tonight & started scratching.

[ennui]

I didn't know this topic title was to be taken literally.

[proserpina65]

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 11:24 PM, friendperidot said:

when I see the Ancestry.com ads, I wonder if, with enough DNA from enough people, whether it may narrow things down a little. It seems to me like if there is a larger sample of the population, especially of people who have never traveled far from home, it might be a way to get more specific about traits. (that may not be the right word)

From what I've read about it, you do get more specific results if family members also contribute dna samples.

[brgjoe]

Don't know if anyone else has mentioned this one or not.  But there is this commercial (For Cheerio's, I think) that keeps showing small children/babies and seeing the commercial tagline say something like "More babies, please!".  

LOL...wut?