Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[Brattinella]

You ever read the fine-print disclaimers on the mascara commercials?  Stuff like "we glued extensions to her lashes".

[merylinkid]

Subway's new ads need to go away now.   Dieting to get into a sexy Halloween costume?   Really?   Because all women panic about being able to fit into a sexy costume Halloween so we can satisfy some male fantasy.   Just UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGH.

[Brattinella]

There are four items that will be CONTINUALLY "improved" or changed.  These four will never ACTUALLY be changed.  They are:

1. Razors

2. Toothpaste

3. Toothbrush

4. Mascara

Folks will always buy these products, but they need to be perceived as new and improved to get their market share.

[slensam]

Subway's new ads need to go away now.   Dieting to get into a sexy Halloween costume?   Really?   Because all women panic about being able to fit into a sexy costume Halloween so we can satisfy some male fantasy.   Just UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGH.

When did Halloween become such a soft porn holiday. It's like a goth Valentine's Day.

It looks like they're using supermodels for Viagra commercials. That's interesting.

[GaT]

This. The Infiniti Q50 Commercial. Infiniti, the car for people who can't drive for shit & will probably end up killing you & your loved ones. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id8CQ-vsojQ

[Mdmke80]

This. The Infiniti Q50 Commercial. Infiniti, the car for people who can't drive for shit & will probably end up killing you & your loved ones

I get really annoyed by this one too... Any new technology that I see now seems like it's geared toward people with microscopic attention spans and saying its ok to be aloof, even when barreling down the road in a sports car

[Magog]

 

The Progressive Insurance ads with the talking box make me yearn for the days of Flo.  I guess it's the pomposity of the voice over that makes me want to drive nails into my eardrums.

 

 

 

Eww, the Smarmy Talking Box!  "Muh-LADY".  YUCK!

That talking box is icky. I used to be annoyed by the Flo commercials and I still am by some of them. I have to admit though that the whole surreal alternate reality thing has grown on me, what will they do next.

 

I would rather put up with the Talking Box than Flo any day. Al least, the Talking Box is somewhat charming. It's very aggravating that the stupid wench Flo is still around. I don't know why Progressive keep shoving her stupid face on TV for so long. There is nothing good about her & her personality that is making me want to do business with Progressive. I'm starting to think that she, that stupid gecko from Geico, & that stupid fat pig from Geico will never ever go away.

[Muffyn]

The infiniti Q50 add makes me extra stabby.  He just could not comprehend that the package van in front of him might stop?  Really?  Does he know lights change?  People pull out of driveways?  People other than him exist on the road?  The car doesn't leave you free to drive.  It leaves you free to be a self-centered ass.  It reminds me of the old joke about the guy who got cruise control, so he climbed into the backseat to make a sandwich.  

[RealityGal]

The infiniti Q50 add makes me extra stabby.  He just could not comprehend that the package van in front of him might stop?  Really?  Does he know lights change?  People pull out of driveways?  People other than him exist on the road?  The car doesn't leave you free to drive.  It leaves you free to be a self-centered ass.  It reminds me of the old joke about the guy who got cruise control, so he climbed into the backseat to make a sandwich.  

I just get confused, haven't people been driving and thinking about other things for years without having accidents?  I feel like this car creates a need that isn't there.  The guy isn't texting, he isn't trying to change his clothes or have sex while driving, he is just having the same random thoughts that 95% of people have while driving the car if the radio isn't on.  I've often heard people say that they like to take a long drive so they can think.  So people think random thoughts while driving and manage to still be able to respond to traffic.  I know that I've been on the freeway and pondered whether or not I locked the door/shut the garage, and while having those thoughts I was still able to cope with changes in the driving condition around me.

 

It's like they came up with the technology and then had to try to sell it.  If you're so ensconced in your thoughts that you aren't paying able to pay attention to what lane you're in are you really going to pay attention to a little blinking, user friendly display telling you that you might be getting too close to the braking vehicle in front of you?

[theatremouse]

I don't like that these commercials seem to implicitly suggest it's ok to not be attentive when you drive. That said, I think the features have a place. They'd be better off if the marketing angle were more about how sometimes you react, but just a split second too late and get into those tiny fender benders where you barely tapped someone, can't see any actual damage, and yet it turns out to be $800 for each car or something. Those "damn it, that was pointless and so close to not even being an accident" accidents. Theoretically, if all of those types of accidents went away, maybe everyone's insurance rates would go down? 

I mean, I don't want to train people that it's ok to not pay attention, or that tailgating's OK because the car won't let you crash, but I don't have a problem with the feature. Just the ad. If most accidents are caused by human error, and you can to an extent take the human factor out of it, and extensive testing's been done to suggest that the computer's rate of mistake is significantly less than the human's, and that when the computer does make a mistake it's not, say, consistently a bigger one than the humans would've (ie not trading many minor accidents for fewer major ones), than I'm kind of OK with letting the computer decide instead of the human. I don't know if the testing on these features proves that, I'm just saying, if that's the point of said features, I'm down with that.

[Aquarius]

Hey now, Adam Levine suffered - SUFFERED - SUFFFFF-FERRRRRRED with acne.  His confidence was destroyed by his hideous visage.  He had to hide in shame for fear people would see what a freak of nature he was.  It is amazing that even to this day he is willing to leave the house, let alone be the insufferable over-confident douchebag he is.  Acne destroyed his entire sense of self.  If only proactive was around during his formative years, his ego could overtake the entire world, crushing us all under its weight. 

 

Sheer genius!

 

 

When did Halloween become such a soft porn holiday. It's like a goth Valentine's Day.

 

All I can say is about 10 years ago, I went to a Halloween costume party at a local bar, dressed scary.  You'd think I showed up covered in an oozing rash, the reaction I got.  Every other woman in the place was dressed sexy or cute.  I mean, it's Halloween, you should expect scary!

[mmecorday]

Yay! It's the first day of October! Only one month more of those obnoxious Party City commercials EVERY.DAMN.COMMERCIAL.BREAK!

[Rick Kitchen]

 

It looks like they're using supermodels for Viagra commercials. That's interesting.

 

I was trying to find a video of that ad so I could post it in one of these threads, but I couldn't find it. I'm not really sure which thread it would belong in, though.

 

Ah.  I found it.  I'll post it here because we're talking about it here, though I'm not sure *I* would consider it irritating.  :)

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2774693/Viagra-ads-target-women-1st-time.html

Edited October 1, 2014 by Rick Kitchen

[dcalley]

Uuuuugh. I was just the victim of a Value City Furniture commercial where the couple is so disgusted by their old coffee table that they feel sick and act like they're going to throw up. I hate that kind of stuff.

[RealityGal]

Yay! It's the first day of October! Only one month more of those obnoxious Party City commercials EVERY.DAMN.COMMERCIAL.BREAK!

but it makes the party go on!

[SoSueMe]

Korean Airlines

 

It's all about you-e-oooo, it's driving me crazy. The previous ones were so sexist, sure flight attendants do the catwalk high step. I do like the shade of blue that they are fixated on.

[CarpeDiem54]

I guess I need to get an Infinity Q50 to "drive" for me. I almost ran into the car in front of me this morning while laughing at the story on the news about the new Viagra ads. The reporter said their sales must be flaccid and they were trying to prop them up.

[RealityGal]

I guess I need to get an Infinity Q50 to "drive" for me. I almost ran into the car in front of me this morning while laughing at the story on the news about the new Viagra ads. The reporter said their sales must be flaccid and they were trying to prop them up.

http://youtu.be/69oQxy6FeXE

 

I have no idea what they are trying to accomplish with this commercial.  I guess they want to convince old men that their trophy wives, I mean "hunnies" are really dying to have sex with them.  Although, I'm not sure a "green screen" is the perfect setting, but I guess if you're an older man with an erection thats going to last 4 hours, anyplace is the perfect setting.

Edited October 2, 2014 by RealityGal

[janie jones]

Hey now, Adam Levine suffered - SUFFERED - SUFFFFF-FERRRRRRED with acne.  His confidence was destroyed by his hideous visage.  He had to hide in shame for fear people would see what a freak of nature he was.  It is amazing that even to this day he is willing to leave the house, let alone be the insufferable over-confident douchebag he is.  Acne destroyed his entire sense of self.  If only proactive was around during his formative years, his ego could overtake the entire world, crushing us all under its weight. 

Adam Levine is the worst.  I mean, maybe his obnoxious ego is overcompensation for his poor self-esteem, but look at yourself objectively, dude.  I'm pretty sure he has everything the long-suffering teen Adam wanted.  He should be in a goddamn pro-acne ad.  "See kids!  Don't stress.  Acne turns you into someone millions of people want to have sex with!"  He'll leave out the part about how millions of people want to punch him in his face. 

 

It's like they came up with the technology and then had to try to sell it. 

I feel like that's what 70% of ads are like.  I don't think necessity is the mother of invention.  Invention is the mother of necessity.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

If you're so ensconced in your thoughts that you aren't paying able to pay attention to what lane you're in are you really going to pay attention to a little blinking, user friendly display telling you that you might be getting too close to the braking vehicle in front of you?

Seems to me something like that is more likely to cause an accident than prevent one. You shouldn't have something drawing your attention down to the instrument cluster just when your attention should be on what's around you on the road. If you can't have something projected on the windshield, like folks keep predicting cars could do real soon now, make it an audio warning.

[BabyVegas]

BMW already has that, actually. It's called a heads up display.

But yeah, it does seem more problematic than helpful. My roommate has a backup camera on her car and I find it far easier to parallel park without the stupid thing. I just pay attention, I don't have to translate from the car to my brain to action. That commercial is a perfect example of creating a need.

[Brattinella]

To me, what this implies is "You can text on YOUR PHONE as long as you want!  Never mind the road, your CAR will save you!"

 

I HATE THIS!!!!

[Muffyn]

Adding to the hate for the Q50 ad.  I've already commented on the freakin' package van the guy somehow could not notice in front of him.  How big does a vehicle need to be to register for this clown?  When he puts on his blinker and is warned that there is a car next to him to his great dismay, I find myself about to shout "You haven't even checked your mirrors yet!"  The car saved him because he seemingly drives based on psychic abilities alone - no need to use mirrors or look over his shoulder.  I'm not sure he even uses his eyes.  He just senses the color of the light from the vibrations of the aura around him.  

 

I just get the feeling this is something I would have on my car and turn off in after about a week.  Driving in San Francisco (or any other metropolitan area), I think it would have major issues with the size of parking spaces I can coax my car into and how close cars get to one another in traffic.  I can imagine hours of me yelling STFU or stop fucking flashing at me at the car.  (I may need to work on my patience).  

[Cobalt Stargazer]

 The car saved him because he seemingly drives based on psychic abilities alone - no need to use mirrors or look over his shoulder.  I'm not sure he even uses his eyes.  He just senses the color of the light from the vibrations of the aura around him.  

 

He ain't got no distractions, can't hear those buzzers and bells

Don't see lights a flashin', plays by sense of smell

Always has a replay, and never tilts at all

That deaf dumb and blind kid.....sure plays a mean pinball!

[wovenloaf]

I just get the feeling this is something I would have on my car and turn off in after about a week.  Driving in San Francisco (or any other metropolitan area), I think it would have major issues with the size of parking spaces I can coax my car into and how close cars get to one another in traffic.  I can imagine hours of me yelling STFU or stop fucking flashing at me at the car.  (I may need to work on my patience).  

 

Totally, those things seem so annoying. I get annoyed just by the simple dinging noise my car does at me if my seatbelt isn't on. And like you, my car would be beeping and flashing at me every 2 seconds, since I'm driving in Philly. I also hate the idea of the cars that automatically brake for you when you get too close to the car in front of you. UGH, NO. The random braking would fluster me more than the traffic around me. How about I just actually drive the car while I'm driving, mmk?

[janie jones]

I get annoyed just by the simple dinging noise my car does at me if my seatbelt isn't on.

I'll drop things in the mailbox on my way out of my apartment complex.  Luckily it pretty much takes the exactly the same amount of time for my car to get upset that my seatbelt isn't on as it takes for me to drive from my building to the mailboxes.  Because putting my seatbelt on to drive across the parking lot would be just too much to ask.

[90PercentGravity]

The L'oreal Manga ad makes me want to punch kittens. And the fake accent is totally offensive. http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7ykH/loreal-paris-miss-manga-mascara

[Prevailing Wind]

Why would you wanna look like a Pokémon character?

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I also hate the idea of the cars that automatically brake for you when you get too close to the car in front of you. UGH, NO. The random braking would fluster me more than the traffic around me.

That would never work around here, where rush hour on the highway looks like lines of parked cars moving in sync at 50 MPH. There are surprisingly few accidents for something so "unsafe"; I suspect it's so intimidating that lesser drivers take other routes.

[GaT]

The L'oreal Manga ad makes me want to punch kittens. And the fake accent is totally offensive. http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7ykH/loreal-paris-miss-manga-mascara

Especially since she is obviously wearing false eyelashes too.

[iMonrey]

I never fail to have a WTF moment when the side effects for anti-depressants include "suicidal thoughts". Really? Isn't that akin to a cancer drug having the side effect of causing tumors?

 

Apparently every prescription drug known to man can cause suicidal thoughts because that disclaimer is present in every ad I've ever seen. Especially for anti-smoking pills, which is just as ironic as the anti-depressants because, great! I won't smoke anymore, but then, I'll kill myself. That's . . . not a fair trade-off. Also, the disclaimers always say "If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call your doctor." First of all, how many people can get their doctor on the phone with one phone call? Second, how's that conversation go? "Hello, doctor? I want to kill myself." "Well, stop taking those pills that give you suicidal thoughts." "K thx bye."

 

Has anyone seen the Hardees (I think) commericial, with the woman on the airplane asking the men beside her if they want to join the mile high club? The first one says no thanks, the second one says sure! And then she pulls out two ginormous burgers for them to chow down on. Like that's really what he had in mind, and like you could just get on a plane with two ginormous burgers in your purse that still looks edible when you pull them out again.

 

Jennifer Aniston maintains her youthful appearance thanks to Aveeno, y'all. No cosmetic surgery involved whatsoever, no siree.

[RealityGal]

Especially since she is obviously wearing false eyelashes too.

when did clumpy mascara become popular?

Has anyone seen the Hardees (I think) commericial, with the woman on the airplane asking the men beside her if they want to join the mile high club? The first one says no thanks, the second one says sure! And then she pulls out two ginormous burgers for them to chow down on. Like that's really what he had in mind, and like you could just get on a plane with two ginormous burgers in your purse that still looks edible when you pull them out again.

My thought is, if I have two delicious burgers in my purse, why do I want to share them with some jerk on a plane?  What if I get hungry later....I will want the second delicious burger!

 

But I almost punched someone on a plane who was looking at my box of Mike's pastries with googlie eyes on a flight from Boston to LA, so I don't like to share.

[Brattinella]

Those airplane burgers were ENORMOUS!  Got me droolin'.

 

Mascara has always been clumpy, in my experience.  The only way to get Advertisement-Long Lash Effect is to wear false eyelashes.

[meep.meep]

 

I just get the feeling this is something I would have on my car and turn off in after about a week.  Driving in San Francisco (or any other metropolitan area), I think it would have major issues with the size of parking spaces I can coax my car into and how close cars get to one another in traffic.  I can imagine hours of me yelling STFU or stop fucking flashing at me at the car.  (I may need to work on my patience).

I hate the commercial too - the guy seems like a real doofus.

 

But I have all this stuff on my brand new Honda civic.  The braking thing isn't too bad, except that when it kicks in, I've already slammed on the brakes, so it really grinds to a halt.  The annoying thing is the Lane Deviation Warning - which sounds if you don't signal lane changes - it's designed to wake you up if you are drifting around.  Sometimes you just want to slide over!  So we call the car Mary Poppins.

[Brattinella]

Wow I would disable all that crap.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I hate the commercial too - the guy seems like a real doofus.

He acts like he's on drugs.

[Stella MD]

 

when did clumpy mascara become popular?

 

Mascara has always been clumpy, in my experience.  The only way to get Advertisement-Long Lash Effect is to wear false eyelashes.

I agree with the original poster - recently clumpiness somehow went from an unwanted byproduct to the actual intended effect. Like we're supposed to try to have all the lashes stuck together into three giant, unsightly megalashes per eye. Why did that become a thing? It looks ridiculous. 

[90PercentGravity]

I've never had a problem with the weird Sprint commercials before, but if I have to hear Judy Greer (or whoever that is) shriek about getting an iphone one more time I will never even consider Sprint ever again. It's not just annoying, it's an assault on my hearing.

[merylinkid]

Microtouch Grooming - featuring that macro asshole Bret Favre.    No I really don't want to watch his transformation from grey to whatever.    I don't want to watch him at all.   He finally actually retired.   Let us rejoice we don't have to put up with his ego every Sunday anymore and keep him off our screens.   Kthnx.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

So here's a question - why is it called plaque psoriasis? Isn't plaque something that happens to teeth if you don't brush them often enough? I'm not trying to be funny (much), I'm really wondering why in the ads for medicine about this issue, they can't just called it psoriasis. Whether it's moderate or severe. Maybe I need to have fewer thoughts.

[sofaslug]

If I'm going to have a car that "drives" for me, it won't be the Infiniti Q50. I'll get KITT from Night Rider. Then I *know* the car is being driven for me. ;-)

The ads I truly hate are those with the Red Robin wench. If I never hear the word "booyah" again it'll be too soon.

[Brattinella]

Cobalt, my Dad had plaque psoriasis.  It created hard plateaus, or plates of crusty stuff (Poor Dad!)  I'm not sure, but I think that is the reason.

[BatmanBeatles]

 

Hey now, Adam Levine suffered - SUFFERED - SUFFFFF-FERRRRRRED with acne.  His confidence was destroyed by his hideous visage.  He had to hide in shame for fear people would see what a freak of nature he was.  It is amazing that even to this day he is willing to leave the house, let alone be the insufferable over-confident douchebag he is.  Acne destroyed his entire sense of self.  If only proactive was around during his formative years, his ego could overtake the entire world, crushing us all under its weight.

He was practically the Elephant Man.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Cobalt, my Dad had plaque psoriasis.  It created hard plateaus, or plates of crusty stuff (Poor Dad!)  I'm not sure, but I think that is the reason.

 

Thank you, Brattinella, that was informative. Learnin' stuff on the intrawebz, that's me.

[RealityGal]

Microtouch Grooming - featuring that macro asshole Bret Favre.    No I really don't want to watch his transformation from grey to whatever.    I don't want to watch him at all.   He finally actually retired.   Let us rejoice we don't have to put up with his ego every Sunday anymore and keep him off our screens.   Kthnx.

 

heh! macro-asshole.  I'm stealing that, and using it when the opportunity arises.

[merylinkid]

Oh god, the competitive Subway bitches are back.    Now they are out-baconing each other.   Someone come with the "I love Me" jackets with the wrap around arms for those two.   Or give them some yogurt.   Anything to stop them.

[GaT]

Enough. The TruBiotics commercial. 

[RealityGal]

Enough. The TruBiotics commercial. 

Uhh, hello crazy lady carrying around TruBiotics, do I know you?  or do you always come up to total strangers trying to run a 5k to discuss digestive health?

If I'm going to have a car that "drives" for me, it won't be the Infiniti Q50. I'll get KITT from Night Rider. Then I *know* the car is being driven for me. ;-)

The ads I truly hate are those with the Red Robin wench. If I never hear the word "booyah" again it'll be too soon.

and it'll have a sweet british accent, and it can also have sweet conversations with you.

 

TV promised us so much, a KITT for everyone, and a flying car in every garage.  Damn you jetsons and Knight Rider for ruining the future :(

[TattleTeeny]

The L'oreal Manga ad makes me want to punch kittens. And the fake accent is totally offensive. http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7ykH/loreal-paris-miss-manga-mascara

UGH! "More ah-pehnnn!"

 

Especially since she is obviously wearing false eyelashes too.

 

I don't use that brand (animal testing) but I did think her lashes looked good and real; mine look about the same with mascara on them and I am completely incapable of affixing false lashes. That shit is not easy, man--especially for a makeup doofus like me.

 

ETA: I looked again and, yes, I definitely see clumpiness in the bottom lashes (which I don't do on myself--too much mess potential). The top still looks OK to me though.

Edited October 6, 2014 by TattleTeeny

[St. Claire]

Uhh, hello crazy lady carrying around TruBiotics, do I know you?  or do you always come up to total strangers trying to run a 5k to discuss digestive health?

 

The truth is, I know very few runners who need assistance with, um, [how to put this delicately...] proper movements. The lines at the restrooms at the Baltimore Running Festival are not due to unhydrating.