Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[Silver Raven]

I detest the Ikea ad where the woman looks at the cashier receipt (apparently having no idea how much she paid till she looks at the receipt), sees that she paid less than she expected because Ikea is running a sale, and instead of going back to the cashier to let them know that she thinks they undercharged her, she goes running out to the parking lot yelling at her husband, "Start the car!!!!  Start the car!!!"

 

The implication, apparently, is that Ikea thinks its customers are thieves.

[friendperidot]

Quote

kay I have just seen a horrifying commercial for H&R Block where they are EXPLODING stuff on people's desks!  That isn't cute at all.

No, but if you can file your taxes this early, they offer discounts and stuff. The sooner, the better!

Since I was forced into retirement about 5 years too early, I do not make enough to have to file taxes. I had a plan, but due to living in a red state, things were beyond my control and I was forced out. Hard to find a well paying job in a specialized job when you're 62.

To bring it back to topic. I'm starting to get annoyed with the Sling commercials. I started Sling last week, not happy with the service, free trial is up tonight, may cancel.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

On 12/26/2016 at 9:31 PM, Brattinella said:

Okay I have just seen a horrifying commercial for H&R Block where they are EXPLODING stuff on people's desks!  That isn't cute at all.

Wait, whut?

[crazycatlady58]

On 12/27/2016 at 6:08 PM, Silver Raven said:

I detest the Ikea ad where the woman looks at the cashier receipt (apparently having no idea how much she paid till she looks at the receipt), sees that she paid less than she expected because Ikea is running a sale, and instead of going back to the cashier to let them know that she thinks they undercharged her, she goes running out to the parking lot yelling at her husband, "Start the car!!!!  Start the car!!!"

 

The implication, apparently, is that Ikea thinks its customers are thieves.

I just saw that tonight ,  I felt the same way .  Did not care at all for  the  commercial . 

[smittykins]

I see they're selling another fitness doodad that you stand on and swivel(kind of like doing the Twist).  I don't know about anyone else, but with my lousy balance, I'd be on my face or my ass in 2 seconds flat.

[proserpina65]

18 hours ago, 3pwood said:

Report it to the local authorities who handle consumer fraud, with copies of your report to Macy's & every TV channel (local affiliates & their national networks) running the "one day" commercial.  

The commercials advertise it as "one day sale" with a "preview day".  That phrasing may skirt any fraud laws, but I'm not sure.

16 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

I detest the Ikea ad where the woman looks at the cashier receipt (apparently having no idea how much she paid till she looks at the receipt), sees that she paid less than she expected because Ikea is running a sale, and instead of going back to the cashier to let them know that she thinks they undercharged her, she goes running out to the parking lot yelling at her husband, "Start the car!!!!  Start the car!!!"

 

The implication, apparently, is that Ikea thinks its customers are thieves.

In all fairness to IKEA's ad agency, I wouldn't go back.  But then, I'd know how much I paid to begin with.

[ennui]

19 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

because Ikea is running a sale, and instead of going back to the cashier to let them know that she thinks they undercharged her, she goes running out to the parking lot yelling at her husband, "Start the car!!!!  Start the car!!!"

The AT&T ad is similar, with the guy carefully walking out of the store, voiceover talking about his free phone etc., and then he walks into the door. The idea is that he is calmly walking out before they realize their mistake, I think.

6 hours ago, smittykins said:

I see they're selling another fitness doodad that you stand on and swivel(kind of like doing the Twist).

Someone pointed out that it's a good way to wear a spot in the carpet.

I saw an ad this a.m. for one of those secondary car warranty companies -- I jotted down the name somewhere -- "a check engine light can cost thousands to repair." Or, it could mean you recently bought gas and didn't tighten the gas cap.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I see they're selling another fitness doodad that you stand on and swivel(kind of like doing the Twist).  I don't know about anyone else, but with my lousy balance, I'd be on my face or my ass in 2 seconds flat.

I'd love to know how many people are going to pay good money for a useless piece of junk like that. The "exercise" you're getting from it is equivalent to standing in place and twisting to and fro for five minutes. 

[Prevailing Wind]

Some folks might think not onl exercise, but balance training, too.

[friendperidot]

Quote

I see they're selling another fitness doodad that you stand on and swivel(kind of like doing the Twist).  I don't know about anyone else, but with my lousy balance, I'd be on my face or my ass in 2 seconds flat.

I think it looks fun...for about 30 seconds, then I'm bored. I can just put on my old 45s and twist away to Joey Dee and the Starlighters or Chubby Checker.

[SoSueMe]

Okay, the latest Candy Crush commercial (chick wailing a giant lollipop like a battleaxe) is getting on my last nerve. And the song (song, jingle???) is badly out of tune. The whole thing is annoying.

[bitchin camaro]

1 hour ago, SoSueMe said:

Okay, the latest Candy Crush commercial (chick wailing a giant lollipop like a battleaxe) is getting on my last nerve. And the song (song, jingle???) is badly out of tune. The whole thing is annoying.

I want to murderize everyone who had anything to do with that ad.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

3 hours ago, SoSueMe said:

Okay, the latest Candy Crush commercial (chick wailing a giant lollipop like a battleaxe) is getting on my last nerve. And the song (song, jingle???) is badly out of tune. The whole thing is annoying.

I mentioned that one in the head-scratcher thread. The song is a cover of Bjork's It's Oh So Quiet, which is supposed to sound like this:

[SoSueMe]

4 minutes ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

I mentioned that one in the head-scratcher thread. The song is a cover of Bjork's It's Oh So Quiet, which is supposed to sound like this:

Oh thanks, I didn't know, that isn't on my personal playlist, lol. I guess it kind of fits, still not my thing.

[xaxat]

The Lexus Christmas ads really annoy me, but it least they helped me figure out why I will never make the 1%

Because I won't stoop to stealing kids' Christmas wishes. 

[OSM Mom]

7 hours ago, ennui said:

The AT&T ad is similar, with the guy carefully walking out of the store, voiceover talking about his free phone etc., and then he walks into the door. The idea is that he is calmly walking out before they realize their mistake, I think.

Someone pointed out that it's a good way to wear a spot in the carpet.

I saw an ad this a.m. for one of those secondary car warranty companies -- I jotted down the name somewhere -- "a check engine light can cost thousands to repair." Or, it could mean you recently bought gas and didn't tighten the gas cap.

Or it could mean your oxygen sensor is bad. That's a cheap easy fix.  Most of the time, the check engine light is no big deal. 

[Haleth]

16 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I'd love to know how many people are going to pay good money for a useless piece of junk like that. The "exercise" you're getting from it is equivalent to standing in place and twisting to and fro for five minutes. 

I think it was on Oprah a gazillion years ago, I have a memory of Cher saying she holds a broom stick across her shoulders and twists (maybe) 100 times every day to keep her waist trim.  No fawncy equipment needed.

[mmecorday]

Quote

"a check engine light can cost thousands to repair." Or, it could mean you recently bought gas and didn't tighten the gas cap.

Or you can just cover it up with a piece of tape like Penny did on "The Big Bang Theory."

[proserpina65]

14 hours ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

I mentioned that one in the head-scratcher thread. The song is a cover of Bjork's It's Oh So Quiet, which is supposed to sound like this:

 

To me, it doesn't sound any better when Bjork sings it.  Not a fan of hers.

[mmecorday]

Bjork's version is a cover of Betty Hutton's original:

And yeah, that Candy Crush commercial makes me oh so stabby.

[janie jones]

For those of you whose childhood memories were tarnished by the My Hero, Zero commercials: I did some research because the singer's voice sounded familiar, and apparently it's the Lemonheads, and that song came out in 1996 on a Schoolhouse Rock tribute album.  I don't know if that will make anyone feel better or worse about the situation.

[topanga]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

Quote

I'd love to know how many people are going to pay good money for a useless piece of junk like that. The "exercise" you're getting from it is equivalent to standing in place and twisting to and fro for five minutes. 

I think it was on Oprah a gazillion years ago, I have a memory of Cher saying she holds a broom stick across her shoulders and twists (maybe) 100 times every day to keep her waist trim.  No fawncy equipment needed.

I wonder if that works. Somehow I doubt that's all Cher did in terms of exercise and fitness.

 

 I've been watching TV shows that I DVRd right before Christmas. And seeing all of the holiday ads with their Christmas songs is really, really annoying now. I usually ff commercials, but when I'm in the middle of doing something, the commercials tend to play. 

[ennui]

21 hours ago, friendperidot said:

I think it looks fun...for about 30 seconds, then I'm bored. I can just put on my old 45s and twist away to Joey Dee and the Starlighters or Chubby Checker.

Another good one is the theme to Hawaii 5-0 (original). 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Okay, the latest Candy Crush commercial (chick wailing a giant lollipop like a battleaxe) is getting on my last nerve. And the song (song, jingle???) is badly out of tune

Can't blame the commercial for the song because they appear to be using the original version by Betty Hutton circa 1951. I've always hated that song.

[peacheslatour]

13 minutes ago, ennui said:

Another good one is the theme to Hawaii 5-0 (original). 

If we're twisting to TV theme songs, I like Peter Gunn and the Perry Mason theme as done by Buddy Rich.

[Silver Raven]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Can't blame the commercial for the song because they appear to be using the original version by Betty Hutton circa 1951. I've always hated that song.

I think it's the Bjork version, at least Betty Hutton can sing on key.

 

The Betty Hutton version:

 

Being on key is never something Bjork has ever concerned herself with.

 

[Sandman87]

On Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 1:48 PM, ennui said:

What I find curious is that it's not one day, it's two. Says so right on the ad insert in the newspaper. 

 

On Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 2:18 PM, 3pwood said:

Report it to the local authorities who handle consumer fraud, with copies of your report to Macy's & every TV channel (local affiliates & their national networks) running the "one day" commercial.  

As long as they're having the sale on the advertised day, there's no reason they can't have it on an unadvertised day too.

 

On Wednesday, December 28, 2016 at 5:28 AM, smittykins said:

I see they're selling another fitness doodad that you stand on and swivel(kind of like doing the Twist).  I don't know about anyone else, but with my lousy balance, I'd be on my face or my ass in 2 seconds flat.

My Mom had one of those back when I was a kid. Basically it was a white plastic heavy-duty lazy-susan. I think I used it more than she did, because I'd sit on it and spin in a circle until I got dizzy and fell off. Repeatedly. There was no cable TV or internet back then, so we had to make our own fun.

[Brattinella]

They have started the annual ASPCA commercial run.  I hate these SO much.  We give to them anyway, and I just hate to see abused dogs and cats.  I know it urges people to give (and it works) but they are running this commercial at least twice an hour on ID.  Sorry, rant over.

[DeLurker]

31 minutes ago, Sandman87 said:

here was no cable TV or internet back then, so we had to make our own fun.

And concussions.

[millennium]

On 12/27/2016 at 7:08 PM, Silver Raven said:

I detest the Ikea ad where the woman looks at the cashier receipt (apparently having no idea how much she paid till she looks at the receipt), sees that she paid less than she expected because Ikea is running a sale, and instead of going back to the cashier to let them know that she thinks they undercharged her, she goes running out to the parking lot yelling at her husband, "Start the car!!!!  Start the car!!!"

 

The implication, apparently, is that Ikea thinks its customers are thieves.

Worse, they sample (or imitate) music from the original Star Trek series as she's fleeing the store.    

[millennium]

I would like to punch Oprah Winfrey.   Is that wrong?

Every time I see her new Weight Watchers spot talking about her struggle to "live the life I want" and "to live well."

It annoys me almost as much as the spot earlier this year in which she lamented being unable to eat bread.

Because being the wealthiest woman in the world is just not enough, apparently.   You also have to be able to lose weight without giving up foods before you can "live well."

Is it just cynical ol' me, or does she seem to land one of these Weight Watcher deals every several years, lose weight, cash the paycheck, then go off and regain the weight only to get another Weight Watchers contract to lose it all over again?

[Brattinella]

I do understand.  It is the "live well" comment that does me in, too.

[riley702]

2 hours ago, Sandman87 said:

There was no cable TV or internet back then, so we had to make our own fun.

 

2 hours ago, DeLurker said:

And concussions.

Nah, that was what lawn darts were for. 

[millennium]

On 12/26/2016 at 10:56 PM, mmecorday said:

You know what's more annoying than the Big Lots! holiday commercials? The regular Big Lots! commercials. "Gettin' it! Mama needs somethin' new!"

 

I thought they were singing "Get lit!  Mama needs somethin' new."   Figured the idea was to get trashed, then go shopping at Big Lots.

[Haleth]

7 hours ago, millennium said:

Is it just cynical ol' me, or does she seem to land one of these Weight Watcher deals every several years, lose weight, cash the paycheck, then go off and regain the weight only to get another Weight Watchers contract to lose it all over again?

Oprah is a 10% owner of WW.  (At least she was last year.)  So her commercials are like putting her own face on her magazine every month.

[Brattinella]

1 minute ago, Haleth said:

Oprah is a 10% owner of WW.  (At least she was last year.)  So her commercials are like putting her own face on her magazine every month.

Doesn't she do that anyway?

[Haleth]

That's what I mean.  Same thing.  Using her own face to promote her products.

[millennium]

I'd still like to give her a nice Hawaiian punch.

[random chance]

9 hours ago, millennium said:

Every time I see her new Weight Watchers spot talking about her struggle to "live the life I want" and "to live well."

Yeah that is kind of a tone deaf thing to say to people who aren't billionaires. How much of a fricken struggle could it be, Oprah?

[Eliot]

American Cancer Society, I am sure you do great work on the cancer stuff...but you need to brush up on your grammar.

Your understanding of the causes of cancer HAS increased greatly. Not "HAVE" increased greatly.

[St. Claire]

On 12/29/2016 at 11:38 AM, janie jones said:

For those of you whose childhood memories were tarnished by the My Hero, Zero commercials: I did some research because the singer's voice sounded familiar, and apparently it's the Lemonheads, and that song came out in 1996 on a Schoolhouse Rock tribute album.  I don't know if that will make anyone feel better or worse about the situation.

I have very little issue with the Lemonheads' cover of the song; I just hate it being used to sell financing for a car. I think my level of distaste would be similar if I heard Bob Dorough's voice.

[proserpina65]

3 hours ago, random chance said:

Yeah that is kind of a tone deaf thing to say to people who aren't billionaires. How much of a fricken struggle could it be, Oprah?

I hate to defend Oprah - really hate it - but losing weight is a struggle even if you are a billionaire.  I know what you're saying, but I also get what she means in the commercial, even if it could be put better.  My problem with the ad is that I don't believe for a second she lost weight without feeling deprived, no matter how terrific the current WW program is.  I lost 44 lbs. on a previous program, and I felt deprived a lot.  And I gained it back after hitting a plateau right as they introduced a new program (on Thanksgiving, no less) which didn't work for me.  I've seen Oprah's weight yoyo so much over the decades - she can get back to me when she's kept it off for several years.

[Neurochick]

12 hours ago, millennium said:

I would like to punch Oprah Winfrey.   Is that wrong?

Every time I see her new Weight Watchers spot talking about her struggle to "live the life I want" and "to live well."

It annoys me almost as much as the spot earlier this year in which she lamented being unable to eat bread.

Because being the wealthiest woman in the world is just not enough, apparently.   You also have to be able to lose weight without giving up foods before you can "live well."

Is it just cynical ol' me, or does she seem to land one of these Weight Watcher deals every several years, lose weight, cash the paycheck, then go off and regain the weight only to get another Weight Watchers contract to lose it all over again?

I think the opposite.  Here is a woman who has everything and even she has weight issues.  She's not perfect.  Some people might envy her life, but the truth is, she's not perfect.  The deal with WW is that you eat what you want, you just eat less of it.  

And I get exactly what she means about not being able to eat bread, I too love bread.

As for her being a billionaire, so what; plenty of men are billionaires too.  Seems people get bent out of shape when it's a woman.

Edited December 30, 2016 by Neurochick

[Mabinogia]

50 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

My problem with the ad is that I don't believe for a second she lost weight without feeling deprived, no matter how terrific the current WW program is.

My problem is I don't believe she lost weight on WW so much as with the help of her team of nutritionists and personal chefs.

It's the same issue I have with celebrities who do hair ads. Sorry, not buying that Selina Gomez uses department store Pantene or Tina Fey colors her hair with a box of Garnier.

Edited December 30, 2016 by Mabinogia

[proserpina65]

39 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

As for her being a billionaire, so what; plenty of men are billionaires too.  Seems people get bent out of shape when it's a woman.

I don't think anyone is annoyed that Oprah is a billionaire.  This isn't a sexist thing.  They're complaining about how something was phrased in the commercial, that's all.

[mmecorday]

Quote

I've seen Oprah's weight yoyo so much over the decades

I'm old enough to remember when she lost all that weight on one of those shakes-as-meal-replacement diets. It didn't take long for her to gain it all back and I really, really felt sorry for her. I believe she thought she had found the elixir to permanent weight loss and it was just snake oil.

I'll take Oprah over Marie "I lost 50 pounds!" Osmond. That dingaling totally lost credibility for me when she said the worst day of her life was when she realized she was overweight. This from someone who's own son committed suicide.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Yeah that is kind of a tone deaf thing to say to people who aren't billionaires. How much of a fricken struggle could it be, Oprah?

Especially when she can afford to pay someone to follow her around 24/7 and slap the food right out of her hand. She's got food-slappin' money.

I understand that struggling with one's weight is a problem no matter who are you, but the reality is that many people cannot afford some of these diet plans, or do not have access to farmers markets or more healthy choices. So when Oprah goes on TV and says "See? I'm just like you!" I find it somewhat disingenuous. She no doubt has a personal chef, a nutritionist and a personal trainer - she could if she wanted to, anyway. She's not just like me.

Edited December 30, 2016 by iMonrey

[millennium]

39 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Especially when she can afford to pay someone to follow her around 24/7 and slap the food right out of her hand. She's got food-slappin' money.

I understand that struggling with one's weight is a problem no matter who are you, but the reality is that many people cannot afford some of these diet plans, or do not have access to farmers markets or more healthy choices. So when Oprah goes on TV and says "See? I'm just like you!" I find it somewhat disingenuous. She no doubt has a personal chef, a nutritionist and a personal trainer - she could if she wanted to, anyway. She's not just like me.

She and Gwytheth Paltrow probably get along famously.

What offended me most was the audacity of this woman, up to her neck in money, going on TV and griping about something as trivial as not being able to eat everything she wants.   Like she's deprived.   Because she can't "live well."  And making even more money off it.

I find it obscene.

[theatremouse]

3 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

My problem is I don't believe she lost weight on WW so much as with the help of her team of nutritionists and personal chefs.

It's the same issue I have with celebrities who do hair ads. Sorry, not buying that Selina Gomez uses department store Pantene or Tina Fey colors her hair with a box of Garnier.

It would be false advertising if she hadn't actually follow the program since she's being herself in the ad, not an actor playing a character. That said, the difference is likely that being as wealthy as she is, she can have help in the form of personal chefs, assistants, trainers, etc. But that doesn't mean she's not "on WW". It just means she has other humans enforcing her use of the program. Part of "the program" is track what you eat and when you exercise. So regular person might go to the gym however many times, or even have a trainer there, and she's got both in her house. That should make it more convenient for her, but the what-they're-supposed-to-be-doing is the same.

Same thing with the hair ads. Gomez may not use that shampoo on a regular basis, or use only that shampoo ever, but you bet her hair was washed in it at least for the ad, but again, by a team of professional hairstylists. So "my hair looks like this after using that" will be literally true, but it doesn't mean that random human goes out and buys it and does their own hair will look the same because that random human didn't have a team of stylists.

[Brattinella]

There is no claim on the ads, AFAIK, in regards to Gomez (or anyone) USING the product immediately before filming.  Actually, I have heard that the stylists coat model's hair with wax to get that heavy, shiny look.  Filmed in slo-mo, quite spectacular.