Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[slensam]

the voice of the Progressive box is oozing sleaze.It's a box! I don't need sleazy boxes. 

Who does! No stinking badges and no sleazy boxes. Words to live by.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I hear "pelvic may-ush" and "bladder schlang." I make fun of her. Every. Single. Time.

 

I read that as bladder schlong, which put a really weird spin on that Myrbetriq commercial. Now I can't stop laughing.

[funkopop]

On the topic of toilet related ads, have any of you encountered the PooPourri commercial on YouTube? It's a spray you spritz in a toilet bowl before you use it in order to mask the smell and release a pleasant odor. It's such a ridiculous product and I thought for sure the ad was a parody when I originally saw it.

http://www.poopourri.com/

[Moose135]

It's such a ridiculous product and I thought for sure the ad was a parody when I originally saw it.

 

I got a bottle of it as a gag gift when I moved a few years back.

[Hildegard802]

Going back through awesome pages of posts and seeing the ones about pronunciations, I'd like to know when "str" became "shtr." For example, strong is no longer strong. It's shtrong. The Today show anchors are notorious for it.

I'm trying to find out whether people hate that damn AARP/Hartford insurance commercial as much as I do. I watch a fair amount of History channel, and during afternoons, that damn ad is on at least every ten minutes. I hate the way the narrator says "appr-eh-ciate" instead of "appr-ee-ciate." I hate the "yougottaconsiderateityougottaconsiderit" guy. The whole thing makes me stabby.

[CarpeDiem54]

On the topic of toilet related ads, have any of you encountered the PooPourri commercial on YouTube? It's a spray you spritz in a toilet bowl before you use it in order to mask the smell and release a pleasant odor. It's such a ridiculous product and I thought for sure the ad was a parody when I originally saw it.

http://www.poopourri.com/

This stuff really does work. Read the first review about the boss's poo. It will have you howling with laughter.

http://www.amazon.com/Poo-Pourri-Before-You-Go-Toilet-2-Ounce-Original/dp/B0014DP9Y4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433252437&sr=8-1&keywords=poo+poo+pourri

[Magog]

 

The weird thing about the Sanders ads with Darrel Hammond are...it's obvious to a lot of people it's him, and to a certain extent there was already publicity announcing it was him. Which is not to say there aren't plenty of people who might not notice or realize but still...they hired a famous comedian to do the character who is famous for doing impressions that lampoon the person he's playing. And yet the content of the commercial isn't overtly satire. But it's also clearly not 100% straight either. It's like they were trying to split the difference and hope the people who still have affection for the Colonel would react all "oooh the Colonel" /nostalgia, but that anyone else who might cringe would assume they were sort of making a joke? Or something? And it ends up not really being either.

 

I don't think these new KFC commercials are funny at all. He's basically making fun of the Colonel & desecrating him in the process. I wish that the real Colonel would come back to life & beat the crap out of this unfunny impostor. It is giving me another reason to avoid KFC. It also doesn't help that they're now serving baked beans & those stupid $5 dollar fill ups at KFC. The real Colonel wouldn't approved of this crap & he would especially hate the Vomit Bowls.

[iMonrey]

YES. I feel like such an asshole because I don't give a dollar to the poor, homeless animals when I shop at PetSmart,

 

Don't feel bad. I never trust my donations are going to be funneled to wherever they're intended to go unless I sent the money directly to them. God knows where those dollars Petsmart and Petco are collecting really go.

 

I really like how the dad is just rolling with it, not engaging, not giving in and appeared to start picking stuff up.

 

Actually, while the message of the commercial is a good one, the father is kind of the reason why kids are bratty like that: parents who just stand there and ignore that kind of behavior in a public place where the kid is clearly disturbing the other customers. My mother would have pulled me out of that store so fast my head would have been spinning. I'd never have been allowed to make a public scene like that. But maybe the reason he's so lax about parental supervision is the same reason he has the kid in the first place. 

 

I was inundated with a whole barrage of the new KFC ads on Comedy Central last night. I think I saw the whole series in under 2 hours. First of all, the one where the Colonel says 2 things he's sure of are that baseball will never be corrupt and that KFC will always be a great value seems counter intuitive. Clearly he's wrong about the first thing so, seemingly, he's also wrong about the second.

 

In the second place, whether parody or not, I think American culture has moved far past the point where a kindly old white-haired Colonel makes an appropriate sales pitch-man. Kind of like how a big clown is no longer an effective mascot for selling hamburgers. I think the idea of "the Colonel" is very dated and antiquated and I don't think a lot of their target audience would really understand the concept of the southern Colonel in the first place. 

[Muffyn]

And the new colonel doesn't have "wee, beady eyes" although he may still have a "smug look on his face".  I'm sure there's still an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes you crave it fortnightly.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPMS6tGOACo

[DeLurker]

I've got a new one that I hate.  It's Panera Bread and the woman is stuffing her face with a salad.  She looks like she's been on a deserted island and had nothing to eat for a year.  The guy she's sitting next to looks at her like she's crazy and she just shrugs her shoulders.   I hate those gluttonous commercials.

I'm pretty neutral on Panera Bread food, but they seem to be suggesting that instead of savoring and appreciating the quality difference between their products and tasteless high fat, high sodium drive thru food you can just hover it down, aren't they equating themselves with lower quality and lower cost food?

 

And frankly, if I go into a Panera Bread where people are eating like the woman in the commercial, I'd lose my appetite.

[Prairie Fire]

But maybe the reason he's so lax about parental supervision is the same reason he has the kid in the first place.

 

That's definitely part of the joke. And I salute the Belgians for having the cajones to make the joke. An ad like that in the US? Not in a million years.

 

I also wonder about that Panera ad. It seems like quick-service and fast-food places are separating themselves into two buckets: (1) "I care about what I eat either tasting good or being healthy, or both if you can swing it." (2) GIVE ME LOTS OF FOOD NOW FOR CHEAP. GET IN MY BELLY!!

 

IIRC, a lot of the sandwiches on Panera's menu are north of the 1000-calorie mark. Between that and their ad, I hope they're not going for (2).

[CarpeDiem54]

Wait a minute. I just saw one of those new Colonel Sanders ads and...there are hunks of chicken in the baked beans? That's a new dish? WTF??!! That looks like some damned thing my little brother would do when he was 7. Gross.

[InDueTime]

I'd rather hear a whole choir of people singing in a Belvita ad about a "Morning Win", than listen to this Yoplait woman yell out "Yo-PLAAIITT" in a terrible French accent.

 

 

Is that the one where the random dude says to the dark-haired Sonic Moron, "You hang out with this guy?" Because I kind of like that one, 'cause someone else finally noticed that these guys are idiots.

Because of where I live, these Kevin Durant Sonic ads come on a lot.  Though, I do like the one where he wins their slushes from them.

 

I just saw a commercial for rite aid, where this sickly husband is on the couch and the wife says she'll go get him some medicine.
Then this bitch pulls into Macy's and proceeds to try on jeans & buy headphones while her husband is dying back at home.

I saw it, too.  I hope she feels justified in spending $100+ for jeans and headphones, so that she could use Plenti points to save $5-$6 on a box of pills for her suffering husband.  Way to prioritize, you selfish cow.

 

[Neurochick]

I'm started to get a little creeped out by nearly-naked Hannah and her talking horse.

 

I'm not creeped out by it, I just don't get it.  What's the point of this girl and her talking horse.  Stupid commercial.

[proserpina65]

ACK! If you want to shrink your own snacks, fine. But to impose your smug attitude on someone else because you don't want to eat what they're having?

May your co-workers shun you for the inconsiderate wenches you are...or push you into a giant vat of Dannon yogurt while they're singing "I've got the power!".

Plus, no way does any yogurt taste as good as a donut - that's just false advertising.

[proserpina65]

That's definitely part of the joke. And I salute the Belgians for having the cajones to make the joke. An ad like that in the US? Not in a million years.

 

I also wonder about that Panera ad. It seems like quick-service and fast-food places are separating themselves into two buckets: (1) "I care about what I eat either tasting good or being healthy, or both if you can swing it." (2) GIVE ME LOTS OF FOOD NOW FOR CHEAP. GET IN MY BELLY!!

 

IIRC, a lot of the sandwiches on Panera's menu are north of the 1000-calorie mark. Between that and their ad, I hope they're not going for (2).

Given that Panera's food is nothing particularly special, not as healthy as they want you to think it is, and pricey for what it is, I sure hope they're not going for that second one.

[BigBlueMastiff]

 

I'm started to get a little creeped out by nearly-naked Hannah and her talking horse.

 

I'm not creeped out by it, I just don't get it.  What's the point of this girl and her talking horse.  Stupid commercial.

Seriously, this, what is DirectTV thinking with these ads. First the creepy marionette with a human husband, and now dumb Hannah and her inane talking horse, I'm not sure who's worse Hannah looking dumb, or the nonsense coming out of the horse's mouth that makes no sense whatsoever. Not that I would ever choose DrectTV (those of you who live in rainy and/or windy climates no the frustration of seeing "searching for satellite signal" in the middle of a program), but these commercials make me hate this company.

 

 

In the second place, whether parody or not, I think American culture has moved far past the point where a kindly old white-haired Colonel makes an appropriate sales pitch-man. Kind of like how a big clown is no longer an effective mascot for selling hamburgers. I think the idea of "the Colonel" is very dated and antiquated and I don't think a lot of their target audience would really understand the concept of the southern Colonel in the first place.

Agreed, makes me wonder who their target audience is. Those of thus that remember the colonel, do we even eat at KFC anymore? Same goes for McDonald's with bringing back the Hamburglar, super creepy BTW, who do they think is impressed by, cares about, or for that matter remembers this character. It seems like these companies need a lot of new blood in their ad departments, because this weird nostalgia stinks of out of touch old guys.

Edited June 3, 2015 by BigBlueMastiff

[OSM Mom]

Not that I would ever choose DrectTV (those of you who live in rainy and/or windy climates no the frustration of seeing "searching for satellite signal" in the middle of a program), but these commercials make me hate this company.

.

Just as a side note, I have directv and live where the winds in the spring get 50 mph. No problems. And the only time it searches is when there's bad storm coming from the south. Regular rain doesn't bother it. Never has. I wouldn't take for directv. Dish sucks and I wouldn't take cable for free. I don't need 5579654 Mexican stations.

But their ads are stupid. That I will agree with.

[BigBlueMastiff]

 

Just as a side note, I have directv and live where the winds in the spring get 50 mph. No problems. And the only time it searches is when there's bad storm coming from the south. Regular rain doesn't bother it. Never has. I wouldn't take for directv.

Lucky you, such was not the case here in Chicago, so we had to get rid of it. Fool me once, but not twice :)

 

Also, Kudos to those who noticed Megan from her equally annoying angel Directtv commercials.

[muffkins]

Ucchhh,  I have now seen the ad for Jamieson Digestive Care about a billion times in the last 2 weeks.  I don't know about you, but when I worked in an office, I never talked about my tummy troubles with co-workers, and never said "I feel so Ucchhh!"  with my hands on my midsection.  I saw it once, and thought, I don't need to ever see this or hear that sound again (they say it about 8 times in the commercial), and now it seems it is on every channel at least once an hour.  Make it stop.

[mojoween]

See when I worked in an office we knew far more about each other than practically our own families, including stomach troubles.

[bilgistic]

I'd rather hear a whole choir of people singing in a Belvita ad about a "Morning Win", than listen to this Yoplait woman yell out "Yo-PLAAIITT" in a terrible French accent.

Last night, I saw a much creepier Yoplait ad featuring this woman--the poor man's Amelie. I'm not going to try to find it, because it really did give me the willies. I'm not sure why, but I should never have watched "The Iron Rose" some years ago. Apologies to the French, but your weirdly wacky lithe brunette ingenues really creep me out anymore.

Same goes for McDonald's with bringing back the Hamburglar, super creepy BTW, who do they think is impressed by, cares about, or for that matter remembers this character.

When I think of the Hamburglar, I think of the guy with the giant cheeseburger head, then I realize that's Mayor McCheese. I miss that dandy ol' chap. Edited June 4, 2015 by bilgistic

[LilWharveyGal]

YES.  I saw that Yoplait one last night for the first time too, and my first thought was, "What ad exec decided "Amelie on drugs" was the way to sell yogurt?"

[bilgistic]

And she pours perfectly good sugar out of her spoon onto the floor! THAT COULD HELP MAKE A CAKE OR COOKIES, YOU SELFISH LITTLE CREEPY ELF.

[GenieinTX]

OMFG Burger King, I really did not need to see The King come back.  There was really no need at all.

[AntiBeeSpray]

OMFG Burger King, I really did not need to see The King come back.  There was really no need at all.

 

Word. Just seeing him again is going to give me nightmares O_O.

[Brattinella]

Are you KIDDING me??  They brought THE KING back???  ACK!

[janie jones]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay4jDxnlP-Y

I hate this commercial.  The idea is that all the other speed-daters are weird or unappealing.  But these two douchebags are making eyes at someone else across the room, and then making a damn phone call while there's someone talking to them.

[Rick Kitchen]

Because nothing says 'MERIKA!!! like dying from a heart attack,

 

I read this thing has over 1000 calories.

 

[AntiBeeSpray]

O_O Just looking at that thing raises my cholesterol.

[theatremouse]

Raid spray ad. Giant Ant eating in the most disgustingly noisy manner possible directly out of some lady's fridge. Touching everything. Gross. Luckily I was not eating when I first saw it, but now I'm all worried about watching TV when I do eat because if this one does come on, it'll ruin it. Just gross. And they didn't even need to do much to convince me ants in a kitchen are gross? I already get that, so this is just unnecessary. He's like the plasic Burger King King version of the pest world. No thank you.

[backformore]

I've been seeing a bank commercial, where an older guy is giving a speech at a graduation. He claims that more than 50% of "recent graduates" don't have a full time job.

In my area, this ad started airing VERY recently. Just after the state colleges had graduation. SO - saying that half the people who graduated, like LAST WEEKEND don't yet have jobs means anything? give them a few weeks to finish writing their resumes!

 

 

I don't think "recent" necessarily refers to the graduates who just graduated that weekend. The man might be referring to grads who were awarded their degrees at winter graduation or even from the year before. A year out, you're still a recent graduate.

Sure he MIGHT be.  But when an ad is quoting a statistic (50% of recent graduates don't have jobs)  I want to know their definition.   My son graduated from college a year ago.  He and every one of  his friends who graduated that year either have jobs or are in some kind of post-graduate educational program.  I disagree with the fear-mongering I've been seeing on commercials, basically telling people that a college degree is a waste of time because there are NO JOBS!  You'll be unemployed! 

Yes, some will, but the "50% of recent grads arent' working "  needs to be qualified.   Because I think that statistic includes people who JUST graduated.

Edited June 4, 2015 by backformore

[SoSueMe]

Ooma, Uncle Rupert???? Yucky ick why????

[LoneHaranguer]

 

In the second place, whether parody or not, I think American culture has moved far past the point where a kindly old white-haired Colonel makes an appropriate sales pitch-man.

If you're going to have somebody pitching fried chicken, better the Colonel than a black woman (how does Popeye's get away with that?).

[bilgistic]

Because racism still exists?

[InDueTime]

Because nothing says 'MERIKA!!! like dying from a heart attack,

I read this thing has over 1000 calories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjSJj_Pdjys

The hot dog looks bad enough. The potato chips weird me out even more. Did they learn nothing from Subway's Fritos monstrosity a while ago? Edited June 4, 2015 by InDueTime

[RedZoneTuba]

If you're going to have somebody pitching fried chicken, better the Colonel than a black woman (how does Popeye's get away with that?).

I thought she was a co-owner or some executive with the company?

[proserpina65]

Not that I would ever choose DrectTV (those of you who live in rainy and/or windy climates no the frustration of seeing "searching for satellite signal" in the middle of a program),

 

Still better than dealing with Comcast.

 

But yeah, if I didn't already have DirecTV, those ads would not make me get it.

[Prevailing Wind]

 

The hot dog looks bad enough. The potato chips weird me out even more. Did they learn nothing from Subway's Fritos monstrosity a while ago?

If it's so "American!", how come there's no apple pie in there?

[Cobalt Stargazer]

If you're going to have somebody pitching fried chicken, better the Colonel than a black woman (how does Popeye's get away with that?).

 

 

Because racism still exists?

 

Dead serious - if saying that black people love fried chicken is racist, then does that mean that black people who actually do love fried chicken are self-loathing?

 

Sometimes a cigar really is just a cigar.

[Duke2801]

Ok, I admit I watch too much Bravo.  But if I see that commercial for "Odd Mom Out" with that ear-bleeding song screeching "GIRL IS A PROBLEM...PROBLEM....PROBLEM" one more time?  I'll... I'll...  Ok I won't stop watching Bravo.  But I will write the network a strongly-worded email!!

 

 

Credit card ads that feature celebrities shilling the cards never fail to bug me, especially those with Jennifer (horse face) Garner.

Credit card debt is one of the main causes of personal bankruptcies. It's all fine and good for people with means (like Garner) to use them but a slippery slope for desperate folks who may resort to use them to buy gas or food. The commercials make getting a card seem so easy to get when it's a bitch to ever pay one off.

 

I can't get behind that line of thinking. Should credit card companies just not advertise then?  Because some people abuse them? 

 

That's like saying we should ban the advertising of alcohol (alcoholics!) food (obesity!), all Rx drugs (druggies!), casinos (gambling addicts).... the list goes on.  Somewhere along the line we've gotta factor in personal responsibility. 

Edited June 4, 2015 by Duke2801

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I thought she was a co-owner or some executive with the company?

If that's true, it suggests that there was no ill intent behind the ads, but that hasn't been an excuse before.

[pandora spocks]

I want Progressive Flo, the Sonic Idiots, and now, the Faux French Yoplait Girl to all be in a convertible and plunge off a cliff Thelma and Louise style.

[meep.meep]

It's Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords. He's from New Zealand, not England.

 

Every time it comes on, we smugly note that he doesn't have an Oscar so he has to do commercials!

[90PercentGravity]

I hate the centurylink guy so much. And now he's showing up in other commercials. I hate his stupid face and his stupid voiceand his stupid beard. I don't want him to die, but I wouldn't mind if he was exiled to a Leper colony and his dumb beard fell off.

http://youtu.be/vIhFLm3yGbg

Edited June 5, 2015 by 90PercentGravity

[bilgistic]

It's not the beard's fault. Beards are awesome.

[Prevailing Wind]

 

I want Progressive Flo, the Sonic Idiots, and now, the Faux French Yoplait Girl to all be in a convertible and plunge off a cliff Thelma and Louise style.

Along with creepy e-harmony grandpa, the commando Brit & the Charmin Bears.  Oh, and those two yogurt bitches who keep shrinking everyone else's TASTY snacks.

[Prairie Fire]

I remember hearing a Carl's Jr. marketing person doing a TV interview a few years ago, and she was pretty upfront about their approach - there are a bunch of people out there who's approach to fast food is "give me a big, unhealthy, messy, cheap burger to shove in my face NOW" and that's who they're catering to. They've given up the healthy and politically-correct market to everyone else. I have to respect their honesty.

 

I agree someone needs to tell stupid Hannah to STFU and send her stupid horse to the glue factory. WTF, DirecTV?

[AntiBeeSpray]

Along with creepy e-harmony grandpa, the commando Brit & the Charmin Bears.  Oh, and those two yogurt bitches who keep shrinking everyone else's TASTY snacks.

 

UGH! I can't stand the yogurt bitches who do that in those commercials! If they did it to mine, I'd dump out their stupid yogurt! :P

[Maverick]

Last night, I saw a much creepier Yoplait ad featuring this woman--the poor man's Amelie. I'm not going to try to find it, because it really did give me the willies. I'm not sure why, but I should never have watched "The Iron Rose" some years ago. Apologies to the French, but your weirdly wacky lithe brunette ingenues really creep me out anymore.

When I think of the Hamburglar, I think of the guy with the giant cheeseburger head, then I realize that's Mayor McCheese. I miss that dandy ol' chap.

 

 That dude was fucking creepy.  Like nightmare inducing creepy.  Even as a kid I was bothered by some dude waling around with a big ass hamburger as his head.  McDonald's all but erased their characters from existence years ago due to pressure about marketing to kids.  I don't know why they feel comfortable bringing them back now, but please keep that creep show hamburger head in whatever black hole you dumped him in.  Also:  stop making the characters look like they've spent their corporate PC exile on skid row.