Slate has a semi-regular column on annoying commercials. I have to say, the Ally Bank commercials bug me. But even more so when I realized the kids being duped by the smarmy adult weren't really acting, but just being kids a la "Candid Camera" and then made to look like jackasses to promote a bank http://www.cnbc.com/id/31963049/
I read that article yesterday and now I see those commercials in a whole new light. They always bothered me but now I actually get angry. I hate almost all commercials. There's a new one for a show on Discovery Health (I think) about people with OCD. Throughout the entire commercial there is a person in the background going, "onetwothreeonetwothreeonetwothree" over and over and over again. That might be the one that finally makes me kill my television.
I think I knew intuitively that the kids weren't acting. Who's that good at that age. Don't say Dakota Fanning. She was 7 years old at birth. I hate Cherrios commercials because General Mills is a lying sack of weasel wookus. In order to get a "meaningful" drop in blood cholesterol, you have to eat 3 cups a day. Here's an article about the duplicity. I'm also exhausted by a couple of the World Cup ads. I'd tell you which ones but I've blocked them from my memory for sanity sake. If I happen to recall, I'll letcha know.
"Egg management fee." "What does that even mean?" "Egg management fee." These kids will be mocked by their peers. What an awful concept. You come out being so annoyed you don't even know the company being pitched which is the 1st sin in advertising. Those Freecreditreport.com commercials always bugged me
I love those! I think they are catchy and clever. Check out this cover by popular-on-YouTube band Dave Days. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5GYduQiOzs"]YouTube- Free Credit Report Dot Com[/ame]
i'm 50-50. some are dire. some are pretty cool. i hate the one in the clam chowder restaurant, but i like the one with the girlfriend in the basement(?) apartment.
Cal Worthington and his dog "Spot". [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGEYCsvPJzw"]YouTube- 1986 Cal Worthington commercial[/ame]
i think they're for some financial company.. the ones with the baby (maybe 1-2 yr old) that's sitting in front of a computer screen and dubbed over with an adult voice. i hate those. that kid creeps me out. maybe it's because i have an (almost) 2 year old. they just make me go "ick'. the commercials, not 2 year olds.
how funny the different perspective. "Shankopotamus!" hilarious. ( warning to flowergirl: this video contains icky material ) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW9_nsvpglU&feature=PlayList&p=FF974BC4BF7D1EBD&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=1"]YouTube- Etrade - Baby Shankopotamus[/ame]
The E*Trade baby? It's not that it's creepy. It's that he's a total frigging douchebag (douchebaby? d-baby?). That little cretin makes me want to cheer for crib death.
you know, i think this is actually it. the baby is totally cute, but, yes, a total douchebag. babies shouldn't be douchebags.
If I see another "men are dumb, aren't they ladies. hahaha" themed commercial, i'm going to kill myself.
I have Tivo so I don't watch commercials if I can avoid it, but otterulz mentioned a radio ad that makes me change the station every time. I hear the first couple of guitar notes for "Kars 4 Kids" and I'm off to NPR.
So I'm not alone. Wasn't sure if it was a local ad but unfortunately its invaded the whole country! I listen to a lot of sports talk radio which I guess is one of their demos.
I thought that was a WFAN-NY ad only. Jeez - it's mutating everywhere. My kids say "Dad - why would they give cars to kids?"
Besides the ethical ickiness, I get the sense that most viewers come away connecting Ally with shady bank promotions, even if they understand the message on a rational level. Another device that makes me destroy television sets: "There's a better way to do ____" accompanied by implausible, made-up solutions to problems. I've seen it before and it's serious weak sauce. I mean, using the same line of argument, I could tell people I'm a good person because "There are better people than Zombie Hitler bin Laden."
The Kaplan University commercial that has a professor apologizing to his students because he never let them take classes on the beach makes me want to choke somebody.