I rarely watch TV live. I don’t even know when my favorite show, Lost, comes on. I watch it on Sunday nights whenever a new one shows up on my DVR. The only things I watch live are Around the Horn and PTI. I usually ride my exercise bike while I watch these and change it to Seinfeld during the commercials. So, even then, I don't see many commercials. I also watch sports live. It is very rare for me to put a game on the DVR.
So, because I have watched a lot of basketball, I have watched a lot of commercials over the last 2 weekends. This post is about the commercials. I would expect that advertisers would realize that they have to raise their game to make commercials something you want to watch. I cannot be the only person who has cut his commercial intake drastically since the invention of the Tivo.
I appears however that advertisers have not raised their game rather they take 2 tactics. First, repetition. Show the commercials so much that you want to smash their product with a sledgehammer if you see it again. (see apple computers) Secondly, and go with creepy. These are the commercials that make you feel uncomfortable in some way.
The rest of this post is just me reviewing some commercials. I’ll talk about the ones I like and the ones that make me want to refuse to ever buy the product.
First, the five commercials I wish were never made.
MacBook Air – Every human in the USA has seen this commercial at least 5,000 times. Initially I had nothing against it, but now I think if I hear “I’m a new soul…” one more time I could smash a mac into a million pieces.
Charles Schwab – These half animated, half live-action hybrid commercials give me the creeps. I have no money to be buying stocks with, (And guidestone already manages my massive retirement.) but these creepy commercials where people talk about their broker being money grubbing turds (because clearly, Schwab exists completely altruistically and their brokers are like charity workers) definitely make me want to stay away from Charles Schwab.
Taco Bell – All of the current Taco Bell commercials are stupid. Especially the one with the fake looking CG cheese. I’m disappointed, because Taco Bell has had very good commercials in the past.
Volkswagen - I despise everything about this commercial which runs during every single break. (The one where the man keeps approaching the car, and the lights flash and the horn honks) If your message is “Volkswagen, the car for either weird or annoying people”, mission accomplished.
Now my favorite commercials that run during the NCAA tourney
5. E-trade baby- I like the one with the clown. Mainly because of the following quote. “I really underestimated the creepiness.”
4. Subway – I don’t particularly like the commercial, but the five dollar foot-long song is catchy
3. Holiday Inn express – The “Hot Bar” commercials are funny. The designated driver who gets a plate and starts loading up is the best one. (download it here)
2. Sonic – I really like the Sonic commercials. The husband and wife sitting in the car eating and talking about stupid stuff are pretty much all good.
1. Pontiac – The Spy Hunter commercial is great in every way. It is, by far, my favorite commercial currently running.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W29zZXiBsPw]