Unbelievable Commercial

[Santos L Halper]

I actually had to do a web search before posting because I was pretty much convinced I must have dreamt seeing this commercial.

Here's a description:

In the second spot, “Living Room” which will air later in the month, we see a young woman slouched in a chair across from her mother. “Honey, what’s wrong?” her mother asks. “I’m pregnant,” she answers. Her father begins ranting about her “creepy boyfriend” and saying “I knew this would happen.” An IKEA co-worker interrupts the two, “so…what do you think?” The camera pulls back to reveal an IKEA living room showroom display. “I like it. It feels good, we’ll take it,” says the couple. The IKEA logo and “shop unböring” flash during the last few seconds.

Description from this site (http://www.ikea-usa.com/about_ikea/press_room/press_release_int.asp?pr_id=734) .

The father also blames the mother, because she used to smoke pot when she was younger.

Why do I have a feeling that within a week it'll be pulled and we'll hear hurried apologies from an Ikea spokesman...

[Larry Mudd]

Wow, that's a realistic ad.

Did the furniture start to fall apart while they were arguing, too?

[Cisco]

So what's so bad about that? Honestly. I'm asking a serious question.

[Sam Stone]

I don't know what was wrong about it, but holy crap, it sure didn't make me want to own IKEA furniture.

"Hey Boss, I've got a great idea! Let's make a commercial that causes people to painfully recall the worst moments of their childhood. And let's get that associated with our furniture!"

[j_kat_251]

As if unplanned pregnancy isn't funny.

It also happened to get your attention and stick in your memory. Ads that do that are generally okay.

[Stoid]

I think someone needs to calibrate their sensitivity meter.

[Santos L Halper]

Originally posted by Cisco
So what's so bad about that? Honestly. I'm asking a serious question.

It's not that there's anything bad about it, it's just that it was so bizarre.

It wasn't a light-hearted amusing parody of a serious commercial. The first two thirds of the spot came across as a serious public service announcement, then boom, they're selling furniture.

Considering what people get up-in-arms about, I can't believe they're not going to take heat for this one.

Eric

[blowero]

I just saw that one recently. I thought it was hilarious. They're "testing out" the furniture by having a family squabble in the showroom. Works for me.

Sometimes, the more outrageous the subject, the funnier the commercial. Years ago, Little Ceaser's Pizza had a commercial where a family is ordering pizza; the dad wants onions, but the cute little daughter says "I don't like unjuns". So the dad arm-wrestles her for it, slams her arm down hard on the table, and dances around gloating about getting to have onions. If a person actually behaved this way in real life, it would be shocking, but in fact I just about fell out of my chair laughing when I saw it.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I notice from the link that the commercial is directed by Wes Anderson. It makes a little more sense knowing that.

[hajario]

Originally posted by Stoid
I think someone needs to calibrate their sensitivity meter.

Actually, someone needs to calibrate their knee jerk meter. No one has said that the subject matter was bad, especially the OP. The comments here are that it is a bizarre subject for a commercial and that there will be a lot of complaints.

Haj

[Freudian Slit]

I thought it was weird when I first saw it, and I sort of wondered what it had to do with Swedish Furniture.

But I guess it's mainly to stick in your mind and show that seemingly boring furniture can be the setting for a not so boring family crisis! :)

But it isn't unbelievable. I don't see the offensiveness of it either.

[Olentzero]

Any of you folks seen the "Axe" body spray for men commercial?

Hunky dude is on the elevator, clearly getting into the office at the last minute from a night on the town and douses himself liberally with "Axe". He gets off, mousy little David Spade lookalike gets on, followed by tall, leggy brunette.

Said brunette catches a whiff of "Axe", and you can immediately cut the sexual tension with a knife. She stops the elevator... then the doors open upon the brunette straightening out her dress, while David Spade there is totally disshevelled. Just as the doors are about to close, a big burly hand stops them, and in steps a big bald leather queen. And you can immediately cut the sexual tension with a knife.

Another very bizarre commercial, but Valkyrie and I were rolling on the floor.

[Freyr]

Cisco wrote:

So what's so bad about that? Honestly. I'm asking a serious question.

The idea that people shop for furniture by acting tense emotional confrontations in furniture display rooms and seeing if they feel "comfortable" with it. It's also fucking hilarious!!

[friedo]

I didn't see the one mentioned in the OP, but I saw one where the wife was accusing the husband of cheating, right in the middle of the IKEA kitchen display. She was throwing plates and glasses around too.

[blowero]

Originally posted by Olentzero
Any of you folks seen the "Axe" body spray for men commercial?

Haven't seen it, but it sounds pretty damn funny. And don't forget the Mike's Hard Lemonade ads. Who would have thought that serious bodily injury could be so hilarious? Too bad that stuff tastes like Zima with a cough-drop in it.

[Odesio]

Originally posted by Cisco
So what's so bad about that? Honestly. I'm asking a serious question.

I think the ads are in poor taste. I'm not going to protest and it wouldn't stop me from shopping at Ikea but I just don't think they're funny.

Marc

[Manduck]

Originally posted by Olentzero
Any of you folks seen the "Axe" body spray for men commercial?


What I want to know is, what is that annoying song in this commercial. It sounds like "cheese mac, cheese mac!". What the hell is it??

[jayjay]

I felt bad for the lamp. Does that count?

[Bryan Ekers]

Many of you think the argument in the living room is tasteless. That is because you crazy.



Personally, I find the ads funny. There's a second version featuring a black couple getting into a serious argument about infidelity in a showroom kitchen, then deciding it "feels right."

[Sam Stone]

Hold it, some of you think that the people are 'trying out' the furniture by having a mock argument?

I didn't get that at all. I thought the point was that the furniture was so comfortable that they forgot they were in a showroom and had an honest-to-god fight.

That's why I thought it was strange. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[blowero]

Originally posted by Sam Stone
Hold it, some of you think that the people are 'trying out' the furniture by having a mock argument?

I didn't get that at all. I thought the point was that the furniture was so comfortable that they forgot they were in a showroom and had an honest-to-god fight.

That's why I thought it was strange. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[blowero]

Sorry, hamsters ate my reply