# Can someone explain this commercial to me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169 "2017-09-12T13:58:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/21 "2017-09-12T18:27:04Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Did you watch the video in the link I gave you? The joke is they are both highly competitive athletes that turn even a simple ping pong game into a battle. > > It certainly doesn’t make sense if you don’t know that the guy is a famous athlete. Then it’s just a world class athlete beating up on some schlub. I didn’t know who the dude was, so I’m grateful for the explanation and the link. Makes \*much \*more sense now! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/22 "2017-09-12T18:35:19Z")
From the thread title alone I knew what commercial this was going to be about. I don’t get it either. And none of the explanations in this thread help, except for the ones that say it doesn’t make any sense to them either! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/23 "2017-09-12T18:41:15Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > To be fair it’s a lot more clear in the full internet ad. The cut up tv spot leaves out a lot. > > [Press Announcements](https://media.chase.com/content/pr/battle-of-the-paddle) I like the “bionic” noise when Serena smashes the ball at Stephen. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/24 "2017-09-12T18:43:23Z")
The guy in the original ad in the thread is Ty Burrell, who plays bombastic character Phil Dunphy in the tv series “Modern Family”. The characterization in the ad is basically the same as his character in the show. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/25 "2017-09-12T18:55:27Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > … > It certainly doesn’t make sense if you don’t know that the guy is a famous athlete. Then it’s just a world class athlete beating up on some schlub. No, I figured he was some famous athlete. I have to say though, anybody asking Serena if she played, in reference to any racquet sport, deserves to get whopped. And I didn’t get the green room bit, at all. So that’s what didn’t make sense to me. Basically, any of it. (And then I thought they were betting on each point and sending the $$ to each other.) I have to say, it’s kind of a fail as an ad. First of all, I didn’t even remember who the company was. Second, I already knew it was pretty easy to SEND money via Citi. What’s hard is when you are the recipient. Not easy at all. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/26 "2017-09-12T19:17:32Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > No, I figured he was some famous athlete. I have to say though, anybody asking Serena if she played, in reference to any racquet sport, deserves to get whopped. > > And I didn’t get the green room bit, at all. So that’s what didn’t make sense to me. Basically, any of it. (And then I thought they were betting on each point and sending the $$ to each other.) > > I have to say, it’s kind of a fail as an ad. First of all, I didn’t even remember who the company was. Second, I already knew it was pretty easy to SEND money via Citi. What’s hard is when you are the recipient. Not easy at all. I think that’s the point. First he asks the question then he gets the first spike. He’s poking her for fun. Her face says prepare for an ass whipping. The green room part I understood but it does suffer from most of it being cut. It’s the same problem that happens with Super Bowl ads. They start out with a one minute spot then get cut down to 30 seconds or even 15. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/27 "2017-09-12T19:20:31Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Because I just don’t get it. My SO offered her take but it still doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t need to make sense. It needs to make you remember the name, which it did. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/28 "2017-09-12T20:06:44Z")
Can I just say that I think this advertising meme is bullshit? As an illustrator in my past life I had more than a passing association with advertising. I had a subscription to Advertising Age. I worked with a lot of the major advertising agencies in the Dallas/Houston/Austin areas. Yes, I remember the name Gain but I’m also smart enough to remember they have stupid ads and I won’t be buying their product. The idea that a commercial that causes you to hate the product enough to remember to buy it is nonsense perpetrated on the ad buying corporations. . ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/29 "2017-09-12T21:16:19Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Can I just say that I think this advertising meme is bullshit? > > As an illustrator in my past life I had more than a passing association with advertising. I had a subscription to Advertising Age. I worked with a lot of the major advertising agencies in the Dallas/Houston/Austin areas. > > Yes, I remember the name Gain but I’m also smart enough to remember they have stupid ads and I won’t be buying their product. The idea that a commercial that causes you to hate the product enough to remember to buy it is nonsense perpetrated on the ad buying corporations. Exactly. I think the ad execs don’t understand how or even if advertising works, but definitely don’t want to do any studies of the subject. Because they might find it doesn’t work at all like they’ve thought for the last hundred years. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/30 "2017-09-12T21:44:34Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Exactly. > > I think the ad execs don’t understand how or even if advertising works, but definitely don’t want to do any studies of the subject. Because they might find it doesn’t work at all like they’ve thought for the last hundred years. I suspect that, for the most part, they know pretty damned well what works and what doesn’t. I had never heard of Gain before this, and now I’m actually a little bit curious. And, yes, I do fall for advertising all the time. I’m not one of these people who thinks they’re immune. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/31 "2017-09-12T21:58:15Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I suspect that, for the most part, they know pretty damned well what works and what doesn’t. I had never heard of Gain before this, and now I’m actually a little bit curious. And, yes, I do fall for advertising all the time. I’m not one of these people who thinks they’re immune. It’s not like [I pretend I am immune myself](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=836148), but I still think advertising is not as effective as people think. This ad doesn’t affect me so much, but there are other ads where I sure remember the name, and I will never be buying their product. There are also ads where I love the ad but can’t remember what it’s for. Neither of those examples are what you would call good investments by the advertisers, but how many people react like me, and how many go buy Gain even if they can’t understand why? I don’t know, but I believe the percentage that react like I do is higher than the corporations believe. But of course, I can’t prove it. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/32 "2017-09-12T21:58:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I suspect that, for the most part, they know pretty damned well what works and what doesn’t. I had never heard of Gain before this, and now I’m actually a little bit curious. And, yes, I do fall for advertising all the time. I’m not one of these people who thinks they’re immune. The funny thing is that having the commercial on the beach makes me think of Tide. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/33 "2017-09-12T22:12:21Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I suspect that, for the most part, they know pretty damned well what works and what doesn’t. I had never heard of Gain before this, and now I’m actually a little bit curious. You would be wrong about that. Out of interest find some old episodes of The Pitch on demand: > **[The Pitch (TV series)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pitch_(TV_series))** > > The Pitch is an unscripted television series from AMC produced by Studio Lambert that goes behind the scenes on the pressure on America's top creative ad agencies competing to pitch a new account. Each week the two agencies go head-to-head in a presentation known as The Pitch, with only seven days to prepare. > The series premiered on Monday, April 30, 2012 and was promoted with an hour-long sneak preview on April 8, 2012 preceded by a Mad Men episode. The show was given a green light in April 201... Here you see that different agencies have very different solutions to ad campaigns. Some flat out don’t work. Also, here is some insight from an insider: > **[The Real Reason The Big Ad Agencies Avoided AMC's 'The Pitch'](https://www.forbes.com/sites/willburns/2012/03/22/the-real-reason-the-big-ad-agencies-avoided-amcs-the-pitch/)** > > Image from Wikipedia AMC has a new reality show coming out in April called, "The Pitch." It's billed as a real-life advertising agency pitch-scenario with real agencies and a real client (Subway). AMC will give us a sneak peek on April 8th after... Honestly if there was a formula, all ads would follow it. There isn’t. To your second point, you have no reference for Gain having just heard about it in this thread. But if, like the others of us who are turned off by the ad, you were exposed to it constantly on your TV you might not be so intrigued. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/34 "2017-09-12T23:45:52Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > To your second point, you have no reference for Gain having just heard about it in this thread. But if, like the others of us who are turned off by the ad, you were exposed to it constantly on your TV you might not be so intrigued. What makes you think I only heard of it from this thread? Of course I’ve seen the commercial on TV. It’s got Phil Dunphy in it! Of course there’s ad campaigns I hate. But even the ones I hate, I end up remembering the product and sometimes even liking it. (Like the fucking annoying Quizno’s ads back in the day.) After watching this ad, I am a bit curious as to what this “Gain” detergent is like, and now I will actually remember it as a brand name, which I wouldn’t have before. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/35 "2017-09-13T00:15:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > What makes you think I only heard of it from this thread? This line from your post I was responding to > [@](#): > > I had never heard of Gain before this, and now I’m actually a little bit curious. I took “this” to mean ‘this thread’. Sorry if I misunderstood your meaning. Apologies offered. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/36 "2017-09-13T00:35:49Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > This line from your post I was responding to > > I took “this” to mean ‘this thread’. Sorry if I misunderstood your meaning. Apologies offered. Ah. Sorry. No need for apologies, it’s ambiguous. I meant I haven’t heard of it before this commercial. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/37 "2017-09-13T04:50:04Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I think the ad execs don’t understand how or even if advertising works, but definitely don’t want to do any studies of the subject. Because they might find it doesn’t work at all like they’ve thought for the last hundred years. There are different goals from advertising. Brand awareness. Sales notifications. New products from familiar brand names. These all work, as far as I can tell. You learn that a thing you might find appealing is available. Can’t complain about that, really, though many do anyway. But there’s also “weird imagery for the sake of itself” kind of advertising, where they think watercooler talk will be enough to get their product sold. I have doubts that those do much in terms of sales, and think more likely they appeal more to stores and supermarkets rather than consumers. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/38 "2017-09-13T07:58:56Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > I haven’t watched it (I’m at work) but from your description it seems pretty obvious. They’re selling the continued, long lasting “fresh” smell of Gain. She used Gain, therefore “her” smell is Gain. The scarf smells of Gain/her, so he can’t move on. > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I think it’s more complex. > > He doesn’t want to move on. He’s just trying to fool himself. He’s being overly dramatic (because he’s all about the DRAMA!) even though no one can see. He’s living his own TV show that he is the star of. > > So he makes the dramatic move to throw her scarf away (Dramatically! On a wind-swept beach. Comme c’est romantique!) but then he realizes it still smells of her, after all this time. It ruined the moment. > > And then the wind mocks him! It sent the scarf back. It doesn’t want it either. > > On the other hand, the commercial is saying that his ex smells like Gain. Quel pire! > [@running\_coach](#): > > How do you know he left her? It’s obvious she drowned in the ocean and the only thing found was her scarf on the beach. > > 😃 > [@Loach](#): > > He killed her with the scarf and can’t get over it because it still has the stench of death on it. > > Or > > Gain stinks You’re all wrong. Clearly it’s an unauthorized adaptation of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well”, a song which revolves around a messy breakup and a forgotten scarf. Tay-Tay oughta sue someone over this. Or write a dis track about them, at least. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/39 "2017-09-13T12:43:14Z")
I was once in a focus group for a proposed new scent of Gain. (We weren’t supposed to know what the product was but it was obvious.) There were about 25 women in the group, and every single one of them stated that if price were no object, they would use Tide because it cleans best. Gain is known for its strong scent. It annoyed the heck out of me that the group leader didn’t pick up on the fact that clean is the most important thing to customers, price is second, and scent is maybe third. If Gain wants to increase its sales, they need to step up the “cleans good” feature. I’ve never seen a Gain commercial that focussed on anything except scent. And Ty Burrell is annoying. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169/40 "2017-09-13T14:49:58Z")
> [@ioioio](#): > > I was once in a focus group for a proposed new scent of Gain. (We weren’t supposed to know what the product was but it was obvious.) There were about 25 women in the group, and every single one of them stated that if price were no object, they would use Tide because it cleans best. Gain is known for its strong scent. > > It annoyed the heck out of me that the group leader didn’t pick up on the fact that clean is the most important thing to customers, price is second, and scent is maybe third. If Gain wants to increase its sales, they need to step up the “cleans good” feature. I’ve never seen a Gain commercial that focussed on anything except scent. > > And Ty Burrell is annoying. Interestingly, [of the top 5 top rated laundry detergents according to Google](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1752&bih=1080&tbm=shop&q=best+rated+laundry+detergent&oq=best+rated+laundry&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0l2.31774.33899.0.35541.18.18.0.0.0.0.147.1432.14j4.18.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.18.1431.zQS2yQjw33E), Gain has two of those places; Tide none. In Amazon [best sellers](https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/industrial/3310254011/ref=sr_bs_0_3310254011_1), it has three of the top 5. I suppose they must be doing something right. (And how have I never heard of this stuff before this commercial? I know Tide, I know All, Purex, but somehow missed Gain. Is it relatively new?) At any rate, we use Charlie’s Soap in this house. I prefer scented detergents because to me (a man) it makes things seem more “clean”, but it bothers my wife’s skin, so we just use the unscented stuff. I actually have difficulty telling what’s clean and what’s not without that scented cue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-this-commercial-to-me/796169.md?page=3)