# Commercials. From annoying to just plain weird. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 7, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-from-annoying-to-just-plain-weird/122816 "2002-08-07T18:38:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-from-annoying-to-just-plain-weird/122816/81 "2002-08-17T07:38:12Z")
Three guys are in the gym working out. An announcer comes on the PA saying someone driving Brand A car left his lights on. The announcement repeats as the camera pans back and forth, finally stopping on one particular guy, who obviously is so embarassed about leaving on his lights that he’d rather his battery ran down than get up and go turn them off. I’m expecting a battery commercial of some kind. But no. The announcer says something like, “OK, you’re busted. Time to get a new Brand B vehicle,” and goes on to list features etc. Except that after making such a fuss about leaving the frikkin lights on, they make no mention of how the new car would help avoid this problem. I mean, I appreciate the a roundabout type of introduction to the plot in an episode of The Simpsons, but the payoff of a 30 second commercial should have _something_ to do with the setup. The weird thing is that this commercial annoyed me enought that I remember paying careful attention to the latter half looking for some automatic lights/battery saver device being mentioned, but I couldn’t tell you for the life of me what car I’m supposed to buy as a result of seeing this commercial. Remarkably ineffective advertising it is that gets you to pay close attention to the product without its name being remembered. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-from-annoying-to-just-plain-weird/122816/82 "2002-08-17T09:22:49Z")
I used to like SmashMouth. Anyone else as FUCKING sick of their 3 overplayed songs as I am!? ---
**Author:** ![Jerrybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@Jerrybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerrybear)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-from-annoying-to-just-plain-weird/122816/83 "2002-08-17T17:08:10Z")
IIRC, I think the guy is embarrased because his vehicle is a minivan, and this is specifically mentioned by the PA announcer. You know, that whole thing about minivans being horribly uncool and so on? It seems like this one is kind of old…is it still being shown? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number Six \* > \*\*Three guys are in the gym working out. An announcer comes on the PA saying someone driving Brand A car left his lights on. The announcement repeats as the camera pans back and forth, finally stopping on one particular guy, who obviously is so embarassed about leaving on his lights that he’d rather his battery ran down than get up and go turn them off. I’m expecting a battery commercial of some kind. But no. The announcer says something like, “OK, you’re busted. Time to get a new Brand B vehicle,” and goes on to list features etc. Except that after making such a fuss about leaving the frikkin lights on, they make no mention of how the new car would help avoid this problem. I mean, I appreciate the a roundabout type of introduction to the plot in an episode of The Simpsons, but the payoff of a 30 second commercial should have _something_ to do with the setup. > > The weird thing is that this commercial annoyed me enought that I remember paying careful attention to the latter half looking for some automatic lights/battery saver device being mentioned, but I couldn’t tell you for the life of me what car I’m supposed to buy as a result of seeing this commercial. Remarkably ineffective advertising it is that gets you to pay close attention to the product without its name being remembered. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-from-annoying-to-just-plain-weird/122816/84 "2002-08-17T23:59:03Z")
> [@](#): > > IIRC, I think the guy is embarrased because his vehicle is a minivan, and this is specifically mentioned by the PA announcer. > > You know, that whole thing about minivans being horribly uncool and so on? I wasn’t aware that minivans were supposed to be uncool. Why is this? Half the people where I work drive mini-vans to work. If I had kids, I’d probably drive a minivan. If this _is_ the point of the commercial, it’s even stupider than I thought. How exactly is insulting the owners of one type of vehicle supposed to encourage one to buy the vehicle being advertised? What’s next, taking potshots at pickup trucks hoping to get people to buy sports cars? > [@](#): > > It seems like this one is kind of old…is it still being shown? I don’t know if it’s still being shown. Are we restricted to talking about commercials that are still on the air? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-from-annoying-to-just-plain-weird/122816.md?page=4)