# Commercials with the opposite effect **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011 "2005-07-25T04:59:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/81 "2005-07-26T04:32:35Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > Rachel Leigh Cook, no? Indeed it was. She provided her own voice for a parody of this ad on an episode of _Robot Chicken_, in fact. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/82 "2005-07-26T04:37:19Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > There’s a series of adverts running in British cimemas which is supposed to have two effects, to promote **Orange** brand mobile phones, and to remind the audience to switch off their phones. We have a series of ads like that here, but they’re done as fake movie trailers… pretty clever, I think. [Cheerleading](http://www.pumpupthemovie.com) (click “view the trailer”) [Hunting Buffalo](http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=16097) ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/83 "2005-07-26T06:32:24Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > The classic one has to be \*\*You’re never alone with a Strand \*\* which put Strand cigarettes out of business. Not related to Philip Morris, are you? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/84 "2005-07-26T09:57:06Z")
No, but several people have asked me that before. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/85 "2005-07-26T10:39:50Z")
> [@Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy](#): > > Wow, you sure got whooshed Wow, no I didn’t ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/86 "2005-07-26T13:05:58Z")
> [@La Llorona](#): > > No no no, they have an Updated, Modern version of the commercial which advertises Memorex CDs–IIRC, some rock band playing loudly, complete with electric guitars, then it cuts to a picture of a CD and the words, “Is it live, or is it Memorex?” Got it. Well, now I see how that makes no sense. The phrase worked with cassettes, but while there is differences between brands of recordable CDs (durability of the physical medium), you won’t hear the difference. What a stupid tag line. Also, thank you **Mr2001** , for the correct info. ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/87 "2005-07-26T13:20:06Z")
> [@Ellis Dee](#): > > “I’d like to teach the world to chill…” > > Chill?! Are you fucking kidding me? CHILL?!?! Go fuck yourselves for bastardizing that commercial. It used to be good tune, but now it has been desecrated. I hate that commercial too, and _not_ because I was a fan of the original, which was almost as stupid. You want to keep your Coke company? Um, okay. Everybody back slowly out of the room…no sudden moves. I hate the new version’s assemblage of calculatedly diverse and “hip” youths who have inexplicably gathered to sing about Coke with expressions of rapturous ecstasy on their faces, and all gazing off dreamily in the same direction. I know that’s what they did for the first one, but at least it made no pretense of it being an impromptu gathering of peaceniks who decided to have a jam session. This new one seems like some middle-aged ad exec’s idea of hip urban youths, right down to the pasty white boy saying in what is supposed to be either a New York or Ebonics accent, “Get togetha everybody!” and “That’s whut ah’m tawkin’ about!” :rolleyes: times infinity. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/88 "2005-07-26T13:37:27Z")
I nominate any commercial featuring CGI talking lips on animals or babies, Stupid, stupid, stupid. Who the hell thinks that is clever? I’m thinking particularly of the K9-Advantix commercial with the otherwise very cute puppy singing from camp to the tune of “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” (another strike). Ugh. I go for the remote every time. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/89 "2005-07-26T13:41:04Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > One I heard about, an anti drugs campaign in schools. The kids were given pencils bearing the message **it’s not cool to do drugs.** Unfortunately, once they had been sharpened a couple of times, they said \*\*cool to do drugs. \*\* After a bit more sharpening, they simply said **do drugs.** I’m sceptical. Most message pencils I have seen have the wording starting towards the back (eraser) end of the pencil, so the message gets cut from the end instead of from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/90 "2005-07-26T13:59:26Z")
> [@](#): > > …“If you can find a better car… buy it.” Jason Alexander looks like shit in that commercial. There is a commercial for a local furniture store that shows two obese shirtless men dancing around and shaking their beer-guts and man-breasts at the camera. I don’t care what program I’m watching - the channel gets changed when that mess comes on. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/91 "2005-07-26T15:09:42Z")
I hate the A1 commericals with the couple having a nice romantic steak dinner. The woman feeds the man a bit of her steak and looks at him all lovey-dovey. Then the man reaches toward the woman with a bit of his steak on a fork and wipes a drop of A1 off her cheek. Gaaaaaaaaaaack. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/92 "2005-07-26T15:52:55Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I’m sceptical. Most message pencils I have seen have the wording starting towards the back (eraser) end of the pencil, so the message gets cut from the end instead of from the beginning. I was skeptical, too, especially since I could only find a supposed AP article (Dateline: TICONDEROGA, NY, which is even more fishy!) on a few [websites,](http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/adrgpen.htm) but the story appears in the [AP Wire Archive](http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=APAB&p_theme=apab&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_text_search-0=drugs%20pencil&p_field_label-0=Topics&s_dispstring=drugs%20pencil%20AND%20date(12/1/1998%20to%201/1/1999)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=12/1/1998%20to%201/1/1999&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no). ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/93 "2005-07-26T16:27:33Z")
> [@Ellis Dee](#): > > Chill?! Are you fucking kidding me? CHILL?!?! Go fuck yourselves for bastardizing that commercial. d00d CH1LL 0WT!!1! ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/94 "2005-07-26T16:29:28Z")
How about that ad that basically amounts to saying that buying this particular car model (some kind of luxury SUV) will allow your inner child to go, “I’m better than you are” (in the nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah singsong)? Yargh!! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/95 "2005-07-26T16:53:20Z")
That Fanta ad that’s playing at my local movie theater. Actually, all the ads playing at my movie theater, but that’s a whole different rant. In the Fanta ad, they’ve got four really pretty girls in brightly colored retro-70’s costumes singing this craptacularly-irritating Fanta theme song that’s never been heard before, but the ad says it was all the rage back in the day; I think the idea is that they’re trying to lift some nostalgia out of our hindbrain by its own bootstraps (“Hey! I’ve never seen this ad before, but if I saw it when I was a kid, I would have left _skidmarks_ going out the door to buy some of this soda! I think I’ll go buy some _now!!!_”). Not suprisingly, I haven’t bought any Fanta. Nor shall I… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/96 "2005-07-26T17:45:41Z")
I, too, hate the current Boston Market steak ads. The damned song that runs on both the radio and TV ads is bad and inane. I swear that it sounds as if the copywriter at the ad agency just came up with what he thought was a “typical C&W song” with the sort of sound and lyrics they wanted, just as an example to show to his boss and the customer, with a note saying “We’ll put in a real sog with this idea here.” And then, to his horror, they just used his song. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/97 "2005-07-26T18:05:18Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > THIS IS YOUR BRAIN. > THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS. > MMM…FRIED BRAINS! > It wouldn’t have been any more effective, but it would’ve made me happier. > Daniel Around the time this commercial originally aired, there was a commedian on some cable TV channel who did a parody of this as part of his act: “This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” “Ah, yes, is that an egg in a frying pan?” It wouldn’t be so memorable if not for the fact that I proudly repeated the whole thing in front of my kindergarden class. About the pencils, **Peter Morris** and **acsenray** …I have a D.A.R.E. pencil that is stamped with the phrase “To Resist Drugs and Violence.” When sharpened down, it will eventually read “Drugs and Violence.” Not so bad, but still… ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/98 "2005-07-26T20:19:06Z")
> [@diecast cars](#): > > Speaking of which, several years ago while I was in California I saw an PSA about not giving cigarettes to minors. It had a man standing there smoking, and a teenage girl walk up to him and ask for a cigarette. Then both the voiceover and the words pop on the screen “She better be damn cute”, before going on to talk about the trouble you can get into for giving out the smokes. So I’m watching this commercial thinking “but if she _is_ cute enough, who cares about the penalties for giving her cigaretts…heck, she’s young AND cute, the guy should give her more than just a cigarette…” What exactly are they trying to say? And, of course, why on earth they are putting profanity in a PSA of all places??? PSAs have gotten weird. Heard one the other night. The ad started out with the voice of someone who was obviously supposed to be a teenager speaking about how she got involved in trying to help her community, but that there were unintended negative consequences to her actions. So she should have just been lazy and apathetic instead. Then it told me to give blood. Screw getting actively involved, just sit back and open your veins. A public service message. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011/99 "2005-07-26T20:31:53Z")
Yeah, I’ve heard the “give blood” one, too: there’s actually a few in that series, all with the same basic plot (someone tries to do some good in the world and it backfires because the world is complicated). While I appreciate the intent of the ad–that giving blood is a simple, uncomplicated good deed–it really comes across as saying, “Don’t be socially active–that’s for chumps! Be apathetic–that way you won’t hurt anyone! And give blood!” Daniel [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-with-the-opposite-effect/314011.md?page=4)