# Commercials you just don't get... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 4, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194 "2004-04-04T17:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [April 7, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/61 "2004-04-07T16:35:24Z")
I have never gotten the Old Navy ads, especially the early ones that looked like some kind of bizarre Christmas party. Morgan!!! WTF? > [@Khadaji](#): > > I disagree, although I hear this said very often. The purpose of an ad should be to make me want to buy the product. If it doesn’t do that, it has failed. It really doesn’t matter whether you disagree. A lot of people have spent a lot of money over the last 50 years on the idea that it’s worth it just to get people’s attention and make them aware of a brand name. Just because you don’t _believe_ it has worked, doesn’t mean it hasn’t from the advertiser’s point of view. In reality, no one really knows what essential qualities make a good commercial. > [@Sampiro](#): > > Frankly I’m more irritated at places that accept my credit card without ever asking for ID or even seeing if it’s signed on the back; I actually appreciate merchants who have reasonable security policies. The contracts between merchants and Visa/Mastercard _prohibit_ them from asking for further identification. They are supposed to look at nothing more than the signature. ---
**Author:** ![Servo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Servo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Servo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/62 "2004-04-07T17:15:38Z")
> [@tanstaafl](#): > > Someone want to explain that one? (The jeans are tough maybe? I’ll remember that if I’m ever in a position to be dragged through the streets. No idea what the brand name is though.) Any Joe Cowboy can lasso and take down a farm animal, but a sentient car? That takes skill and balls of solid titanium. And hot, studly men like that wear our jeans. You should too. I think many commercials fall into that category of “look at how awesome this person is who uses our product. You should use our product too because it will make you just as awesome.” Also, put me down for those Bob’s Furniture commercials. The one that made no sense to me had Bob’s father in it who–at the end–would say “come on down” while holding his nose, followed by off-screen laughter. Made absolutely no sense until I realized he must be imitating/mocking his son. Hey, let’s put an inside joke in our comemrcial! ---
**Author:** ![beergeek279](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@beergeek279](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beergeek279)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/63 "2004-04-07T17:24:28Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > My father explained it to me because I was equally confused. > > With the retiring of Michael Jordan, basketball is looking for another hero. Here comes Lebron, an 18-year-old phenom. > > The commercial underscores the reality that basketball is worshipped as a religion. The fervor of basketball fans is very much like what you see in church. Basketball heros aren’t simply “heros”. They are treated damn near like Jesus Christ. Instead of walking on water, they fly. > > My father doesn’t like the commercial. First off, it mocks black church…something done way to frequently. The idea that ignorant people could look at that commercial and believe black people worship basketball players sets him on edge. Also, Bernie Mack mumbles his lines. It’s probably intentional, but again…it mocks the art of a particular style of preaching. My father loves to laugh, but he don’t take no truck with that kind of stuff. And he’s a fan of Lebron James. I may be wrong, but I’ve always seen that commercial as a parody of/homage to the church scene in _The Blues Brothers_; Bernie Mac in the James Brown mold, the people leaping around like crazy, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/64 "2004-04-07T18:03:05Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I have never gotten the Old Navy ads, especially the early ones that looked like some kind of bizarre Christmas party. Morgan!!! WTF? Their latest one really irks me…apparently it’s O.N.'s 10th anniversary, so they’re having a big 'ol formal bash. It’s 30 seconds of crappy dialogue, tuxedoes and evening gowns. A commercial for a clothing store featuring no clothing available at said store. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Redsland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Redsland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redsland)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/65 "2004-04-07T18:10:35Z")
> [@Servo](#): > > Any Joe Cowboy can lasso and take down a farm animal, but a sentient car? That takes skill and balls of solid titanium. And hot, studly men like that wear our jeans. You should too. Essentially. This spot is trying to draw a link between the rugged cowboys of yore with the jean-buying public of more modern times. And since old-timey cowboys tamed wild horses, modern cowboys must tame something wild and dangerous as well. Extend the metaphor from horses and you get…cars. We also sell shirts! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/66 "2004-04-07T19:57:50Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Argh… I don’t even try to “get” Bob’s commercials, I just actively try to avoid the horror. That voice of his… eeesh. Yeah, Bob, you better believe I’m gonna come on down! And will it be pleasant for you? I doooooubt it! Greetings fellow Connecticutian…Go Huskies! (I’m also in Fairfield County.) Those Bob’s adds are beyond annoying. But give the guy credit…he’s making fistfulls of cash off of cheap, crappy furniture. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/67 "2004-04-08T00:53:35Z")
There’s a new truck commercial, and what I don’t get about it is why, after making their point, they go on and on and on with it? Guy parks truck to go get coffee, and it’s a windy day outside. A “For Sale” sign accidentally gets blown onto his window, and a crowd gathers to eye his truck. Guy sees the crowd, walks out of the coffee shop. End of commercial, right? Guy smiles a little, walks towards the mob shaking his head “no” and smiling? Nope. Guy walks over to truck and says “What are you all doing here?” Random crowd people say things like “How much you selling it for?” and “I’ll give you blah for it!” Guy now annoyed says “It’s not for sale.” Crowd says “Yeah it is, there’s a sign on it…” Guy says “No, it’s not for sale…” crowd repeats comments, guy continues to say “it’s not for sale” and on and on. Yes. Yes WE GET IT. Please stop this scene now, seeing as how this has never happened in the history of the World and never will. ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/68 "2004-04-09T14:40:37Z")
There’s a series of Dodge commercials where a guy has little animated faces (just a mouth and two eyes) drawn on his toes. If he’s driving, he’s wearing sandals, so we can still see the faces as they begin to sing… I actually don’t mind these commercials, and the song doesn’t bother me. But, when I brought up the commercial with a friend not long after they started showing them, I thought it was a Ford commercial… A main part of the song the guys toes are singing goes like this… _“Born! Born to be alive!”_ The thing is, the first _“Born!”_, even if you know it’s a Dodge commercial, sounds a lot like _“Ford!”_ When I realized it was a Dodge commercial, I had to pay attention to figure out what the toes were actually singing. I can’t be the only one who made that mistake, and, IMO, that’s a _bad_ mistake for Dodge… Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/69 "2004-04-09T14:54:14Z")
The Britney/Beyonce/Pink/Iglesias gladiator commercial for Pepsi during the Super Bowl- whaasssup with that? The company I worked for a few years ago, EDS, sponsored a Super Bowl commercial that featured cowboys rounding cats and herding them to market. While undeniably clever and very funny, I don’t understand how it connected enough to EDS to justify the millions it took to make and air it. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/70 "2004-04-10T01:06:48Z")
> [@Ellis Dee](#): > > Greetings fellow Connecticutian…Go Huskies! (I’m also in Fairfield County.) > > Those Bob’s adds are beyond annoying. But give the guy credit…he’s making fistfulls of cash off of cheap, crappy furniture. Windham county here=) I dont know, i have a fair amount of stuff from his store, and if you shop carefully you can get fairly good stuff. i got a twin captains bed, mattress and box springs for $150 2 years ago, and despite a very active 11 year old it still looks like new. The mattress compares very favorably to my sealy posturepedic=) And the 2 dressers I bought almost 10 years ago are still wonderful, wel made and very solid. They are a very good quality oak veneer plywood, not particalboard. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/71 "2004-04-10T04:48:38Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > A lot of people have spent a lot of money over the last 50 years on the idea that it’s worth it just to get people’s attention and make them aware of a brand name. Just because you don’t _believe_ it has worked, doesn’t mean it hasn’t from the advertiser’s point of view. Oh yeah? [Pets.com](http://Pets.com) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/72 "2004-04-10T05:39:13Z")
> [@](#): > > OK, how about another jeans ad? > > This one has a guy standing in what looks like a southwestern town. An odd vehicle drives by (looks like a pickup of some kind with a large trailer hitch mounted in the bed). Guy lassos the vehicle and is dragged through the streets to some sort of arena. Guy pulls himself along the rope and onto the vehicle, finally getting on top of it. Vehicle stops. Guy gets off and opens the door. Vehicle is empty. He gets in and drives off. > > Someone want to explain that one? (The jeans are tough maybe? I’ll remember that if I’m ever in a position to be dragged through the streets. No idea what the brand name is though.) What bothers the living hell out of me about that one is that the guy has _no ass_. I mean conspicuously no ass. You’re trying to sell the jeans, you give it a nice long ass shot… but there is no ass to put in the jeans. The jeans are hanging from what might as well be a coathanger. This is not flattering to the jeans at all. Who the hell would buy jeans if they seem to make your ass disappear? ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/73 "2004-04-10T07:51:50Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > A lot of people have spent a lot of money over the last 50 years on the idea that it’s worth it just to get people’s attention and make them aware of a brand name. Speaking of which, I don’t get the ad that has the president of some late-night-cheap-ass-commercial-buying company trying to sell his CD-ROM set that teaches you how to use your computer. I can never remember the damn name of the “product” because I don’t think he ever says it. But he does say, incessantly: “Try MY PRODUCT” … “You’ll love MY PRODUCT” … “Our PRODUCT will…” ad infinitum. Bugs the living crap outta me! Who’s brilliant fucking idea was it to have the president, who doesn’t even know the friggin’ name of his product, try to sell it? Wasn’t there some lackey around that could have told him that rule number one in marketing is to name the lousy product? GRRRRR! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/74 "2004-04-10T14:16:32Z")
> [@Cinnamon Girl](#): > > Speaking of which, I don’t get the ad that has the president of some late-night-cheap-ass-commercial-buying company trying to sell his CD-ROM set that teaches you how to use your computer. I can never remember the damn name of the “product” because I don’t think he ever says it. But he does say, incessantly: > “Try MY PRODUCT” … “You’ll love MY PRODUCT” … “Our PRODUCT will…” ad infinitum. Bugs the living crap outta me! Who’s brilliant fucking idea was it to have the president, who doesn’t even know the friggin’ name of his product, try to sell it? Wasn’t there some lackey around that could have told him that rule number one in marketing is to name the lousy product? > > GRRRRR! :mad: That’s John Scherer, The Video Professor. _TRY HIS PRODUCT, BEE-OTCH!_ ---
**Author:** ![Redsland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Redsland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redsland)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/75 "2004-04-10T17:23:51Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Oh yeah? [Pets.com](http://Pets.com) Bad example. [Pets.com](http://Pets.com) (and many other internet companies of the time) were propped up on fatally flawed business models. They were never, ever going to succeed, which some of us realized at the time. ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/76 "2004-04-11T05:04:14Z")
> [@Redsland](#): > > Bad example. [Pets.com](http://Pets.com) (and many other internet companies of the time) were propped up on fatally flawed business models. They were never, ever going to succeed, which some of us realized at the time. Actually, that’s a great example of branding. [Pets.com](http://Pets.com) has been gone for what, five YEARS? And we’re still talking about them, pretty much entirely because of their advertising. If there had been a useful company behind that advertising, they would have been off to a great start… ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/77 "2004-04-11T17:12:35Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > Guy walks over to truck and says “What are you all doing here?” Random crowd people say things like “How much you selling it for?” and “I’ll give you blah for it!” Guy now annoyed says “It’s not for sale.” Crowd says “Yeah it is, there’s a sign on it…” Guy says “No, it’s not for sale…” crowd repeats comments, guy continues to say “it’s not for sale” and on and on. > > Yes. Yes WE GET IT. Please stop this scene now, seeing as how this has never happened in the history of the World and never will. That commercial has SO MUCH wrong with it. First the beat to death joke. Then we’re supposed to swallow the idea that the truck is so perfect for that variety of people, then that they’ve never SEEN the truck before, then that they assume that it is the ONLY ONE and have to buy it from that guy, like they don’t know you can go to the auto mall and pick from dozens of trucks. The thing that really freaks me out is that if you saw a brand new car with a “for sale by owner” sign, wouldn’t you wonder what the heck was wrong with it? I hate commercials that not only assume YOU are an idiot, they assume everyone in the world is an idiot and make the actors behave accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/78 "2004-04-12T00:30:18Z")
Talbots A couple during the Christmas season, and a new one last night. Well dressed couple walking through , what appears to be a hotel hallway/lobby? The second of a mother and young daughter looking at a figurine in a store window. Figurine is not there during a second visit, but shows up as moms Christmas present. The latest one, I don’t know yet. Is Talbots a hotel? A clothing store? A figurine shop? Have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/79 "2004-04-12T02:41:54Z")
> [@ltfire](#): > > Talbots > A couple during the Christmas season, and a new one last night. > Well dressed couple walking through , what appears to be a hotel hallway/lobby? The second of a mother and young daughter looking at a figurine in a store window. Figurine is not there during a second visit, but shows up as moms Christmas present. The latest one, I don’t know yet. Is Talbots a hotel? A clothing store? A figurine shop? Have no idea. Talbot’s is an upscale women’s clothing store, with a definite “preppy” side. The newest ad I’ve seen is very strange… a young, hip couple is walking around, and the man keeps leaning in trying to kiss the woman and just as he gets close she pushes him away, over and over, and she laughs and walks away from him. She’s something of a tease. Finally at the end, she lets him kiss her. I just don’t get what it has to do with clothes. I know, I know, it’s all about “branding” but the ad makes her look like a bitch. ---
**Author:** ![OM\_Waterfall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@OM\_Waterfall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OM_Waterfall)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194/80 "2004-04-12T11:43:35Z")
I was about to start a thread on this, so y’all better answer! There’s a series of ad on TV for flavoured milk. In one a guy is drinking flavoured milk while waiting in line for movie tickets with his girlfriend. He gets to the ticket window and the lady says, “that’ll be one adult and one child, then” and his girlfriend stalks off in a huff. The guy then shrugs and the slogan “Tastes good, but” comes up. This I understood and deemed very witty by TV standards. Enter next ad in series. Guy comes out of cornershop drinking flavoured milk. He steps onto the pavement and whistles to his dog and says “c’mon boy” or something similar ( I don’t THINK it’s important). The dog sees the flavoured milk (presumably) and slinks away whimpering with it’s tail between its legs. Once more the guy shrugs, drinks the milk and the slogan “Tastes good, but” is heard. When I first saw it I thought it was something like “cats like milk not dogs” but this would be a LOT crapper than the other one so I’m thinking I missed something. WAG’s welcome! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-you-just-dont-get/238194.md?page=5)