# Favorite / most loathed advertising campaigns **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 7, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197 "2002-12-07T21:53:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/1 "2002-12-07T21:53:14Z")
Favorites: 1. AFLAC - That crazy duck cracks me up. 2. ESPN Loathed: 1. Mazda - Zoom Zoom. 2. Geico - Let go of the damn gekko already. Any nominations out there? ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/2 "2002-12-07T22:07:31Z")
“Tom Shane…” ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/3 "2002-12-07T22:20:42Z")
I always liked the Louie the Lizard Budweiser commercials Loathe: 1. I second the nomination for loathing “Zoom Zoom”. 2. That horrid little girl in the Pepsi Commercials 3. Almost all Old Navy commercials, especially any with the cheesy songs that evereybody knows (and hates). The only exception to this would be the ones that were running with Molly Sims - “You gotta get this look” - I might have to put **those** on my favorites list. She’s welcome to appear on my TV screen any time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/4 "2002-12-07T22:42:19Z")
T ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/5 "2002-12-07T23:13:19Z")
T? ---
**Author:** ![Superspy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@Superspy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superspy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/6 "2002-12-07T23:32:15Z")
Favorites: ESPN will always have a place in my heart right beside all the beer commercials which show attractive guys and scantily clad women in some sort of hilarious skit. Not related to the product, but still damn funny. Commercials I loathe are: Anything with ‘Carrot Top’ in it. He is the most annoying thing I have ever seen or heard. Why would the company ever want him to be associated with them? Car commercials! If you sit down and look at what they are showing you, you think ‘Why does this pertain to me’ There is always some 4 runner driving to the top of mount everest or a nissan altima driving so fast that the paint peels off. Or just a car in the middle of nowhere in a desert doing a powerslide. If I needed a car that would help me drive into uncharted territories and cross rivers, do you think I would get a leather interior $40,000 dollar luxury car??? Zoom…zoom…NO! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/7 "2002-12-07T23:35:00Z")
Favorites: Most of the VW ads (especially the “guy licking the Jetta door handle”) Least: Progresso soup (the Campbell Twins are coming for you…) The Apple Switch ads (especially the "I’m too f\*cking stupid to hook up a digital camera) Pepsi Girl The GEICO gecko (the first one was OK) ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/8 "2002-12-07T23:42:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Superspy \* > Why would the company ever want him to be associated with them? Remember - the goal of a commercial is not for you to _like_ the commercial - it’s just to get the product name in your head. I’ve heard of studies (no cite, sorry) that show that people tend to remember irritating commercials better than non-irritating ones. I know a few people will not buy the product on principle, because they hate the product, but remember advertising is a numbers game. ---
**Author:** ![Superspy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@Superspy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superspy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/9 "2002-12-07T23:53:22Z")
That’s a good point. But kind of ironically (and opposite to your point) if you look back at my previous post, i put this: > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Superspy_ > Why would the company ever want him to be associated with them? The reason I was vague, not putting the name of the company, was because I sat there, and honestly could not recall which company he advertised. However, I agree that it makes sense that most commercials the people hate still link them to a product. just like above, with the gecko. No one has said ‘i hate that gecko’, it has always been, "i hate the _GEICO_ gecko. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/10 "2002-12-07T23:53:34Z")
Favorites: The Gap - They had a couple ads a few years back I really liked. It’s hit and miss with them. Expedia - especially the Cooper one. I liked the Molly Sims Old Navy ads as well Jerry Seinfeld’s British Visa commercial where he goes out to soak up British culture. Hanes - Cute women, cute undies. The Heinekin(I think) commercial with the tennis ball boys (good get!) Staples comes out with a good one every now and then. don’t like: Most digital camera commercials New York times - they’ve been running the same commercial for a decade it seems. I guess they got their money’s worth, though. Victoria’s Secret - slutty women, slutty undies (as presented by the commercial, not VS in general) doesn’t do anything for me. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/11 "2002-12-07T23:57:41Z")
I love “The Gap” ads. Especially the “Khackis Swing” and “Khackis Groove,” etc. Also love the cotton industry ad’s - “The touch, the feel of cotton” where they have all different people dancing in their underwear. I like VW commercials as well. Hate Geico, almost all car ads, and anything sold by Billy Mays. ---
**Author:** ![SilentRose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@SilentRose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SilentRose)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/12 "2002-12-08T00:05:58Z")
**most loathed:** AOL commercials (in any shape or form) National post commercials (canadian newspaper) Quaker crispy chips (with that woman who can be described as neither “he” or “she” but “IT”) **most loved:** Gieco LG whirpool ---
**Author:** ![deathawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@deathawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deathawk)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/13 "2002-12-08T01:39:58Z")
Like: The Apple ad that ran once & only once during the '84 superbowl. Hate: The current Apple ads. Says something. What I have no idea… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/14 "2002-12-08T01:52:56Z")
HATE: The Nextel ads with Dennis Franz. The whole premise of the ads is that he “doesn’t do ads”. Well, not only does he do ads, but he does ads for the most annoying service in the world. Not only do I have to listen to one side of a discussion I have no interest in, Nextel lets me hear both sides!!! Punctuated with a loud annoying "BDA\_BLEEP!! everytime they say something I don’t care about. ASSHOLE!!! ---
**Author:** ![Superspy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@Superspy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superspy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/15 "2002-12-08T02:04:29Z")
Very well put, **JamesCarroll.** I am in complete agreement. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/16 "2002-12-08T02:14:13Z")
Favorite: the “Got Milk?” campaign. It arguably went on a bit too long, but it was often humorous and rarely too annoying. Least favorite: Most anti-drug commercials, especially the ones linking casual drug-use to terrorism. ---
**Author:** ![l1I235](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@l1I235](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/l1I235)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/17 "2002-12-08T02:17:38Z")
I remeber a car commercial a few years back of an action figure going to a dollhouse to get his doll girlfreind in a little toy car. Wild guess, but I think it was a Nissan or Misubitsu commercial. I loved that commercial! ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/18 "2002-12-08T02:33:29Z")
I mainly have least favorites … First and Foremost - _Oh what fun, jingle jingle jingle jingle!_ The anti-pot and anti-smoking ones. I do neither, but the commercials are annoying and self-righteous. ---
**Author:** ![airdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@airdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/airdisc)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/19 "2002-12-08T02:38:57Z")
Most Loved: The AFLAC duck Most hated: The Mazda zoom zoom zoom commercials. The Dell stoner moron. Anything with Billy Mays. Any McDonald’s ad. This extends to radio as well. Any “truth” anti-smoking commercial. With each one, the budget gets lower and lower, until the last one with some kid using a copy machine of his butt, the budget of which rivaling that of Feeders 2. The Apple “switch” ads. All Old Navy commercials Any commerical with Alf, Mr. T, Carrot Top, or Hulk Hogan. Are you listening, 10-10-321? The ads equating smoking weed with crashing planes into buildings. I haven’t seen any of these and I still hate them, just from the descriptions I hear. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197/20 "2002-12-08T03:06:38Z")
Oh, another one that I loved: The ad that first showed in last year’s super bowl, with Kevin Bacon being asked for I.D. (And he ran off and found 6 people that formed a chain of links from himself to the clerk). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-most-loathed-advertising-campaigns/141197.md?page=2)