# Is this the greatest commercial ever made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 16, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760 "2017-08-16T05:09:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/1 "2017-08-16T05:09:28Z")
Here’s an [ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-bBSudgKSs) for a product called Mr Beams Indoor Outdoor Solar Eclipse Lighting for Solar Eclipses. It’s a pretty obvious parody of the bad ads used to sell unnecessary products. So why is it perhaps the greatest commercial ever made? Because [Mr Beams](http://www.mrbeams.com/) is an actual company that sells real lighting. They made a parody ad of their own product. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/2 "2017-08-16T13:42:23Z")
[I still like Dollar Shave’s original ad.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/3 "2017-08-16T14:02:57Z")
[Got Hamilton?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-KoAi3Nl9Q) is the best parody commercial ever. ---
**Author:** ![TheSundial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6f9a4e/32.png) [@TheSundial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSundial)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/4 "2017-08-16T14:04:03Z")
I’ve always liked the Land Rover Defender in the Outback Steakhouse commercials that splashes through the water. This Chase commercial [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9OdXK4a-Yi0/hqdefault.jpg "2005 Chase TV commercial - Life") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OdXK4a-Yi0) The best ever that’s longer than an actual commercial from Honda None of these are comedy, they feel a little too forced in commercials. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/5 "2017-08-16T14:16:38Z")
It’s still [Coleman Sweeney](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeVLxcekEsw). ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/6 "2017-08-16T14:31:06Z")
Joe Isuzu. Or the GEICO Caveman ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/7 "2017-08-16T14:34:45Z")
It was an add made ‘on spec’ and originally rejected, but it still may be the best: [Adidas – Break Free (Beautiful commercial ignored by Adidas ) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJGeb4CbJsM) ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/8 "2017-08-16T14:46:10Z")
Those are all great. But the best one is this: [- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjKd24UCPYY) ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/9 "2017-08-16T15:30:56Z")
My favorite is [Abed and Dean Pelton do an ad that jointly promotes Honda and _Community_ and is also a parody of a Matthew McConaughey automobile commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmKvSHkquho). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/10 "2017-08-16T15:44:05Z")
Stan Freberg’s [Gino’s Pizza Rolls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE-NdrzfFOo) has never been topped. It’s a bit dated, but anyone at the time got all the references (notably to a commercial for Lark Cigarettes where people asked to show their pack of cigarettes and which used the same music). I agree with the Honda commercial above for non-humorous. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2017, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/11 "2017-08-16T17:02:28Z")
I"ve always enjoyed this Dutch commercial for an English language school. I’m spoilering it because it contains some naughty language and is NSFW if you have the audio on. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/12 "2017-08-16T17:12:36Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [I still like Dollar Shave’s original ad.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI) Never seen this before, but I love this one. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/13 "2017-08-16T17:27:07Z")
[The Nissan “Toys” commercial.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8QKK5IDSXE) BTW, while the commercial was much loved and won many awards, it did NOT help Z-car sales, and Nissan dealers demanded the company pull it. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/14 "2017-08-16T20:12:07Z")
A collection of [Trunk monkey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW8iAVwt_Yc) commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/15 "2017-08-16T20:35:05Z")
My vote is for this one: [Fox hat - YouTube](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kb0kiiB3O-o) ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/16 "2017-08-16T20:46:22Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > It was an add made ‘on spec’ and originally rejected, but it still may be the best: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJGeb4CbJsM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJGeb4CbJsM) Damn, that was hard to watch. My parents have been in assisted living for some time; they can’t drive, and my mom uses a wheelchair, so it’s extremely difficult to take them anywhere (except for special occasions when we rent a wheelchair van). They feel “trapped,” and sneakers ain’t gonna help. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/17 "2017-08-16T21:08:33Z")
Comcast’s [The Dark Knight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqVt1RScBGM) commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/18 "2017-08-17T07:21:00Z")
Always has a soft spot for the [Tango](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR1SEGyVVe0) commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/19 "2017-08-17T08:29:13Z")
For the record, my intent wasn’t for this just to be a listing of commercials that were weird and/or funny. I was talking more about the meta-nature of the Mr Beams ad and how it parodied its own genre of commercials. But having said that, everyone feel free to post links to commercials they like for whatever reason. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760/20 "2017-08-17T13:27:13Z")
This time of year is [The Most Wonderful Time of the Year](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwcYbo7pjto). No matter how many times I see this commercial, it cracks me up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-greatest-commercial-ever-made/793760.md?page=2)