What the heck is it about those Old Navy commercials? They’re so bad, yet when one comes on, you’re glued to the screen! You can’t pull yourself away! And don’t say that ALL television is like that, 'cuz there’s some real crap on that makes it really easy to turn off the tube. Any theories out there? (Moderators… I couldn’t decide if this belonged in the GD or GQ… I chose here since I didn’t think it’d cause much discussion).
-SPOOFE
I think the sheer terribileness of the commercials pulls our every iota of attention to the screen when Old Navy commercials come on. You assume that it is some sort of joke at first, and wait for the punchline. Sadly, the joke’s on you, you’re the poor idiot who watched the stupid thing.
What your zer0 said. I think the phenomenon is akin to that of Mentos commercials.
Those who do not learn from history are condemned to fail the class. --A WallyM7 creation
I enjoy a rousing Mentos commercial. Old Navy, however, is postively criminal.
On the other hand, the Asian actress who’s appearing in the current series of Old Navy ads is very attractive. Anyone know who she is?
That would be Lisa Ling of “The View”. She’s not an actress, she’s a “television personality.”
The ad exec who came up with the Old Navy commercials should be getting a big bonus. He hit the jackpot. You remember it, you’re talking about it, and you remember the name of the company. Pure creative genius.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
And who is the woman wearing the ship portholes on her face in the Old Navy commercials? Why do we care what she thinks about fashion, and if she’s important enough that we should care what she thinks about fashion, do we believe she’s going to shop a division of the Gap? And if her eyesight is that bad, how can we possibly trust her taste in clothes?
Get on with your bad self, hitting the nail on the head perfectly. People spend CAREERS trying to get the kind of attention these spots are garnering. Annoyance or genious? You decide ! NEXT, on Geraldo !!!
Cartooniverse.
" The preceeding was neither an endorsement nor an indictment of Geraldo Rivera. "
I refer to them as “Old Lady” rather than “Old Navy”. They’re just as bad as those C/Net commercials with the doofuses [doofi?] in the white t-shirts. You may call these guys geniuses for coming up with ads that people remember, but crap is still crap. Bubble gum that sticks to the bottom of my shoe does not entice me to buy that particular brand, and if really stinks I’ll probably make sure I avoid it.
Reminds me a an old movie (I think with Cary Grant and/or Jack Lemmon) where these advertising guys were marketing a product that didn’t exist. Nobody knew what the heck it was, just that they NEEDED it.
The ship-porthole lady is Carrie Donovan formerly a big Fashion Editor in New York (can’t recall which magazine, offhand). Sort of a post-modern Diana Vreeland, or a less-scary Polly Mellon (Polly is the scariest, most humor-free and least self-aware fashionista currently haunting New York).
I keep hoping Magic the dog will go rabid and tear out Carrie’s throat during one of the commercials.
On an up note, remember last year when Old Navy was ordering us to rush out like maniacs and buy those hideous zip-up “tech vests?” I am pleased to say that despite the advertising barrage, I never saw one single human being wearing one of those atrocities. Almost gives you a little faith in the human race after all.
I think you may be thinking of Lover Come Back, one of the Rock Hudson/Doris Day comedies. The non-existent product is sort of a McGuffin. The plot from IMDB:
But back to Carrie Donovan…why would we take fashion advice from someone who wears glasses that hideous? Jesus, Carrie, where’s your snorkel and swim fins?
Old Navy commercials are very, very, BAD!
But I think we are drawn to them because of the colors. Seriously.
The actors are attractive- but I think it catches our eye because the multicloured Tech Vests or parkas or whatever boring clothes they are trying to sell off are aesthetically pleasing on a basic level, especially a bunch of different vest-wearers all together. Then you have a bright white background or nice green grass against khaki pants- it pretty.
But it still thirty seconds that I have to resist opening up my wrists with a butterknife.
OK, this is a guess, albeit an educated one:
I believe she was a former editor for Vogue, then Harper’s Bazaar and then New York Times magazine.
“One more anal-probing, gyro, pyro, levitating, eco-plasm, alien anti-matter story and I’m gonna take out my gun and shoot somebody.”
– Fox Mulder
SingleDad, I’m not quite sure that’s a correct assessment (that just being remembered is good). I remember the ads, and as a result avoid Old Navy stores like the plague that the commercials are.
However, I have no idea if I’m representative of the population.
Yep, Otto, you nailed it. I was looking on IMDB, too, but went right by the right movie.
You lucky bum. Over here in Central CA, most people here are trend sheep to whatever Old Navy puts out in their stores and on TV. And yes, most of them had those tech vests shudder
Louie: young guy, possibly a bit green, but smart as paint. - Greg Charles
The real problem isn’t the ads, its Old Navy itself. I mean they make these stupid clothes that are no different from the ones our granddads wore when they were lifting weights or hitting the heavy bag, and they charge designer prices for them! God people are sheep-like
Perked Ears indicate curiosity - Know Your Cat
[semi-hijack]
What do y’all think of the dancing commercials for Old Navy’s parent company, The Gap?
[/semi hijack]
Well, now, I hate to be perceived as an Old Navy apologist, but this particular criticism isn’t really fair. Old Navy’s clothes are cheap! I’ve bought khakis there for just $24, which is comparable to discount chains like Target or K-Mart.
Whether they’re high-quality or will last a long time is a separate question, but undeniably Old Navy doesn’t charge “designer prices” like its sister stores The Gap and Banana Republic do.