Author Topic: Newest worst commercials on TV  (Read 49342 times)

hybrid

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Richmond, Virginia
  • A hybrid of MMM and thoughtful consumer.
Newest worst commercials on TV
« on: November 19, 2013, 12:07:11 PM »
Nominee number 1

Random credit card commercial (you can see what an impact it made) shows off consumers conspicuously picking up the lunch check, buying the daughter lots of concert tickets, etc. because owner gets double points or some such.  Let me get this straight, spend lots and lots of money because the $50 ticket is now only $49????

(The sad thing is it probably works)

Nominee number 2

Fiancee of divorced/widowed Mom buys young daughter a piece of Open Heart jewelry that matches Mom's and gosh aren't we all one big happy family now.  Creepy in all caps!  Every time my wife and I see this we get the heebie-jeebies.

(The sad thing is it probably works)
 

Frankies Girl

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3899
  • Age: 86
  • Location: The oubliette.
  • Ghouls Just Wanna Have Funds!
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2013, 12:22:05 PM »
My husband and I call that open heart jewelry "fish hooks." I'd catch so much fish using one of those diamond-encrusted suckers! :D
(and yes, it works - see loads of those stupid things)

There is a cell phone one now about signing up for continuous updates - pay a fee to get the latest gadget as soon as it comes out so you're always on the "cutting edge"... talk about disposable electronics! You'd be tossing out a pretty advanced smartphone every year or less.

The Le Vian "chocolate" diamond commercials... that's creative marketing at its finest. They took the ugly, worthless brown diamonds and re-branded them as luxurious "chocolate" (they own the copyright for calling brown diamonds that - other companies are using cognac, mocha, etc... to cash in on the marketing) and now really silly people are spending big money on things that used to be "worth" diddley-squat. Granted, they do have some snazzy designers that come up with pretty settings, but it's all so sheep-like to spend big money on stuff because the company that is selling them tell you they are valuable.

the fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2013, 12:22:50 PM »
A recent one I noticed is a Ford F-150 commercial that goes something like "if you're trying to decide what kind of truck to get, just look over the fence at any construction site. There's your answer, the F-150."

There are SO many logical flaws with this argument that it makes my head spin! I never see F-150s at construction sites, I see CONSTRUCTION equipment (bulldozers, dump trucks, cranes, backhoes, etc)! Even if I did, the logic suggests if I'm a real man I should be driving whatever is being used in support of MAKING A BUILDING? If I don't work in the construction industry (and the audience doesn't because the ad explicitly says to "look over the fence") how does that have any bearing on MY needs for a vehicle?

But okay, Ford, I'll take your advice. I'm driving a bulldozer to work from now on. Oh yeah, baby, and it was no money down!

hybrid

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Richmond, Virginia
  • A hybrid of MMM and thoughtful consumer.
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2013, 12:38:16 PM »
The Le Vian "chocolate" diamond commercials...

Oh my gosh yes....  Chocolate Diamonds?  Seriously?  It's exactly what your fancy-pants diamond ring would look like - if you dropped it in a mud puddle.

Jewelry is near the top of my list of most ridiculous things to spend hard-earned money on.

hybrid

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Richmond, Virginia
  • A hybrid of MMM and thoughtful consumer.
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2013, 12:41:44 PM »
A recent one I noticed is a Ford F-150 commercial that goes something like "if you're trying to decide what kind of truck to get, just look over the fence at any construction site. There's your answer, the F-150."

There are SO many logical flaws with this argument that it makes my head spin! I never see F-150s at construction sites, I see CONSTRUCTION equipment (bulldozers, dump trucks, cranes, backhoes, etc)! Even if I did, the logic suggests if I'm a real man I should be driving whatever is being used in support of MAKING A BUILDING? If I don't work in the construction industry (and the audience doesn't because the ad explicitly says to "look over the fence") how does that have any bearing on MY needs for a vehicle?

But okay, Ford, I'll take your advice. I'm driving a bulldozer to work from now on. Oh yeah, baby, and it was no money down!

Most F-150s I see are absolutely immaculate.  Hmmmm....  Work vehicle?  More like Chocolate Diamonds for the testosterone crowd.  Apologies to anyone who actually uses an F-150 for it's intended purpose, and at least the F-150 serves some purpose, unlike a diamond ring dropped in a mud puddle. 

ArcticaMT6

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 163
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2013, 12:47:18 PM »
A recent one I noticed is a Ford F-150 commercial that goes something like "if you're trying to decide what kind of truck to get, just look over the fence at any construction site. There's your answer, the F-150."

There are SO many logical flaws with this argument that it makes my head spin! I never see F-150s at construction sites, I see CONSTRUCTION equipment (bulldozers, dump trucks, cranes, backhoes, etc)! Even if I did, the logic suggests if I'm a real man I should be driving whatever is being used in support of MAKING A BUILDING? If I don't work in the construction industry (and the audience doesn't because the ad explicitly says to "look over the fence") how does that have any bearing on MY needs for a vehicle?

But okay, Ford, I'll take your advice. I'm driving a bulldozer to work from now on. Oh yeah, baby, and it was no money down!

Most F-150s I see are absolutely immaculate.  Hmmmm....  Work vehicle?  More like Chocolate Diamonds for the testosterone crowd.  Apologies to anyone who actually uses an F-150 for it's intended purpose, and at least the F-150 serves some purpose, unlike a diamond ring dropped in a mud puddle.

That goes for 99% of trucks though. I hauled more shit in my 4banger S-10 than probably 95% of all 1/2 ton pickups.

Bruised_Pepper

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 189
  • Age: 35
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2013, 12:48:14 PM »
The Le Vian "chocolate" diamond commercials... that's creative marketing at its finest. They took the ugly, worthless brown diamonds and re-branded them as luxurious "chocolate" (they own the copyright for calling brown diamonds that - other companies are using cognac, mocha, etc... to cash in on the marketing) and now really silly people are spending big money on things that used to be "worth" diddley-squat. Granted, they do have some snazzy designers that come up with pretty settings, but it's all so sheep-like to spend big money on stuff because the company that is selling them tell you they are valuable.

I've been wondering about this!  I had never heard of a brown diamond before, and I think they look hideous...why not just take your ring setting and plop a turd on it?  At least it's free!

brewer12345

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1381
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2013, 12:57:56 PM »
A recent one I noticed is a Ford F-150 commercial that goes something like "if you're trying to decide what kind of truck to get, just look over the fence at any construction site. There's your answer, the F-150."

There are SO many logical flaws with this argument that it makes my head spin! I never see F-150s at construction sites, I see CONSTRUCTION equipment (bulldozers, dump trucks, cranes, backhoes, etc)! Even if I did, the logic suggests if I'm a real man I should be driving whatever is being used in support of MAKING A BUILDING? If I don't work in the construction industry (and the audience doesn't because the ad explicitly says to "look over the fence") how does that have any bearing on MY needs for a vehicle?

But okay, Ford, I'll take your advice. I'm driving a bulldozer to work from now on. Oh yeah, baby, and it was no money down!

Most F-150s I see are absolutely immaculate.  Hmmmm....  Work vehicle?  More like Chocolate Diamonds for the testosterone crowd.  Apologies to anyone who actually uses an F-150 for it's intended purpose, and at least the F-150 serves some purpose, unlike a diamond ring dropped in a mud puddle.

Depends where you live/work/frequent.  If your area includes a mix of blue collar types you will often see very well used pickups around.  You might call mine a cowboy cadillac given that a lot of the ime it is just a commuter or grocery getter, but I tow a travel trailer with it, use it to haul all the firewood a pick up for free, and spend a fair amount of time going down forest service roads with it to go hunting.

the fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2013, 01:39:01 PM »
Depends where you live/work/frequent.  If your area includes a mix of blue collar types you will often see very well used pickups around.  You might call mine a cowboy cadillac given that a lot of the ime it is just a commuter or grocery getter, but I tow a travel trailer with it, use it to haul all the firewood a pick up for free, and spend a fair amount of time going down forest service roads with it to go hunting.
That makes sense. I wonder how many of those are new trucks? If I bought a new pickup truck I would be too scared of scratching the paint to take it off the pavement :)

I think Ford's marketing strategy is off, at least if they were to target me. I prefer the old Chevy "like a rock" ads: tell me your truck has value because it's going to last a really long time and work reliably. Recent truck ads I've seen are all about image, or the fact that it can do something ridiculous like tow the space shuttle orbiter (that one was the worst: guaranteed no one is going to do that again, with any vehicle, until maybe sea level rise threatens their museums in 50+ years).

Jamesqf

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4038
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2013, 03:11:54 PM »
That makes sense. I wonder how many of those are new trucks? If I bought a new pickup truck I would be too scared of scratching the paint to take it off the pavement :)

Yeah.  Like I tell my friends (who have newish pickups), it's not really a truck if you'd hesitate one second before filling the bed with a load of horse manure :-)  My truck's an '88 Toyota, and gets used for hauling firewood, hay, and yes, the occasional load of horse manure, as well as driving on Forest Service/BLM roads.  And this morning I used it to yank out a couple of stumps...

But back to TV commercials.  I don't see many (don't own a TV, so only see it when at friends' houses), but I think the most amusing are the drug ones.  You have maybe 30 seconds of actual ad for a drug to treat some (usually trivial) condition, followed by 30 seconds of listing possible side effects, such as "increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or sudden death" :-)

C. K.

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 400
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2013, 03:50:18 PM »


But back to TV commercials.  I don't see many (don't own a TV, so only see it when at friends' houses), but I think the most amusing are the drug ones.  You have maybe 30 seconds of actual ad for a drug to treat some (usually trivial) condition, followed by 30 seconds of listing possible side effects, such as "increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or sudden death" :-)

Yes! The drug commercials that list the side effects are hilarious. Sometimes one of the side effects is the very thing it claims to treat.

Those commercials are powerful. One of my relatives, who watched TV almost 24/7, believed he had every ailment listed in any commercial. No one could dissuade him, not even after having tests that came back normal.

He wasn't always a hypochondriac, but sitting in front of the boob tube all the time after retirement apparently makes one susceptible to this kind of thinking.

hybrid

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Richmond, Virginia
  • A hybrid of MMM and thoughtful consumer.
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2013, 04:08:51 PM »
Depends where you live/work/frequent.  If your area includes a mix of blue collar types you will often see very well used pickups around.  You might call mine a cowboy cadillac given that a lot of the ime it is just a commuter or grocery getter, but I tow a travel trailer with it, use it to haul all the firewood a pick up for free, and spend a fair amount of time going down forest service roads with it to go hunting.

I have a used pickup, and it looks like a used pickup.  Because I used it like a pickup.  ;-)  I just get a kick out of the spotless F-150s I see in the suburbs.

Exflyboy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8397
  • Age: 62
  • Location: Corvallis, Oregon
  • Expat Brit living in the New World..:)
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2013, 04:51:25 PM »
My Wife needed a truck to pull her horse trailer (the horse can't live forever I keep telling myself).. She drives it about 10 miles a week (which at about 8mpg is thankful). I bought her an '89 F250 for $1400 with a genuine 40,000 miles on it.

Does exactly the same as the shiny new ones and it hauls gravel, a car trailer a few times, manure and even a rental trenching macine that weighed 10,000lbs..:)

New truck?.. What on Earth is the point?

Frank

Bruised_Pepper

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 189
  • Age: 35
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2013, 04:52:37 PM »
My Wife needed a truck to pull her horse trailer (the horse can't live forever I keep telling myself).. She drives it about 10 miles a week (which at about 8mpg is thankful).
New truck?.. What on Earth is the point?

Old trucks don't have a "man step".  Duh.

plainjane

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1645
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2013, 06:23:55 PM »
I'm really annoyed at the TD mortgage commercial that shows an older dad taking a "vacation" from his mortgage for a few payments so that he can pay for his daughter's wedding.

- why does a guy of his age still have a mortgage?
- why the requirement for the daughter to have a big wedding that none of the parties involved can afford without stopping payment on other debt?

JessieImproved

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 158
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Atlanta
    • Jessie : Improved
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #15 on: November 19, 2013, 06:36:46 PM »
Random credit card commercial (you can see what an impact it made) shows off consumers conspicuously picking up the lunch check, buying the daughter lots of concert tickets, etc. because owner gets double points or some such.

These make me twitchy every time I see one.  I sincerely feel for the people this ridiculous logic works on.

Abe

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2647
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #16 on: November 19, 2013, 07:03:28 PM »
Any anti-depressant ad on Hulu.  Why do they liken depressed people to emotionless wind-up toys? Maybe it's to make people even more depressed...such evil genius!

amf1411

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #17 on: November 19, 2013, 07:36:26 PM »
Also showing on Hulu now is one in which AmEx (?) protects you from identity theft by sending you an alert on your phone when someone makes a "suspicious transaction," and the girl in the coffee shop confirms that, yes, she spent ... $848 on a watch.  What?  http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7bs8/american-express-fraud-alert-too-comfortable

yesslynn

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 9
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #18 on: November 19, 2013, 07:54:24 PM »
Oh god, speaking of Hulu ads I saw the most terrifying one multiple times recently. It shows various stylish young women picking clothing and accessories out of their computer/tablet. A woman types trench coat into a search bar and pulls one out of her computer screen then gets to work and pulls some leopard print pumps out of a tablet, walks down some stairs with other attractive young women and reaches into her smartphone and plucks out some lipstick. New things constantly from online because that's what women my age need to see. It wasn't enough for Pinterest to give them a place to collect pictures of ridiculous and expensive things they don't need, now they need the constant reminder of how easy it could be for them to get all those items.

Frankies Girl

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3899
  • Age: 86
  • Location: The oubliette.
  • Ghouls Just Wanna Have Funds!
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #19 on: November 19, 2013, 09:12:40 PM »
Oh! Just remembered another one...

The two women are out shopping and one runs over to a frou-frou purse, and sings a little jingle about her insurance company (ya'll know the "good neighbor" song) and asks how much money they saved to the guy that just pops up... and proceeds to spend the savings on said purse. So ridiculous. You saved money so you can spend it all on stupid stuff! Hooray!

Jamesqf

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4038
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #20 on: November 19, 2013, 09:22:54 PM »
My Wife needed a truck to pull her horse trailer (the horse can't live forever I keep telling myself).. She drives it about 10 miles a week (which at about 8mpg is thankful).
New truck?.. What on Earth is the point?

Old trucks don't have a "man step".  Duh.

Duh, yourself.  If you can get on a horse from the ground (mine's 16 hands, so the stirrup is just about level with my hip bones), you can get in a truck without needing a running board.

Will

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 798
  • Location: Vancouver, WA
  • What the deuce?!?!?
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #21 on: November 19, 2013, 11:26:41 PM »
How about the various Ford commercials for their vehicles with EcoBoost:  "Wow, this (vehicle) is so (stylish/sporty/whatever) AND it gets great gas mileage."  "Yes, imagine if it was (this) OR great gas mileage?  That would be like (some silly thing like sweet or sour chicken, or hide or seek)."  Then you look at the fine print and the "great gas mileage" they are talking about is 22city/33highway for a Ford Fusion!  Or a Ford Explorer getting 16/22!  Since when is that great gas mileage?

C. K.

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 400
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #22 on: November 20, 2013, 05:44:35 AM »
These commercials serve at least a two-fold purpose - to encourage you to buy and/or to make their name or commercials more memorable than the other company's name or commercials.

Even if you don't buy anything but remember the ad, it's done part of its job. Just sayin'.

hybrid

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Richmond, Virginia
  • A hybrid of MMM and thoughtful consumer.
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #23 on: November 20, 2013, 06:56:44 AM »
Oh! Just remembered another one...

The two women are out shopping and one runs over to a frou-frou purse, and sings a little jingle about her insurance company (ya'll know the "good neighbor" song) and asks how much money they saved to the guy that just pops up... and proceeds to spend the savings on said purse. So ridiculous. You saved money so you can spend it all on stupid stuff! Hooray!

I posted on that one several months back, that post includes pictures and a summary from what is still, in my mind, the very worst commercial on TV.  Five anti-mustachian cocncepts packed into 30 seconds.

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/antimustachian-wall-of-shame-and-comedy/the-worst-commercial-on-television-today/

The sad thing is it probably works.

hybrid

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Richmond, Virginia
  • A hybrid of MMM and thoughtful consumer.
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #24 on: November 20, 2013, 07:01:14 AM »
How about the various Ford commercials for their vehicles with EcoBoost:  "Wow, this (vehicle) is so (stylish/sporty/whatever) AND it gets great gas mileage."  "Yes, imagine if it was (this) OR great gas mileage?  That would be like (some silly thing like sweet or sour chicken, or hide or seek)."  Then you look at the fine print and the "great gas mileage" they are talking about is 22city/33highway for a Ford Fusion!  Or a Ford Explorer getting 16/22!  Since when is that great gas mileage?

On the one hand I can see better gas mileage being a plus if you actually use a truck.  But on the other hand, why would most people get a new truck if the goal was to economize?????

Agreed, it's ridiculous.  30K truck gets better gas mileage?  Oh sure, that will pay for itself in time compared to the 8K used truck....  Then again, these folks are marketing to the consumers, not us.  We just get to make fun of their ridicuolusness.

pachnik

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1894
  • Age: 59
  • Location: Vancouver, BC
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #25 on: November 20, 2013, 08:57:09 AM »
A local car dealership's ad on the radio (new cars, not a used car lot):

"I tried to stop spending but I just couldn't, I wracked up a lot of credit card debt and ended up in bankruptcy (*tear). But this dealership approved me for a new car at an affordable payment!"


Like it is normal to do this and a positive thing that you can still take on a car payment after ending up in bankruptcy.  Ads like this should be illegal.

Mississippi Mudstache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2170
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Danielsville, GA
    • A Riving Home - Ramblings of a Recusant Woodworker
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #26 on: November 20, 2013, 09:48:11 AM »
And you'll notice that the *payment* is what's affordable. The actual total cost of the car? Why don't they mention that?

I remember being shocked when I rode to a friend's wedding shortly after college with another old college buddy. We were riding in his brand new, loaded-to-the-gills F-150. He told me how he walked into the dealership and told a salesman that he wanted the best truck he could get for $650/mo. At the time, he was living with his parents and working for the local recreation department, probably at less that $30K/year. I had never realized that there were people who negotiated the monthly payment of a vehicle, rather than the total cost, but I have since learned that this is pretty much the norm.

Angelfishtitan

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 125
  • Location: CT
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #27 on: November 20, 2013, 11:43:53 AM »
What's a commercial? But seriously I don't even listen to them on the radio, usually listening to the news or change the channel otherwise.

Then you look at the fine print and the "great gas mileage" they are talking about is 22city/33highway for a Ford Fusion!  Or a Ford Explorer getting 16/22!  Since when is that great gas mileage?

This bothers me to no end. I used to be able to get 35-40 mpg in my old oil-burning barely running civic. Even with added weight from new safety features you would think engine technology would keep up.

mpbaker22

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1095
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #28 on: November 20, 2013, 01:12:18 PM »
What's a commercial? But seriously I don't even listen to them on the radio, usually listening to the news or change the channel otherwise.

If our goal is to help ourselves, we should encourage commercials, right?  I mean, the radio is free because someone else pays for the commercials.

If the goal is to help society as a whole, then commercials are a disaster.

Dr.Vibrissae

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 364
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #29 on: November 20, 2013, 01:56:31 PM »
The one that has really confused me recently is a cell phone ad.  The people in it have gotten new smartphones, but suddenly see some 'better' smartphone, so now they want that instead, and so they create 'accidents' like dropping the phone in a blender or leaving it in a cab, or pitching it off a bridge so they have an 'excuse' to buy the new phone.  But isn't it going to cost them either way?  Why not at least keep the old new phone and sell it to cut your costs (or better yet, be satisfied with your $500 handheld brand new piece of modern magic, after all the cycle is endlless)

Mississippi Mudstache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2170
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Danielsville, GA
    • A Riving Home - Ramblings of a Recusant Woodworker
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #30 on: November 20, 2013, 03:00:53 PM »
The people in it have gotten new smartphones, but suddenly see some 'better' smartphone, so now they want that instead, and so they create 'accidents' like dropping the phone in a blender or leaving it in a cab, or pitching it off a bridge so they have an 'excuse' to buy the new phone.  But isn't it going to cost them either way?  Why not at least keep the old new phone and sell it to cut your costs?

Because most people with expensive phones pay for insurance on their phones? :)

NinetyFour

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 6875
  • Age: 62
  • Location: Southwestern US
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #31 on: November 20, 2013, 04:57:09 PM »
TV? Why would any mustachian waste time/money watching TV?

Bruised_Pepper

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 189
  • Age: 35
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #32 on: November 20, 2013, 05:23:07 PM »
TV? Why would any mustachian waste time/money watching TV?

Because a lot of what is on TV is art.  Is art appreciation objectively bad?  Or are some forms of art bad because they're not displayed in a fine arts museum? 

EDIT: RE: money--TV is mostly free now, since TV channels willingly stream the latest episodes of their shows over the Internet. 

the fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #33 on: November 20, 2013, 05:33:33 PM »
Hard to say if TV shows constitute art. If you think an advertisement is art, then fine. But I define art as something the artist produces as an expression of themselves more than as something she thinks society wants to see (of course an artist's identity is shaped by society so there's always some indirect elements of that). But a product that's produced specifically to appeal to a certain demographic of people is just formulaic and does not count as art in my book. That eliminates most of what's on TV, since TV shows live and die by ratings.

Bruised_Pepper

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 189
  • Age: 35
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #34 on: November 20, 2013, 05:43:12 PM »
Hard to say if TV shows constitute art. If you think an advertisement is art, then fine. But I define art as something the artist produces as an expression of themselves more than as something she thinks society wants to see (of course an artist's identity is shaped by society so there's always some indirect elements of that). But a product that's produced specifically to appeal to a certain demographic of people is just formulaic and does not count as art in my book. That eliminates most of what's on TV, since TV shows live and die by ratings.

I don't want to get into a whole big thing on the definition of art, but I will mention this.  Throughout most of the last millennium, the church has been the only consistently rich institution in the Western world, which is why most of the music we know of from the years 1000-1500 (and further) is religious: the church was the only one who could afford the paper to write it down on.  Obviously, as an establishment, the Christian church had no interest in secular works (these pieces got "bad ratings"), so these works died and have been erased from existence. 

Same thing with the system of art patronage.  Wealthy people supported artists they liked so the artists could continue making more art.  Stop making art that your patron likes ("bad ratings" again) and you're back to physical labor. 

hybrid

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Richmond, Virginia
  • A hybrid of MMM and thoughtful consumer.
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #35 on: November 21, 2013, 07:32:39 AM »
TV is an entertainment medium.  Some of it can be seen as dramatic art (think Masterpiece Theater, for example) and some of it is clearly cheap entertainment (Judge Judy).  I get that some folks never watch it, some watch a little, and some watch a lot.  Moderation in all things I say, and a favorite saying about life is too short to drink bad beer applies to TV as well....

The commercials?  Well, they don't produce this stuff for free.  Since we as a society have not devoted sufficient resources (taxes) to over the air commercial free entertainment, then commercials (or fund drives on PBS) are the price we all pay.

MoneyCat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1752
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #36 on: November 21, 2013, 08:46:08 AM »
I don't watch much TV with commercials, so most of the time I have no idea what people are talking about when they describe this kind of stuff.  I don't have cable.  Instead, I either use Netflix, or I link my laptop to my TV with an HDMI cable and watch from network TV sites with an ad-blocker that prevents me from having to watch commercials.  It is so much nicer to be able to watch programming without being bombarded by people trying to sell stuff.  It really makes me reflect on my pre-Mustachian days and I have to admit that back then I was susceptible to all the commercial brainwashing.  I had a ton of crap I didn't need.

hybrid

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Richmond, Virginia
  • A hybrid of MMM and thoughtful consumer.
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #37 on: November 21, 2013, 09:10:55 AM »
We use Hulu, so there is no getting around commercials.  But there are less of them, and I will often use that time to put clothes in the wash, fold clothes, straighten up, etc.

projekt

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 340
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #38 on: November 21, 2013, 11:24:21 AM »
A recent one I noticed is a Ford F-150 commercial that goes something like "if you're trying to decide what kind of truck to get, just look over the fence at any construction site. There's your answer, the F-150."

This is a real man's F-150: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_F-Series_seventh_generation

NinetyFour

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 6875
  • Age: 62
  • Location: Southwestern US
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #39 on: November 21, 2013, 11:37:28 AM »
"there is no getting around commercials"

I guess I would question this.

SoCalGirl

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #40 on: November 21, 2013, 12:39:15 PM »
Nominee number 1

Random credit card commercial (you can see what an impact it made) shows off consumers conspicuously picking up the lunch check, buying the daughter lots of concert tickets, etc. because owner gets double points or some such.  Let me get this straight, spend lots and lots of money because the $50 ticket is now only $49????

(The sad thing is it probably works)

Nominee number 2

Fiancee of divorced/widowed Mom buys young daughter a piece of Open Heart jewelry that matches Mom's and gosh aren't we all one big happy family now.  Creepy in all caps!  Every time my wife and I see this we get the heebie-jeebies.

(The sad thing is it probably works)


OMG - we totally watch as our skin crawls off our bodies - this commercial is SOOO CREEPY it had to be written by the pedophile association!  WHO let that one through the focus groups?!?!

hybrid

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Richmond, Virginia
  • A hybrid of MMM and thoughtful consumer.
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #41 on: November 21, 2013, 01:44:43 PM »
"there is no getting around commercials"

I guess I would question this.

If you have a way to use Hulu and get around the commercials I'm all ears.

the fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #42 on: November 21, 2013, 01:55:36 PM »
I never use Hulu so out of curiousity I just tried (I have Adblock Plus), and it seems like they detected it and scolded me. I still didn't see any commercials when an episode started playing and didn't have to disable ABP, but at a later commercial break it managed to load a commercial anyway. Interesting...

The comedy central full episode players aren't this smart.

Posthumane

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 396
  • Location: Bring Cash, Canuckistan
    • Getting Around Canada
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #43 on: November 21, 2013, 04:10:33 PM »
I normally don't pay much attention to radio commercials, but there is one that has been playing recently which makes me want to facepalm:
Person1: "Hey, are you on a diet? You look like you've lost weight!"
Person2: "No, I've just been cooking for myself lately..."
First time I heard this I thought it was going to be a healthy living commercial. Then it continued:
Person2: "I basically just throw everything in the garbage as soon as it's cooked, it's so bad. Even my dog won't eat my cooking!"
Person1: "But your dog eats dirt!?!"
Narrator: "Bad things happen when you cook! So, DON'T! Come to Days Off Pub for somesuchdeal that we have going on now..."

MoneyCat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1752
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #44 on: November 22, 2013, 06:00:10 AM »
I never use Hulu so out of curiousity I just tried (I have Adblock Plus), and it seems like they detected it and scolded me. I still didn't see any commercials when an episode started playing and didn't have to disable ABP, but at a later commercial break it managed to load a commercial anyway. Interesting...

The comedy central full episode players aren't this smart.

I typically just use the networks' websites instead of Hulu for that reason.  Usually, I just have the scolding message at the beginning of shows on network websites and then no further commercial breaks.  Hulu isn't really that useful, considering the other options that are available.

Rural

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5051
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #45 on: November 22, 2013, 07:46:34 AM »
My Wife needed a truck to pull her horse trailer (the horse can't live forever I keep telling myself).. She drives it about 10 miles a week (which at about 8mpg is thankful).
New truck?.. What on Earth is the point?

Old trucks don't have a "man step".  Duh.

Duh, yourself.  If you can get on a horse from the ground (mine's 16 hands, so the stirrup is just about level with my hip bones), you can get in a truck without needing a running board.

...and if you're a short, aging woman like me, you can get your husband to park next to a rock. Or you can haul an old concrete block over to the passenger side if he forgets.

Used F350 with 4WD and dually wheels (required for our county to load with gravel). It does almost all its running here on the property, but it does go on the public roads about once a month to get gravel (for which it's needed) or lumber (for which it's overkill). It's a 1986 and cost us $1500 without a bed, plus $100 for a used bed to go with. I'd be delighted to haul manure in it, but that stuff's expensive!

Jamesqf

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4038
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #46 on: November 22, 2013, 10:51:34 AM »
I'd be delighted to haul manure in it, but that stuff's expensive!

Expensive?  You just live in the wrong place - or maybe I do :-)  Hereabouts there are any number of horse owners who'll give you all you can haul, for free.  Indeed, these days my cute (but married, alas) neighbor with the fancy show horses will hook up a trailer to her little Gator thing and drop me a load whenever I need it.  (My own horse lives at friends' ranch, some miles away.)

Mojo

  • Guest
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #47 on: November 22, 2013, 07:49:12 PM »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN3iyEc1TvY

A shameless attempt at brainwashing and encouraging you to soak up *even more* advertisements (while drinking Coke, of course!)

ShortInSeattle

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 574
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #48 on: November 22, 2013, 10:50:34 PM »
"there is no getting around commercials"

I guess I would question this.

If you have a way to use Hulu and get around the commercials I'm all ears.

Mute button + spend a few minutes doing something else. Works like a charm.

arebelspy

  • Administrator
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *****
  • Posts: 28444
  • Age: -997
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Newest worst commercials on TV
« Reply #49 on: November 22, 2013, 11:00:34 PM »
"there is no getting around commercials"

I guess I would question this.

If you have a way to use Hulu and get around the commercials I'm all ears.

Mute button + spend a few minutes doing something else. Works like a charm.

Or you can try the technological route.  I'm sure Google has some ideas.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hulu+block+commercials
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!