catapult magazine

I don’t have a remote control for my television, so I sit through the commercials. Kristin and I like to recite them to eachother (Kristin’s very good at the “Hello, I’m Carnie Wilson…” one about the benefits of “lypro-scopic gastro bypass surgery”). It’s gotten to the point now where I enjoy the commercials as much, if not more than the real shows. And I’ve developed some favorites and some not so favorites.

As far as the “not so favorites” go, I have noticed an unfortunate trend in commercials right now where the characters are able to see into the future and they foresee some crazy dangerous result and they change their minds about wanting this or that thing. BEST BUY is doing that with people who want to purchase something and then they look into the future and decide that they should get smaller speakers so they don’t break their neck at the party next weekend, for instance. I’ve seen this scenario played out in Washington Mutual ads and many beer commercials too. It’s the curse of the “maybe that wasn’t such a good idea” commercial. It just seems like a way to present a funny scenario for a product that really doesn’t lend itself to funny scenarios unless you force one on it.

Favorites: I have loved the Mittsubishi ads, the ones with the rockin’ guitar riff and dvsch-dvsch drums, where the car is seen through the windows of an office-apartment building from both the first and second floor and then up from the sewer and then from up above the skyscrapers. Those commercials aren’t being played right now, but the newest one is where the rockin’ guitar riff is interrupted by “Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SPONGEBOB SQUARE PANTS!” I actually call Kristin into the room when that one comes on. I am also smitten with the AT&T commercials that make telephones seem like a saving grace in the midst of crazy and uncertain times. I remember being moved by one that hinted at the tragedy of 9-11. It suggested that telephones help to keep people together in a world where we are so far apart. The music was some Nick Drake-sounding thing that made me want to cry. For some reason, I didn’t feel manipulated, but was willing to agree that telephones have a moral dimension as well. A product is not just a product, but can actually be helpful to my humanity.

What are some of your “favs” and “not so favs”?

Now that the goofy guy Sprint commercial has been analyzed, how about the Dip sign Sprint commercial?

A father and son are walking and they come across this sign that says “Dip” and then the father sends to the mother and the Sprint PCS guy a picture of his son standing next to the “Dip” sign. The mother says, “I guess you have to know him.” The Sprint PCS guy then replies, “I feel like I already do.”

Is the son’s name “Dip?”
Or is the son stupid?
Is the father just a mean person?
By “him” does the mother mean the son or the father?

At first I thought that the kid’s name was “Dip,” but the way the Sprint PCS guy says, “I feel like I already do” makes me feel like they are making fun of the kid. Then I thought that “him” refered to the father and by “I guess you have to know him” the mother means “I guess you have to get his sense of humor” or something like that.

In any case, I like that commercial, I’m just not sure what it means.

Wow. I haven’t seen that one yet and I’m really curious about it. Maybe I can find it online.

I HAVE seen the new Golfish commercial — same tune, new clever lyrics. But this time, the two guys that sing the song are in the commercial. I don’t like seeing them for some reason.

now the “Dip” Sprint commercial I really like—not sure why. the quirky humor makes me giggle, but i can’t put it into words. something makes me want to know that family because i think i’d like them.

the “Lexus for Christmas” commercials are back. there’s something strangely touching about how the gifts are given—perhaps the giving of a small, clear symbol of the larger gift that is immediately understood (like the scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding when the father gives the newlyweds a house). but i feel so far from being excited about the gift of a Lexus that the super happy perfect families invoke an intense negative response in me. i’m mad at them for being so uncritical.

another one that drives me nuts (i know—this is supposed to be a thread about favorite commercials) is the one where the happy couple is walking through some European plaza wishing each other “happy anniversary” and they guy says, “There’s something I have to do.” and then he yells, “I love this woman” and the birds scatter and she’s shushing him because she’s embarassed. then he pulls out the big fat diamond ring and says, “Then I guess this’ll have to do.” and she, overwhelmed, puts the ring on and says, “I love this man, I love him, I love him.” yikes. i don’t like to feel like advertisers think i’m stupid.

okay, i promise, i’ll try to post one i like next time.

Yes, I don’t like those Lexus commercials too. It’s annoying how they attempt to make us feel cheated if we don’t get a car for Christmas.

And same goes for the anniversary commercial. Oh dear, my husband isn’t some silly romantic of the kind who yells in public and buys me diamonds. Stop shoving glimpses of what you think romance and the ideal life is like down my throat! I like to think that in the filming of that commercial it was impossible to avoid being “shat” on by those darn birds.

I don’t know most of the commericals you’re talking about. I suppose Canada has different ads.
But they do have my favorite commercials: Old Navy.
No, I will not apologize for that. I love them because they are so self-consciously unhip and behind the times, almost to the point of off-putting, Goes to show you that all you need is name recognition.

I appreciate the Old Navy ads also for how consistently unhip they are, but I often wish they’d do more Navy type stuff, like…I don’t know, say “ahoy” or get excited about their three day shore leave which will be spent shopping for close-fit jeans or a comfy sweatshirt.

I liked that Old Navy was using actors and actresses who haven’t seen work in awhile. Like Morgan Fairchild. However, I don’t understand Fran Drescher (although she falls into the “not popular” category, she somehow seems too recent to me) OR Lil’ Kim. I do understand them using Lil’ Kim in the context of “the hood.” She’s just icky, though. Icky, I say!

The greatest commercial on tv right now has to be the Nike ad by Bernie Mac. Putting basketball and church together and saying something good about both.

The most questionable is the Quizno’s campaign with the sock/hand puppets. Or are they potatoes?

And I like (maybe it’s a local commercial) the one where people make whizzing bullet noises to indicate just how fast the company is at getting people in and out and approved.

I don’t think this is a real commercial, just an ad agency demo type thing, but it’s been all over the internet lately. If you haven’t seen it already:

http://www.turnpikefilms.com/spots/nutrigrain.html

Almost forgot to mention that it’s painfully funny.

I read somewhere (I think in an article linked from the Quizno’s website) that the Quizno’s character are supposed to be decaying rats. It doesn’t exactly make me want to eat there, but it does make me say “what in the world are these things doing selling subs?”

Kind of catchy.