Dumb TV Commercials: Is There Any Limit To Their Stupidity?

[joeychitwood]

If you think TV commercials just can't get any more stupid, keep watching, as the bar keeps dropping. These are among the commercials that make me want to gouge out my eyeballs with a hot soldering iron:


1) Any Go Daddy commercial, especially those promising a titillating conclusion too racy for broadcast TV which can be found on their website. Has anyone actually gone to the site after the TV tease to "see what happens next" to poor indignant Danica Patrick or worse yet, Joan Rivers?





2) The "unsuspecting" car owner ambush "news conferences." What ad agency convinced the car makers that these were anything more than incredibly annoying. And, is it really necessary to annoy us twenty times during a football broadcast?





3) Any Progressive commercial featuring "Flo."





4) Finally, the gazelle.com cartoon-faced woman. Jeez! Cut somebody back on her Ritalin dose.

[The GMT Master]

Be glad you don't have to put up with the Go Compare man:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_-9QFvhQWo

[joeychitwood]

This is my idea of an effective commercial. Michael Imperioli and 1800 Tequila

[Route 66]

This is why I record programs to my DVR prior to watching them and then fast forward through the commercials.

[Lion]

Personally I think most commercials are aggravating and useless!!!

[Sarajevo]

But the fact that we are talking about them might mean they are working.

I think Senor Go Compare needs to disappear forever.

[joeychitwood]

Originally Posted by Sarajevo

But the fact that we are talking about them might mean they are working.

I'm not so sure. I wouldn't buy a Go Daddy product if it was the last web host on Earth just because I find them so irritating.

[Sarajevo]

Valid point; neither would I (even if they operated in the UK). They may assess that it is worth spending advertising money to gain brand recognition.

[wesdaniel]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

If you think TV commercials just can't get any more stupid, keep watching, as the bar keeps dropping. These are among the commercials that make me want to gouge out my eyeballs with a hot soldering iron:
3) Any Progressive commercial featuring "Flo."

I actually enjoyed the early Flo commercials. And liked the recent one with the robot. The problem is that they've worn out the character.

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

this is my idea of an effective commercial. michael imperioli and 1800 tequila

x2

[CashGap]

Best...

Mayhem.

I'm On A Horse.

And who could forget this one...

[jmv23]

i agree on any Flo commercials...i wanted to shoot my TV

[threemonkeys]

Originally Posted by CashGap

And who could forget this one...

Oh no you di'int.

[CashGap]

Originally Posted by threemonkeys

Oh no you di'int.

I roll ol' skool

[GradyPhilpott]

Commercials are one of the big reasons I killed my TV.

Bad programming can be avoided, but it's not easy and commercials are just impossible to avoid.

Twenty minutes out of every hour is commercials.

The very fact that we are talking about these "bad" commercials is what makes them good.

Regardless of what anyone may think, TV exists for one purpose and one purpose only and it is not to inform, educate, or entertain.

It is to modify behavior. Anything else is just a side effect.

[Chozn1]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

Commercials are one of the big reasons I killed my tv.

Regardless of what anyone may think, TV exists for one purpose and one purpose only and it is not to inform, educate, or entertain.

It is to modify behavior. Anything else is just a side effect.

Which behavior(s)? I think I agree, just want to make sure. Also, what do you do to fill the time?

[Mickey®]

Flo, The Gecko and The Cavemen gotta go.

[mtrunner]

DVR is the best invention in the world. Now I can just fast forward through the commercials. Unfortunately you can't do that during sporting events though. So I have to sit through all these painful commercials.

[gypsy jim]

I miss Vince.

[mtrunner]

[QUOTE=gypsy jim;2998469]I miss Vince.

Don't worry Vince is BACK!

He is now selling the schticky roller. Pretty funny.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYHNA...layer_embedded

[kareemthedream33]

Those commercials may be annoying but they are incredibly successfully marketing campaigns that each company would do again in a heartbeat.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by Chozn1

Which behavior(s)? I think I agree, just want to make sure. Also, what do you do to fill the time?

There would be no TV programming were it not for sponsors.

With the exception of public television, which is a great big bag of worms in its own right, sponsors want you to buy their product.

Therefore at the very minimum, sponsors want to modify your buying behavior.

As for slanted journalism and politically-charged entertainment, I'll leave that to your discretion.

The internet, reading, bowling, biking, my CAF wing and such fill my time and I don't have that blathering going on in the background incessantly and I save myself at least $70 a month.

[threemonkeys]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

Commercials are one of the big reasons I killed my TV.

Bad programming can be avoided, but it's not easy and commercials are just impossible to avoid.

Twenty minutes out of every hour is commercials.

The very fact that we are talking about these "bad" commercials is what makes them good.

Regardless of what anyone may think, TV exists for one purpose and one purpose only and it is not to inform, educate, or entertain.

It is to modify behavior. Anything else is just a side effect.

I'm not only a fan, but I also work for a public TV station here in the states. Inform, Involve, Inspire is actually our tag line and we deliver on the goods with our quality, commercial-free content.

Once you get used to public media (radio or TV), it's hard to go back to the wasteland (IMO) that is commercial television.

We now return to this thread currently in progress.

[seand442]

I cannot remember a single thing I have bought based on a tv commercial. I can think of many things I will not buy because of a commercial.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by The GMT Master

Be glad you don't have to put up with the Go Compare man:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_-9QFvhQWo

That commercial is a little over the top, but pretty creative compared to most commercials over here.

It is funny to me that the person who posted that commercial to YouTube notes that the tune is annoying and will stick in your head.

I have to wonder if he knows that the tune is from the song "Over There" by George M. Cohan and was all the rage during WWI, when all the "boys" were going "over there."

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by threemonkeys

I'm not only a fan, but I also work for a public TV station here in the states. Inform, Involve, Inspire is actually our tag line and we deliver on the goods with our quality, commercial-free content.

I'm sorry to say that after years of watching public television and listening to public radio, I had to give it up because of the political slant of much of the programming.

To the extent that extent that PBS, NPR, APR, etc., are funded by listeners, I'm all for it for those who are interested, but I have to say that I don't like the idea of taxpayer funds being used in this venue.

I hope you will understand my point of view and not take umbrage at my having expressed it here.

[oneillba]

I was just saying to my wife... what's the deal with commercials that still feature monkeys and orangutans? If it has a monkey in it -- I'm out of there!

[wantonebad]

I hate all commercials! The ones that are funny get over played or not played enough, how can that be? Not sure it's late. The ones that aren't funny get drilled into your brain. All commercials as a collective entity, suck

[Route 66]

Originally Posted by mtrunner

DVR is the best invention in the world. Now I can just fast forward through the commercials. Unfortunately you can't do that during sporting events though. So I have to sit through all these painful commercials.

I have to disagree. I set the DVR to record the games and start watching them only after they've been on for 30-45 minutes. This gives me the opportunity to zip though a good portion of the commercials.

[HL65]

Love the Cavemen!! The Orapko one with him getting to go game as cheerleader hilarious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW-x07tPUtw