Archive for the ‘Super Bowl ads’ Category
Who’s that actress in the Planters cashew ad?
Monday, April 7th, 2008Here’s another ad that debuted during the Super Bowl but has been getting a lot of airtime lately.
This Planters Nuts spot, which develops as the Frankie Valli version of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” builds, features a somewhat plain looking redhead sporting an obvious unibrow, way too much blue eyeshadow and a conservative pink ensemble. As she steps onto an elevator she gets a flirtatious nod and laugh from a dapper young man.
She leaves and walks out onto the street, prompting some stares from the doorman and another guy who crashes through a glass door. She’s ogled at a coffee shop and on a bus, before we see her dabbing a Planters cashew as if it’s perfume on her neck, her wrist and her cleavage.
So who is this unibrowed woman that everyone’s going ga-ga over? It’s actress Christa
Woomer, and she has her own Web site featuring her biography, her resume and some pictures that are - um - much more flattering than her unibrow look. She also has her own My Space page.
Christa’s biography says she lives to make people laugh, and she’s obviously succeeded with this commercial spot. Everyone I’ve talked to about this ad describes it as funny - a bit creepy - yet very funny.
Mean Joe Greene Coca Cola ad another icon of the Myron Cope Terrible Towel era
Wednesday, February 27th, 2008In light of the news today regarding the passing of former Pittsburgh Steelers announcer Myron Cope, we reminisce about a classic Coca Cola commercial from the famed Terrible Towel era featuring Mean Joe Greene.
Steelers fans can thank Cope for coming up with the yellow Terrible Towel waved by crowds during the Steelers’ heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. This 1979 Mean Joe Greene “Have a Coke and a smile” commercial - in which a young kid offers an injured, limping Greene his Coke - is another icon of that era.
After downing the Coke, Green says, “Hey kid, catch,” and tosses him his game jersey, prompting a, “Wow, thanks Mean Joe,” from the smiling child.
Dwyane Wade walks the planks for Gatorade G2
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008Gatorade hypes its new lower-calorie G2 sports drink in an ad featuring the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade. I thought this ad was originally slated to debut during the Super Bowl, but only the Derek Jeter version ran that Sunday.
The commercial shows Wade walking down a darkened Miami street as the bass rift from Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” plays. As Wade takes each step, basketball planks fold in from out of nowhere and interconnect to transform the street into a basketball court.
Wade then gulps down some G2 before meeting up with friends in front of an classic-style theater. The tag line is: “You’re always an athlete. Hydrate like one.”
I really like the effects in this commercial, which is understated yet effective.
HD-DVD missing Super Bowl ad
Sunday, February 10th, 2008I was ready to write about this HD-DVD ad on Super Bowl Sunday, but I never saw it. It didn’t air in my TV market, and apparently that happened in some others as well.
Toshiba spent a pretty penny to hype its high-def movie format during this 30-second ad that says after we’re done watching the game in HD, we should watch DVD movies in HD.
Toshiba hyped its format just a half-month after dramatically slashing prices on its HD-DVD players in light of some movie studio defections to the competing Sony Blu-ray format. No, there’s not a plaid-jacket-wearing salesman yelling, “Everything must go!” but some in the industry have speculated that it might be a giant clearance sale.
No word yet if Sony plans to counter by running ads hyping the Betamax.
Jumper cables on nipples … oh, that’s just wrong!
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
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A fat hairy guy straps jumper cables to his nipples in this rather disturbing ad for AMP Energy Drink.
The tow truck driver shows up, clips the cables to his nips and a bunch of speakers emerge from the truck. When “Push It” by Salt-n-Pepa begins to play, he starts dancing dorkily, then stops and motions for the frightened woman in the car to try to turn it over.
She can’t get it started, so the tow truck driver takes a sip of an Amp Energy Drink and dances a bit harder. His nipples spark, and the car starts.
This is just wrong! But it is funny.
Thank God for the “Warning. Do Not Attempt.”
Adriana Lima flirts with us in Victoria’s Secret ad
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008Hyundai essentially asks for Ad Meter slams
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
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Hyundai’s second ad for its new Genesis luxury car acknowledges that the commercial might not be what Super Bowl viewers are looking for.
Over a soft and slow piano track, the car is shown from various angles while sitting on a large metallic turnstile, which then directs the Genesis onto what looks like a futuristic launch tube.
Actor Jeff Bridges, once again narrating, tells us, “We’re not sure what the USA Today Ad Meter will say about this ad tomorrow. But we’re pretty sure Mercedes, BMW and Lexus aren’t going to like it very much.”
Accompanying graphics say that the Genesis is more spacious than a BMW 7-series but priced like a 3 series.
Well I, too, am not sure what the USA Today Ad Meter will say about the spot, but I can guarantee that execs at the paper and owner Gannett Co. are just plain giddy getting a free mention in a $2.7 million spot.
Will you please mention Word From Our Sponsor next year?
Jackie Moon is a Bud Light man
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008New Line Cinema and Bud Light crosspromote in this add featuring Will Ferrell as Jackie Moon, a big-hair 70s basketball player for the Flint Tropics.
Ferrell tries to stray from the script with some Bud Light promo lines.
“A lot of sweat goes into every bottle. Not literally. That would be gross. But you know what I mean.”
“Cut!”
“Refreshes the palette, and the loins.”
“Cut!”
“Bud Light. Suck One.”
“CUT!!!!!!”
We like Will Ferrell, so we’ll probably see “Semi-Pro” when it comes out. But we’re not rating this commercial, because we said we’re not doing movie ads.
Black Lab laps for Gatorade
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
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Obviously a dog lover made this new ad for Gatorade.
It features a large, sloppy black Labrador Retriever lapping for more than 20 of the commercial’s 30 seconds in a stainless steel water dish.
We then see the tag line, “Man’s best friend,” with three bottles of Gatorade in front.
Cute dog and not a bad ad, but not exactly Super Bowl debut quality.
