Question of the Day | 11/17/2008 11:00 pm
What is the most memorable television commercial you ever saw?

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TAKE ME ALONG, IF YOU LOOOOOOOOVE ME, TAKE ME ALONG!
a united airlines commercial from the 60’s………..i use to sing the song constantly, and annoy the hell out of my then husband!
;)
I’d have to say in recent years it’s the cave man commercials. not all of them… but the one where they are in the restaraunt being wined and dined by the guy for an apology… that one just cracked us up. I like the newer one with Billy Jean King where the tennis match is a total set up sponsored by Geico…
I’m surprised i even remember a SINGLE commercial as I haven’t watched a show that I didn’t tivo in years. I literally can’t sit through one. I figure i must be seeing them when my husband watches sports.
My favorite commercials were when they were still one commercial ever 15 to 30 minutes. Now, there’s as many as 10 commercials ever 7 minutes so I intentionally turn it to “mute” and watch none of them if I can avoid them. They’re always decibels higher than the program sound, as if the loudness will glue you to the commercial-has the opposite effect on me, so this is my way of protesting.
My all time favorite commercial is the Coke commercial with Mean Joe Green. “Thanks, Mean Joe”
I have not watching commericals for over 5 years - I skim past them with my advance button, when I do watch the telly, so other than immediate news on the Internet, either “switch” then “fight” if I’m on a station that pounds us with imbecillic nonesense. In that regard, I have to say that the best commercials I have seen were not in the USA - those that present a message, kept one glued to the monitor, and often left one wondering what product, if at all, the graphics were presenting.
I guess there are ads on PBS, but I only recall them as mentions of a show’s sponsors’ which is the way it should be. In fact, I’ve written to sponsors thanking them for their underwriting, and not!
Don’t bother with me, I would never purchase any items with a product (or designer’s) name visible - I’ll do it if we enter into a contract to pay me, however. Now, COACH I do permit. ;-)) I’m still mourning the loss of my COACH eggplant sling handback that I purchased in Toledo when they first presented that prize in the mid 90s.
(I have seen that “baby” and found it revolting; however, my “region” is full of those self-produced family members diatribes that are quite insulting).
My favourite TV commercial is the one “blindeforbundet” made a couple of years ago (the ones helping blind people and training dogs to lead them.) We meet this golden retriever puppy playing in his garden, but a big dog jumps over the fence and start bothering him. Tearing apart his toys, eating his food, and steeling his dog house when it rains. So we leave the puppy sitting in the cold rain, looking sad and heartbroken. And we hear “we’ll meet again” playing in the background… Then, after a year or so, we see the two dogs again. The rain is poring down and the “mean” dog is left standing on the street outside a diner, stopped by the “no dogs allowed” - sign. While through the window, we see people eating and having a good time. Then the Golden retriever comes along, he is now a trained dog, and leading his blind owner right into the diner, leaving the other dog outside alone…
It’s a really adorable commercial,
and it’s so good to see something original!!!
Ms Cooney, your favorite brings to mind the Mariette Hartley and James Garner commercials for Polaroid cameras. Great series of commercials. Remember looking forward to seeing them! Something that doesn’t happen nowadays.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H1t7yOLl4w&feature=related
Also recall a Ted Danson commercial (I think it was his first TV appearance), where he was formally dressed, had to walk toward the camera, then walk up a few steps, and dance a beautiful woman away — or something like that. He got a lot of attention, he was that good looking!
And then there are the really great and immensely successful PSAs, like the probably first one I ever heard by Smokey the Bear (you can prevent fire fires) and how about Young & Rubicam’s “A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste.” And then there’s the one that is a play on another well known psa and I saw on a highway sign when I was a teenager and only someone as old as I would understand — “When you drive, don’t drink. Accidents cause people.” Also:
crying indian
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8165024777546661764
Do you know where your children are?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wK5QAcJhRo&eurl=http://video.google.com/…
This is your brain on drugs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl5gBJGnaXs&eurl=http://video.google.com/…
“… feels so soft against your skin, makes you wish you had a double-chin.” I believe they were adverting the Gillette MicroBlade, but it’s been many a year and I haven’t shaved my face since 1978…
This puts me in mind of the old Burma shave signs that you would find on the sides of traveled roads. Some of you MUST remember them? They were rhyme sequences –––––I think about seven or so in a row spaced about a half mile apart; as kids my brother and I would make a game as to what the next sign would say. Great advertising!!
The cave man for Geico describing how he picked up his best dance moves in Prague. ‘Jazz hands, anything with jazz hands” puts me on the floor every time.
Frank
Hey friend, where the heck have you been? Yes, “from the land of sky blue waters…” I can remember.
I don’t watch TV, but I occasionally watch funny commercials on YouTube. Right now, I can’t stop laughing at this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoRD1wmvwUc (language warning)
And this one has been a favorite for several years now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fitxofd7kOA&NR=1
And this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtjW78IUgOQ&feature=related
I’ll stop now.
Being in the industry I’ve the good fortune to see the Art Directors Clubs…archives of the Master of Mad-(men)ison Ave…”where’s the beef” “I’d like to teach the world to sing” addictive jingles…to today’s clever your a Mac your a PC or beauty of RL fashion to techno savy Blue Man Group…great creative keeps coming the international ones they’re fabulous…that said, MY most memorable come from cousin Jack…whose struggling acting career launched in his 60’s, when he made his a blunder on National TV. Yells went around my home…turn on channel x, it’s cousin Jack! …. There he sat in front of a hugh bowl of pasta and utter “Mama Mia, that’s a speci spicy meat ball!” success, in real, honest flubbing of your line… : )

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