Commercial Society

Tuesday Throwback: Nike’s Lil’ Penny

joshw24 — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:57:33 +0000

Actually, I guess it’s more like Thursday Throwback today. Whatever. Anyway, the NBA playoffs got me thinking about a classic Nike campaign from the mid-’90s…Nike’s Lil’ Penny. Chris Rock voiced Lil’ Penny, who was the puppet alter ego of Penny Hardaway. There were many commercials since it was a campaign, and here’s just a few of them.

Radio Shack’s Very Suggestive Ad For The Beats Pill

joshw24 — Sun, 12 May 2013 01:32:44 +0000

It’s phallic and it knows it! The song is “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke f/ T.I. and Pharrell, and the commercial seems to be a parody version of the video.

Tuesday Throwback: Ronald McDonald Believes In Magic

joshw24 — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:17:54 +0000

So I heard the original “Do You Believe in Magic” by The Lovin’ Spoonful a few days ago, and my mind immediately went to this 1992 McDonald’s ad. Ronald McDonald lets us know that you’ll always have a friend with big red shoes (that line has always been memorable for me). It’s catchy as hell and cheesy as hell, like a whole lot of stuff from the ’80s and ’90s. Also, clowns are creepy. I’ve put up a slightly altered version of this commercial to demonstrate. Look out for the last 10 seconds.

This Sweet Commercial For Robinsons Drinks

joshw24 — Sat, 04 May 2013 21:29:41 +0000

They’re best pals. They play together, roughhouse, and help each other out. And they’re…well, that’s where the twist ending comes in. Very nice work from Robinsons Drinks, created by BBH London.

Tuesday Throwback: The Marines Chess Commercial

joshw24 — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:10:45 +0000

I think this ad provides a singular reason why I grew up thinking that the Marines were the most badass branch of the military.

Coca-Cola Shows Really Cute Young Love At A Six Flags

joshw24 — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 21:08:39 +0000

First off, I’d like to mention that Commercial Society is 2 years old today. So there’s that. I might not post as much as I used to, but I’m definitely still keeping the blog running. It’s a joy to write!

Now, Coca-Cola has a great new commercial created by Fitzgerald + Co., which I discovered through AdFreak. It’s a simple, sweet, and very cute story of a young couple with blossoming feelings for each other. Or at least, the potential for those feelings. This is the kind of ad that would play well at any time, but fares especially well as the weather warms up. I’m sure Six Flags was quite eager to be prominently featured in this spot. So here’s to falling!

Hyundai’s Bleak, Awful, (And Now Pulled) Suicide Commercial

joshw24 — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:25:12 +0000

I am not an easily offended person. I tend to crack jokes that make politically correct types uncomfortable, and I think society is overall too sensitive. So it’s not often that I see ads that not only offend me, but make me angry. I can’t believe Hyundai’s European “Pipe Job” commercial for the iX35 (created by Innocean) even got approved. Almost immediately, we see a an exhaust pipe flowing into a car with sealed windows and know exactly what’s going on (shades of Lane Pryce from Mad Men). The tension builds and builds as a man is waiting for the inevitable…and then we see why nothing is happening. The man’s suicide attempt is foiled. It’s a really dark and disturbing way to show that the car has 100% water emissions. While the ad does have some visceral appeal, it made me upset and pissed off. Suicide is not something to joke about. But the best response has come from copywriter Holly Brockwell, who lost her father to suicide in the same manner presented in the commercial. Common sense prevailed as the ad has been pulled, and Hyundai has apologized. But still, it’s crazy that this ad was ever made.

Update: Looks like Hyundai shut it down on YouTube. I can’t embed it on here, but if you really want to see it, try Adweek.

LG Does A Men’s Room Stage Fright Experiment

joshw24 — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:47:03 +0000

Stage fright. It can happen on stage and it can happen in the bathroom. I think it’s especially common in old-style men’s rooms that don’t have barriers between each urinal. Sometimes if it feels like you’re being looked at, going becomes a challenge. So LG decided to do an experiment for its “So Real It’s Scary” video campaign. Very attractive women appear on lifelike LG IPS screens to see if men have delayed pissing reactions. It’s a similar idea to LG’s popular elevator prank that debuted in October. This was filmed in Amsterdam, by the way. Quite entertaining.

New Era’s Quiet And Classy Tribute To Jackie Robinson

joshw24 — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:33:51 +0000

This New Era ad debuted on April 15, Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball. Robinson’s legacy became even more pronounced this year with the release of biopic 42, which debuted at #1 at the box office. New Era’s spot is a great piece of work. Over a calm narration, it features different people in black-and-white tipping their caps. And it’s revealed that these people are tipping their hats at a cute young boy, wearing a Jackie Robinson shirt and bright blue Brooklyn Dodgers cap (the only color in the commercial.) The boy then tips his cap when he arrives at Jackie Robinson Park (less than a mile from where I’m living in New York), and we see an impact of Robinson’s legacy. Simple, quiet, and classy.

Kmart Will Ship Your Pants

joshw24 — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:03:38 +0000

It’s kind of crazy that I hadn’t seen Kmart’s “Ship My Pants” (created by Draftfcb) until today. It’s gone wicked contagious (I’m so sick of the term “viral”) since being uploaded to YouTube on April 10. More than 10 million views…wow. According to AdFreak, “Ship My Pants” has an astonishing one share for every nine views. Anyway, the commercial itself follows the Booking.com method of copy that only sounds vulgar. But I think it does a better job. And we learn that Kmart can ship your pants, ship your drawers, ship your nighty, and ship your bed! For free! Useful, funny, and punny. A winning combination. For now it’s only online, but a TV run should be coming soon. If you haven’t already seen it, here it is. You’ll probably react like a tittering twelve year old.