The Los Angeles Clippers Are Hot: Chris Paul/State Farm And Blake Griffin/Kia

The Clippers. Long the laughingstock of the NBA and LA’s distant second fiddle, the Clips have the league’s best record and are currently riding a 16 game winning streak. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are big reasons for the turnaround. And they’re getting commercial time now. State Farm has an ad getting rave reviews which tells the story of Chris Paul and his identical twin separated at birth, Cliff. They were both born to assist…Chris on the basketball court, and Cliff as a State Farm agent.

And Kia’s campaign featuring Blake Griffin continues. In these, the always deadpan Griffin travels back in time to give his ’90s child self advice. The spots come complete with classic/crappy songs of the era…Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It”, OMC’s “How Bizarre”, and Eiffel 65′s “Blue.” Stop wearing jean shorts. Haha!

Remembering 9/11: Spike Lee And Empire State Of Mind

I wrote about this video when it came out. And now, a year later on the 11th anniversary of 9/11, it seems like a good time to revisit. Spectacular work…I love that it doesn’t come across as an ad. The viewer isn’t aware that it was sponsored by State Farm until the last few seconds. And of course, watching this has added significance now that I live in New York City.

State Farm: Kerry Wood Finds Andre Dawson In The Ivy

State Farm’s “State Of” campaign continues. It’s still a solid campaign…though it’s gotten a little old as commercial after commercial have been made. Here’s a new spot that premiered during the MLB All-Star Game. It involves recently retired Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood combing through Wrigley Field’s famous ivy and finding some interesting objects. And then he digs out…Andre Dawson! Because “Finding Andre. Good. Finding Discounts. Better.” A funny spot, and one that I’m sure was a big hit in Chicago.

State Farm Doesn’t Think You Should Believe Everything On The Internet

That State Farm Pocket Agent App looks pretty cool. The girl is quite attractive…looks kinda like Michelle Beadle (it’s actually Mariel Booth). And it’s another commercial case of an online dating doofus guy. He’s got a fanny pack! He’s not really a French model! But I bet this ad would be panned if the woman was the defective one…

State Farm: LeBron Wants You To Graduate

I know this commercial has been around since the beginning of the NBA season, but it’s one that I never wrote about. It’s got a great message to stay in school and it’s hard to argue with the “life is too short to sleep through it” line. Really…every 26 seconds? That’s gotta be some sort of average, since I don’t think many kids are dropping out at 4 AM. But what always cracks me up is the part with the cheesy music and LeBron just chillin in the back of the classroom with nobody noticing.

State Farm Takes A Journey

We’ve already seen ’80s nostalgia from State Farm. This one also builds on their accessibility. The song at the end, of course, is “Any Way You Want It” by Journey.

State Farm: Now Clay Matthews Has His Own Move

State Farm is now acknowledging that the Aaron Rodgers Discount Double Check has jumped the shark. So now Aaron Rodgers’ teammate Clay Matthews has a new version with more RRRR. And the Cheesehead guy is now on the Matthews bandwagon. These are getting kinda old, don’t you think? What happens if the Packers lose…will they still be aired? Though the “he plays football…professionally” line from that awkward dude who’s always on VH1 shows is pretty funny.

State Farm Has B.J. Raji Dancing And Aaron Rodgers Confused

In this second “State of Imitation” spot, Aaron Rodgers comes in and finds his teammate B.J. Raji doing his touchdown dance/Discount Double Check. But then B.J. Raji adds his own flavor, and hilarity ensues. Aaron Rodgers looks befuddled and upset. The couple still think he’s a dancer too. Even the Cheesehead guy is now doing the Raji Discount Double Check.

DirecTV Sez: Don’t Wake Up In A Roadside Ditch

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you spent it with friends, family, and perhaps your favorite intoxicating substance (whatever that might be). Now then…to what is a VERY early contender for funniest commercial of the year, by DirecTV.

So apparently, cable causes major life problems. It’s fun to look at how advertising influences future advertising. I see a clear parallel between this DirecTV spot and Old Spice’s The Man Your Man Could Smell Like. Both have surreal and compelling copy and you WANT to see where they’re going. And “don’t wake up in a roadside ditch” is one of the most memorable lines of the last few years, up there with “I’m on a horse” or “And can I get a hot tub?” When you’re watching the game with people and a commercial has everyone laughing, you know it’s a keeper. Thank you for cracking me up, DirecTV.

Bonus videos: So this is an ongoing campaign. Here’s the dog collar one and the animal hoarder one. Not quite as spot-on, but still amusing.

The 2011 Joshys: Part III

Parts I and II

The Joshy Grammy Award: Best music in a commercial. These were good ads to start with, but the music took them over the top.

Winner: Buick LaCrosse’s “Garage” featuring “Stars” by Girls Love Shoes

Dashboard looks very nice, voiceover is smooth and informative, and the commercial is stylish all around. But man, the song bumps. “Stars” has been near the top of my Spotify most-played list for a few months now.

Honorable mention: Captain Morgan’s “Ride Home” featuring “The Passenger” by Iggy Pop

Festive, fun, and catchy are a good combination…especially for a summer commercial.

The WTF? Award: The commercials that I watched numerous times to figure out what just happened.

Winner: Old Spice’s Fabio campaign

Bizarre, and didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Apparently Old Spice then had a battle between Fabio and The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, but by that point I stopped paying attention.

Honorable mention: Walmart’s “Yodeling Cat”

The “Yodeling Cat” is creepy and weird. The original is only on YouTube, but clips of it have been used for a current Walmart TV commercial.

The Wild Cards: These commercials didn’t really fit into any of my categories, but they still deserve recognition.

State Farm’s “Empire State of Mind”

Directed by Spike Lee, this would be a strong contender for commercial of the year. Stirring, powerful, and both solemn and triumphant.

Nissan Frontier’s “Landing Gear” and Hyundai Elantra’s “Fog and Smog”

I thought these were both stupid ads, but they were this year’s #1 and #2 posts on my blog, in terms of views and comments.

Well, that’s the conclusion of The 2011 Joshys. Hope you enjoyed it! I’m going to be heading to New York City through New Year’s, so I’ll try to update occasionally, but it won’t be as often.