You know how sometimes you see an actor or actress and they look so familiar, but you can't remember where you saw him or her, or what the TV show was? That's how I've been with the little boy who plays Brick on The Middle. His name is Atticus Shaffer, and since the ABC sitcom began this fall, I've been scratching my head over him. Where did I see him before?
Turns out that it was on a commercial for AIG. Yes, AIG, that huge insurance company that was a big part of the economic collapse. The company that was too big for America to let fail.
The commercial is 38 seconds long. Try to figure out what it's about before it's revealed around the 25 second mark. It's filmed like an investigative news report or maybe an old cop show. Are those hookers? Who jumps out of the van? What's with the gross blob guy?
We all remember and love the Folgers TV commercial from the early 80's that featured Peter coming home from college (or maybe prison or being stranded on an island, it's never really explained). I don't know why Folgers doesn't just run this ad every year people love it so much, but they don't. In fact, this morning I saw a new Folgers Christmas commercial that is very similar to the Peter ad: guy gets dropped off at his home, his sister is up first, and then the parents smell the coffee and get out of bed and come down to greet him. It's just not the same though.
Here's the old ad (and here's an interview with Greg Wrangler, who played Peter). Can't find the new one online yet but I'll post it when I can.
If Mad Men is any indication of what its like to work in the real advertising world, then the writing process alone must cause more migraines than swimming in radioactive sewage.
That's still no excuse for stealing material, if that is in fact the case with this British ad. UK comic Micky Flanagan claims an ad agency stole a joke from his act for a phone service commercial and is a stone's throw away from filing a lawsuit. Punchline Magazine posted videos of the joke and the ad. Is this just a coincidence or is the ad pulling a Carlos Mencia?
Marge Simpson's spread in Playboy was a groundbreaking moment for cartoon women everywhere. Her sensual skin pics paved new ground for the "feminine-animated."
She told the world that the women of animation aren't just vehicles for humor or straight characters to set up punchlines for the males on the paper. She helped us realize they have thoughts, feelings, emotions and yes, even urges that make them unique, infinitely interesting and utterly fascinating. They are, as Dr. Frasier Crane so eloquently put it, "like a fine wine: always intoxicated, ever surprising and only getting better with age."
And so, for the cause of gender equality and female empowerment, here are the ten cartoon chicks who should pose naked because it would be righteously awesome.
You don't see George Clooney doing commercials in the U.S. (except for some voice overs) but like a lot of celebrities he does them overseas. Like this ad for Nestle Nespresso.
It's never explained, however, why John Malkovich is greeting him in heaven. Unless it's not supposed to be Malkovich and is just a character he's playing.
[via Adfreak]
If you're a fan of the band Weezer and the laziness empowerment blanket the Snuggie and have been hoping for a way to combine the two, you're in luck.
Weezer fans might have been curious to know why the band was wearing the popular blanket during last Friday's Late Show with David Letterman performance. The band has not only released a new line of the sleeved blanket, but they also have their own legitimate infomercial that tells you how you can buy the band's new CD Raditude and your own "Weezer Snuggie." WARNING: After watching this video, the phrase "Weezer Snuggie" will not leave your brain for at least the next three hours. Viewer discretion is advised.
Now, I'm a natural skeptic when it comes to studies like this. I always wonder how the question was asked, the specifics, is the respondent lying or over/understating something, etc, but I often find myself not fast forwarding through ads because I'm doing something else at the time (writing an episode review, for example). How about you?
Have you seen the strange Quiznos commercial that shows two people in a "hillbilly hot tub"? It's one of the weirdest ads I've seen in a long time, especially since they're showing a most unappetizing image in an effort to make a hot steak sandwich with melted cheese look good. What is this supposed to be, then, aversion therapy?
The voice over suggest that this vision is so "hot" that it's tantalizing. He says, "That hillbilly hot tub looks dangerous -- and hot. But not as hot as the new double cheese cheesesteak."
Tuesday's Daily Show with Jon Stewart brought a pressing and shocking concern to my eyes, something the American people as a whole have largely ignored: the ridiculous ad for the Shake Weight.
Most exercise infomercials are already crazy and unintentionally hilarious in and of themselves, but this ad deserves the Mark Twain Prize.
The other day I posted the DirecTV ad featuring footage of Chris Farley and new footage of David Spade, and I opined that it was a "worst commercial of the year" nominee. I also mentioned that it might be "too soon."
To clarify, when I said "too soon" I didn't mean that it was too soon after Farley's death (he died 12 years ago). I meant that it's odd seeing a young, contemporary celebrity in an ad (which DirecTV also did with Heather O'Rourke - that was worse), especially one where he is interacting with a costar who is doing the scene in the present day. My other point was "how the hell is this going to sell DirecTV to anyone?" (and "boy is this ad unfunny").
My favorite James Bond is still Sean Connery. Second is Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan is third, and Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby tie for fourth. Roger Moore? He just didn't do it for me (though a lot of that was because he was a victim of the 70s - bad clothes, way too much humor, and Bond in space because of Star Wars). Now Moore is doing ads for the British post office.
The odd thing? This is pretty much how lively Moore was in A View To A Kill.
In this British ad, a guy walks around his apartment and slowly takes his clothes off. It's all to remind people to set their clocks back one hour. Even though people in the UK did it last week, this can be your reminder do to set your clocks back here in the U.S. this Sunday morning.
Have you seen the new ads for the new TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age? It stars Ray Romano, Scott Bakula, and Andre Braugher as husbands and dads dealing with middle age. It has been announced that Robert Loggia will play Romano's dad on the show. He's one of those actors that's great in everything he does and it's cool to have him in this show and in that recent Apple ad.
But instead of that ad I'll post this classic from the early 90s. If you say so Mr. Loggia!
There's something to be said about a jingle that gets in your head and you can't forget it. "I am stuck on Band-Aids, so Band-Aid's stuck on me..." remains imprinted on my brain to this day (and did you know that Barry Manilow wrote that?). Well, there's a current commercial that has a song that's wormed it's way into my noggin, only I can't stand it.
Before I tell you more and present the video, I want to go on record saying that I like the idea of the ad. It's a collaboration between Dove and Wal-Mart, presenting real women. The thought is that there is Real Beauty in real women, not models or celebrities, but just everyday people.
You know how sometimes you see an actor or actress and they look so familiar, but you can't remember where you saw him or her, or what the TV show was? That's how I've been with the little boy who plays Brick on The Middle. His name is Atticus Shaffer, and since the ABC sitcom began this fall, I've been scratching my head over him. Where did I see him before? 
Have you seen 
The other day I posted the 
There's something to be said about a jingle that gets in your head and you can't forget it. "I am stuck on Band-Aids, so Band-Aid's stuck on me..." remains imprinted on my brain to this day (and did you know that Barry Manilow wrote that?). Well, there's a current commercial that has a song that's wormed it's way into my noggin, only I can't stand it. 
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
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