I don't actually have cable anymore. There just doesn't seem to be anything worth watching that I can't find online or on Netflix. The only thing I actually miss are commercials.
I know that sounds strange. Who likes commercials? Daddy taught me when I was relatively young how to record and pause programs on TV to avoid wasting tape on stupid ads about feminine hygiene or Slim Jims.
But, once in a while, there's something touching or smart, and the commercial finally succeeds in its original goal: To convince you to buy their product. Most of us roll our eyes and skim over the ads that pop up online and leave the room for a bathroom break when commercials air between episodes of Seinfeld (I'm showing my ignorance for what's on TV now... I didn't even watch Seinfeld when it was popular).
So, I'll just share with you some old favorites and some new smart spots.
This first link will take you to an old Folgers commercial. I think I've heard that this one has been preserved and it is still aired during the winter holidays (probably starting now, even though we have yet to get through Thanksgiving).
Folgers Christmas with Peter
Remember that one? How simple and sweet. College boy gets a ride home Christmas morning. His little sister wakes up at the sound of the car door and runs downstairs. She hugs her brother and tells him that everyone else is still sleeping. Peter assures her that he can wake everyone up and takes her by the hand to the kitchen. Together they make a pot of coffee and the scent wafts throughout the house inspiring the rest of the household to get out of bed. Of course, everyone sees that Peter's home and then... well, admit it. We all just go to teary-eyed pieces! The feeling is so familiar for us all... we all miss someone around this time of year. Especially as we get older and our families become bigger and more spread out, it hits home so much harder to watch another family finally have their reunion with a distant loved one.
During my summer in France, I had plenty of chances to watch French TV. There are no interruptions of the regular programs. Commercials are aired between shows. There is also an entire station devoted just to the ads. I fell in love with two commercials in particular. The first one, of all things, is an ad for Tic Tac.
A guy wakes up with his buddy, George. George is an abominable snowman, a yeti. His purpose is to walk around with his human on hot days and "refresh" him by shaking his snowy fur and showering his friend with cool water drops. However, as the human soon discovers, George is not very practical for getting around in Paris. So, instead, he sends George back to his icy home and buys himself some Tic Tacs. I adore this commercial. It's just so ridiculous.
My other favorite French commercial is specific to the 2006 World Cup competition. I never really cared for sports, but in France, it's impossible not to get caught up in the passion these people have for the game. The whole world erupts. You can hear streets fill with voices and cheering whenever France wins a game.
So, we have some people hitching a ride with a Frenchman. You're not sure why a bunch of weird people are saying Allez les Bleus (Go Blues!) until you see the driver. If you want a ride, you have to cheer for his team. For the gentleman with the drum at the end of the commercial, this is obviously asking for a great deal... The simplicity of this ad, the pain of the supporters for other teams, is funny and memorable.
I like commercials that give a different look or sound to typical ads. Most of the time you hear pop music, elevator music, or bastardized classic music. You hear a voice over, see a pretty girl, and someone tells you why you need a certain product. In the following commercial, there's none of the very typical elements of advertising.
I actually went out and tried one of these... interesting little soy bars just because I enjoyed the commercial. Someone wrote some semi-funky music to play behind a plain cartoon girl walking along a path. She's not particularly pretty... you probably doodled a version of her in elementary school when you were bored in math class. This girl, who could be any average person, takes a bite of Soy Joy and feels a burst of sweet spontaneity. She joins in with some children (and their pets) for some jump rope and then brazenly kisses a perfect stranger on the mouth and walks away. Aside from the fun animation, it's a smart message to attach to any product. This healthy little snack will have you living life to the fullest in no time, so the ad seems to say...
Last, but not least, my current favorite: I saw this in the movie theater recently, so it's the only example of an up to date ad that I can share.
The best commercials don't need to say very much. They let the images speak for themselves. Here is this geeky little dog with glasses sipping Coca-Cola in a subway car and "talking" out loud. All the "talking" in this commercial is just sound. For the dog, his speech is a half-bark, half-record scratching noise. The subway stops and a gigantic muscle man comes into the car and sits down by the dog. He opens a bottle of Coke and starts "talking" aloud, too. His "talking sound" is an electric guitar. Their speech bubbles begin to blend and they clink glass bottles as friends. I like these opposite characters bonding over soda. It's a great image for us all, to find something that unites us rather than points out our stark and brutal differences. No words necessary to get the point across. Just "Open happiness."
Any great commercials out now that I shouldn't be missing? (And please, don't direct me to the weird Cadbury Gorilla... or that awful walk-in closet commercial for Heineken... Or the outpost.com gerbil cannon... ugh...)
Remember that one? How simple and sweet. College boy gets a ride home Christmas morning. His little sister wakes up at the sound of the car door and runs downstairs. She hugs her brother and tells him that everyone else is still sleeping. Peter assures her that he can wake everyone up and takes her by the hand to the kitchen. Together they make a pot of coffee and the scent wafts throughout the house inspiring the rest of the household to get out of bed. Of course, everyone sees that Peter's home and then... well, admit it. We all just go to teary-eyed pieces! The feeling is so familiar for us all... we all miss someone around this time of year. Especially as we get older and our families become bigger and more spread out, it hits home so much harder to watch another family finally have their reunion with a distant loved one.
During my summer in France, I had plenty of chances to watch French TV. There are no interruptions of the regular programs. Commercials are aired between shows. There is also an entire station devoted just to the ads. I fell in love with two commercials in particular. The first one, of all things, is an ad for Tic Tac.
A guy wakes up with his buddy, George. George is an abominable snowman, a yeti. His purpose is to walk around with his human on hot days and "refresh" him by shaking his snowy fur and showering his friend with cool water drops. However, as the human soon discovers, George is not very practical for getting around in Paris. So, instead, he sends George back to his icy home and buys himself some Tic Tacs. I adore this commercial. It's just so ridiculous.
My other favorite French commercial is specific to the 2006 World Cup competition. I never really cared for sports, but in France, it's impossible not to get caught up in the passion these people have for the game. The whole world erupts. You can hear streets fill with voices and cheering whenever France wins a game.
So, we have some people hitching a ride with a Frenchman. You're not sure why a bunch of weird people are saying Allez les Bleus (Go Blues!) until you see the driver. If you want a ride, you have to cheer for his team. For the gentleman with the drum at the end of the commercial, this is obviously asking for a great deal... The simplicity of this ad, the pain of the supporters for other teams, is funny and memorable.
I like commercials that give a different look or sound to typical ads. Most of the time you hear pop music, elevator music, or bastardized classic music. You hear a voice over, see a pretty girl, and someone tells you why you need a certain product. In the following commercial, there's none of the very typical elements of advertising.
I actually went out and tried one of these... interesting little soy bars just because I enjoyed the commercial. Someone wrote some semi-funky music to play behind a plain cartoon girl walking along a path. She's not particularly pretty... you probably doodled a version of her in elementary school when you were bored in math class. This girl, who could be any average person, takes a bite of Soy Joy and feels a burst of sweet spontaneity. She joins in with some children (and their pets) for some jump rope and then brazenly kisses a perfect stranger on the mouth and walks away. Aside from the fun animation, it's a smart message to attach to any product. This healthy little snack will have you living life to the fullest in no time, so the ad seems to say...
Last, but not least, my current favorite: I saw this in the movie theater recently, so it's the only example of an up to date ad that I can share.
The best commercials don't need to say very much. They let the images speak for themselves. Here is this geeky little dog with glasses sipping Coca-Cola in a subway car and "talking" out loud. All the "talking" in this commercial is just sound. For the dog, his speech is a half-bark, half-record scratching noise. The subway stops and a gigantic muscle man comes into the car and sits down by the dog. He opens a bottle of Coke and starts "talking" aloud, too. His "talking sound" is an electric guitar. Their speech bubbles begin to blend and they clink glass bottles as friends. I like these opposite characters bonding over soda. It's a great image for us all, to find something that unites us rather than points out our stark and brutal differences. No words necessary to get the point across. Just "Open happiness."
Any great commercials out now that I shouldn't be missing? (And please, don't direct me to the weird Cadbury Gorilla... or that awful walk-in closet commercial for Heineken... Or the outpost.com gerbil cannon... ugh...)
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