Car Commercials, the good, the bad, and the annoying!

ab348

stickguy said:

ab348 said:

The longer Cadillac Style ad video linked just captures the end of the '80s so well with the people shown in terms of style and image. Music was very '80s too with the sax solo.

Besides, who wouldn't want a hot blonde in an evening dress on the roof of your Fleetwood sedan?

Me. leads to dents and scratches!

That's all part of the fun! Oh, you meant on the car...

ab348

Don't know if this is exclusively Canadian but there is a commercial for the Jeep Compass running now that features a nav system female voice narrating some of what I guess is "life advice" while constantly saying "recalculating" after every phrase. Really, really annoying ad.

fintail

Haven't noticed that one, thankfully.

I have noticed Toyota is still airing the hell out of the "aggressively sophisticated" Highlander spots. The last thing we need is the typical Highlander buyer putting down their coffee and phone, and being aggressive.

stickguy

we have the recalculating ad too.

carnaught

The recalculating ad is here also, one of the most annoying.

kyfdx

carnaught said:

The recalculating ad is here also, one of the most annoying.

Saw it tonight, and realized it has been around for awhile. Never bothered me, until it was brought up. Now, I find it very irritating. Thanks!

Michaell

What are you all doing watching commercials? Don't you time shift your tv watching?

kyfdx

Michaell said:

What are you all doing watching commercials? Don't you time shift your tv watching?

Sporting events

stickguy

Michael, that entails picking up the remote and pushing the buttons. So much work, and sometimes I am otherwise occupied!

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

What are you all doing watching commercials? Don't you time shift your tv watching?

Sporting events

I time shifted both the F1 race and Pocono. Had to stay off the iPad so as not to spoil the ending.

ab348

kyfdx said:

carnaught said:

The recalculating ad is here also, one of the most annoying.

Saw it tonight, and realized it has been around for awhile. Never bothered me, until it was brought up. Now, I find it very irritating. Thanks!

Glad to be of service.

fintail

I hope we get ads with weekly lease/financing payments like in Canada, that will confuse the bejeezus out of people.

fintail

Saw an ad this morning for the "stylish" Sienna. I mean sure, it is a good family hauler, but Toyota's use of exaggerated platitudes ("stylish" Corolla, "sporty" Camry, "aggressively sophisticated" Highlander, etc) is just comical.

andres3

fintail said:

Saw an ad this morning for the "stylish" Sienna. I mean sure, it is a good family hauler, but Toyota's use of exaggerated platitudes ("stylish" Corolla, "sporty" Camry, "aggressively sophisticated" Highlander, etc) is just comical.

well, I'm with you on "sophisticated," but the front grilles on new Toyota's and Lexii are definitely "aggressive."

ab348

When they introduced the current generation of Corolla a couple of years back their ads made it sound like it was a bargain BMW. Of course nothing could be further from the truth. The previous-gen Corollas and the Hyundai Accent are the two cars that I always dread getting behind because they inevitably seem be driven in a pokey manner and the drivers often make bonehead moves. The new Corolla is not much different - just this morning I was entering a parking lot behind one and the driver cut a curb too close. The thing caught a surprising amount of air to the point where it almost looked like it was going to roll over! Once it returned to being grounded to the ground the driver was frozen to the spot for a while, apparently in a state of shock.

andres3

ab348 said:

When they introduced the current generation of Corolla a couple of years back their ads made it sound like it was a bargain BMW. Of course nothing could be further from the truth. The previous-gen Corollas and the Hyundai Accent are the two cars that I always dread getting behind because they inevitably seem be driven in a pokey manner and the drivers often make bonehead moves. The new Corolla is not much different - just this morning I was entering a parking lot behind one and the driver cut a curb too close. The thing caught a surprising amount of air to the point where it almost looked like it was going to roll over! Once it returned to being grounded to the ground the driver was frozen to the spot for a while, apparently in a state of shock.

I think it would be beneficial if new cars safety nannies buzzards, beeps, and warning lights were programmed to give "red alerts" anytime a Toyota or Lexus is nearby.

berri

Hyperbole (or the business law term puffery) is unfortunately pretty wide open in advertising. Sad part is that this is spreading into all facets of American life today.

fintail

Aggressively offensive, maybe. Different for the sake of being different does not good design make. These won't look good in 20 years.

andres3 said:

well, I'm with you on "sophisticated," but the front grilles on new Toyota's and Lexii are definitely "aggressive."

fintail

Corollas attract a lot of people who hate cars and hate driving, and just want to get from point A to point B without trouble. Nothing wrong with that per se, but it can lead to issues. They and similar market position cars attract the same drivers here, and I watch for and avoid them. Smallish CUVs like RAV4 and CR-V are also reason to be careful.

ab348 said:

When they introduced the current generation of Corolla a couple of years back their ads made it sound like it was a bargain BMW. Of course nothing could be further from the truth. The previous-gen Corollas and the Hyundai Accent are the two cars that I always dread getting behind because they inevitably seem be driven in a pokey manner and the drivers often make bonehead moves. The new Corolla is not much different - just this morning I was entering a parking lot behind one and the driver cut a curb too close. The thing caught a surprising amount of air to the point where it almost looked like it was going to roll over! Once it returned to being grounded to the ground the driver was frozen to the spot for a while, apparently in a state of shock.

berri

That Toyota/Lexus grille stuff - if it was a low volume brand like an Edsel it would be in old car shows down the road, but mass produced I doubt it. Mass produced fugly isn't a recipe for a future classic.

andres3

berri said:

That Toyota/Lexus grille stuff - if it was a low volume brand like an Edsel it would be in old car shows down the road, but mass produced I doubt it. Mass produced fugly isn't a recipe for a future classic.

I agree with @fintail , the Japanese designs of late seem to be different for the sake of being different, but IMHO they are bad design.

fintail

The Edsel has kitsch value, it isn't pretty (although the 60 isn't too bad), but it is a piece from an era that many associate with fun. A modern Lexus, I doubt it will stir as many similar feelings.

On a positive commercial note, I have seen the MB "Summer Event" themed ad a couple times. I instantly recognize the filming location as the Universal Studios backlot, specifically, the street from the cult classic "The Burbs". Yo Rumsfield!

tmart

To each their own, but I like the Lexus spindle grill. Whether it will be a classic or not in 30 years, I really don't care since the odds are I won't be here.

sda

fintail said:

The Edsel has kitsch value, it isn't pretty (although the 60 isn't too bad), but it is a piece from an era that many associate with fun. A modern Lexus, I doubt it will stir as many similar feelings.

On a positive commercial note, I have seen the MB "Summer Event" themed ad a couple times. I instantly recognize the filming location as the Universal Studios backlot, specifically, the street from the cult classic "The Burbs". Yo Rumsfield!

The early Edsels, though ugly, had some unique features. The rolling drum speedometer and push button transmission with the transmission buttons located in the center of the steering wheel. The later was fairly trouble prone and many were converted to a lever of some sort.

berri

I still don't think the Edsel was as bad as they now say when I look back to the times. How about the 58 Olds or 59 Buick for example. The last several years of the decade were just kind of out there I guess. But some of today's designs may be heading for a repeat!

berri

PS - I liked all those over the top designs back then - but I was younger then

fintail

Just in my eyes: 58 Olds - overdone. almost kind of a parody of itself. 59 Buick - cool. The amount of gingerbread defines a lot.

I think we are definitely in a 1957-59 kind of period when it comes to styling, in terms of volume.

Mr_Shiftright

'58 Olds--a birthday cake that got out of control

andres3

tmart said:

To each their own, but I like the Lexus spindle grill. Whether it will be a classic or not in 30 years, I really don't care since the odds are I won't be here.

Your heirs will have to sell it off if you put it in your will though.

fintail

Saw a commercial for the "stylish and fun to drive" Corolla.

roadburner

I see Hyundai has adopted the "Our customers are complete and utter morons- you can be one too!" advertising strategy- as seen here.

imidazol97

I like the slogan at the end, "Better drives us."
They're saying there are better cars out there, and that drives them to try to improve.

ab348

I figured that ad was directed at Red Sox fans familiar with how that tune gets used at Fenway.

fintail

Dorky details in that one. If I saw a Sonata against the Kansas City skyline with CA plates and no frames, I would assume rental car. A lot of these will go that route. Irritating spot.

berri

I recently had a new Sonata rental. It wasn't bad actually for what it is and got near 40mpg on the Interstate. Seemed competitive to the Altima and Malibu rentals.

fintail

Mahk is back

GM must have signed a huge contract with the Real People Not! Actors ad agency, they just keep coming.

berri

Personally, I think those commercials are already over in effectiveness. More of the same, more of the same...

ab348

Here in Canada, Hyundai runs ads that are a mixture of good and bad. The bad are a series of "How Does Hyundai Do It?" ads that started with this one, and which have gotten even more absurd since, with these 3 guys breaking into a showroom and other silliness:

How Does Hyundai Do It?

But occasionally they come up with one I like, such as this one:

Hyundai Tucson

Mr_Shiftright

Why does Hyundai want its customers to kill themselves?

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

Why does Hyundai want its customers to kill themselves?

Clueless youth seem to like taking risks.

andres3

ab348 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Why does Hyundai want its customers to kill themselves?

Clueless youth seem to like taking risks.

Sounds like you just zeroed in on what Chrysler/Fiat's slogan and marketing campaign should be!

Young? Fun? Cool? Take a big risk and gamble with a new Chrysler or Fiat today!

Mr_Shiftright

Well buying a Fiat does seem to be like jumping out of a plane, that's true. Could be fun, could be awful.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

Well buying a Fiat does seem to be like jumping out of a plane, that's true. Could be fun, could be awful.

I'd rather go on that "fair" roller coaster type spinning ride that broke apart, crashed, and killed at least one, maiming more. Insurance claims being filed right now I'm sure.

sda

Mazda is doing similar commercials as Chevy now.. Disguising the car's name plate and logos, and then having the surprised driver peel it off and exclaim it was their favorite. Enough already.

fintail

"I've always trusted Mazda", yet you couldn't recognize a barely-masked Mazda 6. Eyeroll.

Mr_Shiftright

I thought that State Farm commercial with the guy taking the bus day and night until he gets his new truck was well-produced.

tmart

Haven't seen that one.

Mr_Shiftright

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5nac7Sh-nk

tmart

Thanks! It is good.

ab348

I've not seen that one either. I wonder if it is in regional use only.