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

wale_bate1

Perhaps the changing face of SUV ads?

http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/dai/2003/april/200304- - 24_dai_state.xml

I'm not much on warning labels (thinning of the herd and all that), but it's about time someone made the point that SUVs and cars ain't the same damn thing!

thenebean9

commercial is a nissan one for i think it was the 200sx. it starts off showing this older guy in his super fancy red sportscar at a gas station...he's got the gold chains, the slick poofy hair, the tan leisure-type suit and the fancy shoes. he gets out of the car, with this like funky 70's disco type music playing and winks at his girlfriend, whos busy chomping away on her gum with her big hair and jewelry and all that. well he finishes pumping gas, gets in the car, revs the engine twice, and as he does that you see the gas gauge go from full to half to empty in those two revs...quite funny! then they show the 200sx and say something about sportiness without the waste, or something. i cant remember that part...but that HAS to be my favorite commercial of all time! anyone else remember it?

caramo

But there's a Michelin tire commercial that cracks me up. The driver proudly places his Michelin man bobblehead on the dash, and becomes immensely frustrated when the ride is so smooth that his toy won't bobble. It's a riot.

lemko

...if you recall, the gas pump registered $80.00 on the display. The music in the background was "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps.

speterson1

Woman laying on tattoo table. Tattoo artist asks her, "what's your boyfriend gonna think of this?" She sorta shrugs. Then she's home admiring her lower back in the mirror in the bathroom, her boyfriend walks up, and she asks, "what do you think?" Turns around and reveals a little tattooed Ford Focus with curlicues on the sides and $199/MONTH tattooed above it!! Good grief. I know it's supposed to be humorous but it makes me roll my eyes every time. What kind of completely lame idiot would tattoo their monthly payment for ANYTHING on their body?!?!

Oh, and the kicker is after the boyfriend sees it he smiles and says, "Daddy likey!" PUHLEEZE!!

thenebean9

ha! it makes it even funnier that you remember the price on the pump. i wish i could find that commercial online somewhere so i could download it. its my favorite ever! though the one someone else mentioned with the ken and barbie dolls was funny too. "toys" its called i think, won a bunch of awards. great great commercials!

edgeta

Try this link for a very innovative add for UK Honda. Make sure your sound is on.
http://www.honda.co.uk/newcars/accord300k.html

andys120

thenebean9

don't think i've seen it, though i never thought any toyota ads were really good...wanna share?

caramo

Is that the ad where the kids come in to design it?

suvshopper4

I like the one where the Dodge pickup truck is shown going from zero to ? and smashing into a wall.

Then the doors open, two guys in NHL uniforms get out (one St Louis Blue, one Detroit Red Wing?), and in offhand voices, one says, "I've been hit harder." The other one says, "Me too."
Very funny, especially to a hockey fan.

The tag line is something like "Dodge Trucks - official drive of the NHL."

kenjabi

I like that ad too. I especially like how the hockey players have their full uniforms on, even skates!

BTW, the Blues player is Chris Pronger. Not sure who the Red Wing is.

Signed,
A depressed Caps fan

scooter71

this commercial is absolutely terrible when trying to appear cool in the eyes of generation y. the part where the guy says something similar to "...will last a lifetime, or at least until you're, like, 30" makes my stomach turn.

it's clear to me someone with gray hair was behind that.

i_luv_toyota

I hate that ad too. Funny around here all you see are old ladies driving them (yes I'm referring to the 2003 Corolla). Maybe Toyota should put a "1" in front of that "30"! Have yet to come across anyone under that magic 30 mark driving one.

I've seen younger people driving Camry (which I drive) and Avalon!

i_luv_toyota

Toyota has a series of ads going around using children in advertising the 2004 Sienna minivan.

The recent one I have seen was the one where the kids are salespeople at a Toyota dealer. I have seen them all pretty much, from the kids visiting the plant in Indiana (switched to there from Kentucky) where the Sienna is built, to the crash test one which involves strapping a young girl's dolls into the seats while the van rolls down the crashing block. I'm sure there are others.

Overall I think they're pretty creative, much better than other current Toyota ads (esp the Highlander and sales event ads).

andys120

I have a WC Fields attitude about small children.
I certainly wouldn't let them design my automobile.

suvshopper4

I didn't realize the Blue was Chris Pronger. Great player. Now I wonder who is the other player in the commercial.

Too bad about your Caps.
My Flyers are trying to come back v. the Senators at the moment. Down 2 games to 1. Fingers crossed.

Regards,
ss4

carguy58

hasn't anybody seen it? It has 2 kids sitting in the back of the car and then the father of the kids sitting in the front. I think they(2 kids and the dad) all have some kind of walkie talkie device that they are taliking to each other with if i'm right. Good commercial.

I don't see young people driving Camry's. Mostly older people drive Avalons. The last generation Avalon was driven buy a younger audience than the current generation of Avalon.

caramo

Good ol' Meatloaf. . .

ed_scott0013

I just saw an ad a few nights ago about the new RX330. The picture starts off grainy and somewhat fuzzy, showing an RX driving around. The announcer lists off the features of the new model, and then says something like:

"The new Lexus RX330 also has a rearview camera, giving it the unique ability to shoot its own commercial."

Then you know why the image is fuzzy...

swschrad

horsefeathers! you might have shot the commercial with one of those cameras, but not installed in the back of an SUV. all the cumbersomeness of a dolly crane being operated over the shoulder and sighted with a mirror, with all the zooming closeups of screaming extras disappearing with a red splash under the back bumper that you'd find in a slasher movie.

"... and the Addy award for best photography in a slasher commercial goes to... VIN number 7YBXQ123666XL!"

I do mutter about the strained hyperbole they reach wildly for in the last sentence of the Lexus commercials.......

but a backup-view system is a good idea, campers have been adding them behind their rigs for 25 years.

jaserb

Most dealer commercials absolutely stink, but there's one Chevy dealer around here who always manages to make me chuckle. Here's one:

A nice younger couple are standing in the dealership talking to the saleslady.
Wife: "Okay, so we'll take the minivan."
Husband: Waves his hands in front of the wife, and says in full Jedi mind-trick mode: "You don't want the minivan. You want the red Corvette with the leather seats and the loud stereo."
Wife: Pauses a moment, then: "So, like I said. We'll take the minivan." Shoots the husband a what-in-the-world-was-that look.
Husband: (Jedi mode completely off) "Yeah, the minivan."

Later, after the announcer's little blurb they're sitting in the van.
Husband: "The force is strong with this one." (the wife just rolls her eyes and nods).

Kinda clever, and way better than the typical screamer ad.

-Jason

suvshopper4

Only good local commercials are Toyota's, featuring a couple of popular Philly athletes being goofy.

Otherwise, it's typically the screamers or the egotistical dealership owner saying into the camera, "If you can't make a deal with us, you can't make a deal with anyone."
Bad TV.

jaserb

are the reason the good Lord invented the mute button.

Here's another good one from the same Chevy dealer:

Milquetoast guy is sitting in his Impala. There's been some sort of road rage incident, and he's stuck behind an old Ford truck. The truck driver is standing outside the Impala's driver side window, screaming at our hero...who valiantly trys to ignore the jerk. He looks straight ahead, avoiding eye contact. He sticks a crumpled up kleenex in the window over the guy's face so the jerk can't see him. But the jerk isn't going away.

Finally he looks up and sees a button, labeled "Trunk Monkey". He pushes it.

The trunk of the Impala opens. A chimp with a tire iron gets out, walks up behind the jerk, and clobbers him with the tire iron.

The announcer voice over says something like: "Cars with all sorts of useful options. You'll find them at XXX XXX Chevrolet".

The Impala driver high fives the chimp. "All right! Now, get back in the trunk."

-Jason (whose wife now wants a "Trunk monkey")

loncray

We've got a Volvo dealership near here in Alexandria, VA that has some pretty clever radio ads. Same announcer every time, and different theme each time. For example, he'll be talking bout Volvos, and many of the words are actually musical composers. You have to hear it to believe it.
Also, a few years ago a local bank had radio ads for various types of loans - with their theme music played on appropriate instruments. For home improvement loans, it was all tools - car loans was car horns. Clever and nice to listen to.

vikd

...here for a particular local dealership: It's always the same announcer guy supposedly broadcasting live from the sales floor; all kinds of noise and chatter going on in the background like the dealership is just overrun with customers who like to talk loud and not say anything discernible... Not at all clever or funny but makes me laugh every time...

Regards... Vikd

iluvmysephia1

a lot lately during NBA playoff action. The one where the dog jumps out and goes after other dogs. The Tibby driver stops and his dog goes flying in to his handsome silver Tib. He looks at his dog for a second and consoles him by saying "Told ya she already has a boyfriend". Tee-hee!

gambit293

I love the trunk monkey ad.

I see it here in Ohio. But does it really count as 'local' if it's actually airing nationally and just has a local dealership slapped on at the end?

jaserb

I thought it was done by the local Utah dealer. I do think they had a better voiceover, though.

I found it online!
http://www.wiredvideo.com/av/avclips/trunkmonkey.mpg

Still a pretty good ad.

-Jason

i_luv_toyota

Not only is the song annoying, but it seems like Toyota forgot what season it was! How can it be a summer clearance when it ends June 2nd?

i_luv_toyota

In my area, we have the cheesiest commercials. And they are both for Toyota!

First one goes "Toyota of (city), Route 5 in (city), Signature SERvice is GUARANTEEEEEEEEED!" This is aired on the radio. Sadly, this is also where I bought my RAV4.

The other is aired on TV. The dealer has never changed their graphics in over 5 years! In the background in the ending shot, you can see a Previa, Tercel, and T100s! Last I checked, they (Toyota) were not still making them.

Both these dealers are in Connecticut, BTW.

ed_scott0013

I just saw this commercial the other night and I can't stand it! For those who haven't seen it, there are two guys in a Chevy Monte Carlo (I think) and the passenger is trying to drink coffee or something. Every time the passenger is about to take a sip, the driver brakes, forcing the passenger to stop and pull the cup away from his face. The driver is creeping up to a stop light and probably does this at least 10 times.

If someone did that to me, he/she would have a coffee colored interior, whether they wanted it or not...

gambit293

And don't forget about the Nelly music in the background.

Cuz, after all, yo, Chevy's mad down with dirty south rap, yo for real. Like, the song says, "...black SS..."

Therefore, the current monte carlo must be just the most dope, phat ride, alright yo, cuz they got mentioned in a RAP song, so yo it's mad HIP! I just can't resist ... gotta go get one now... should boost my pimp factor by at least two points.

kenjabi

Just saw an ad for the VW New Beetle Convertible where a guy pulls up in the 'vert next to his friend's apartment, then he calls up to friend, and the friend jumps down into the car. The strange thing about the ad, is that it's done entirely in Spanish. The voiceovers, the text, everything...advertising "El VW New Beetle Convertible". Anyone seen the ad who knows Spanish and knows what it says?

loncray

Oh, yeah, I hate that commercial! Driver started doing that to me, I'd just hold the cup out over his lap. What sort of thing does this commercial say - "Buy a Monte Carlo and you can be a jerk to your passengers!"?
One other commercial faux-pas - the Saturn commercial ("Now Leaving College", I think) where they stop and everybody gets out and stretches - like they were darned uncomfortable stuffed in that car. Doesn't make me want to drive a Saturn ever! Though I do like the music they use.

speterson1

What speaks volumes to me is how that Saturn "leaving college" ad looks to me more like "leaving party", as evidently college is nothing but a series of frat parties and mascot mayhem.

OTOH, if I was put in charge of that ad I would have no idea how to make classwork look compelling and hold the audience's attention, so I guess that's more or less the road they had to take.

suvshopper4

I like near the end of the Lexus 330 ad, after the competition Brit car inspectors have found that there is a rearward-mounted camera, the young inspector says into the camera, " 'ello, Mom!". Very funny.

fezo

Man, is that thing annoying!

Just what you need - Chevy teaching you new ways to be a bad driver....

odie6l

I just saw the New Eclipse ad with the 3 teenagers cruising the strip. They keep saying directions (in clock terms) and then having something pop up about the car. Then the last one pops up is about dual front airbags as all three of them are looking out the rear window at the girls while driving. What they should do is show a follow up commercial of the kids being released from the hospital in really nice Caddy with a big swing open door on the back.

Odie

bksward

One of the really annoying Honda commercials:

Two twentysomething girls in a civic driving down a country road.

"Have you ever seen a really fat squirrel?"

"No, why?"

"Because nuts are really fatty..."

"It must be all the cardio they do."

Cut to squirrel scurrying in the field.

Announcer: "When you don't have to think about your car, what will you think about?"

iluvmysephia1

take a look at the manufacturer presenting it, eh?

suvshopper4

Yes, of course, world's worst car manufacturer.
Who doesn't know that, eh?

porknbeans

I was watching the Indy 500 and there was a pretty funny commercial for the Corvette on. Two teenage kids are chauffeuring the local beauty queen in "Any small town USA" parade. They glance down at the speedometer and notice that they are topping out at a whopping 10MPH. The Shriners are zipping past them in their little cars and kids with pigs on leashes are in front of them. One teen looks over at the other and says in a very pathetic sounding voice "This is wrong on so many different levels." I'm not a real big fan of the Corvette, but I thought the commercial was very funny.

nvbanker

My favorite ads are the Mitubishi ads. Very entertaining for some reason. They do not, however even remotely, entice me to consider buying one. But I like to see the ads.

My least favorite ads are probably the Saturn ads. Very wierd. Hard to get the point sometimes, and the point is lost on me. They have taken the place of the former Toyota Ads that did the "everyday" theme, which was the LAST thing I would want to become.

carguy58

I actually thought they were catchy when Toyota actually wanted younger buyers for cars like the Celica and MR2.

Saturn ads: their corny. New GM ads are terrible especially the Avalanche commercial with the guy taking his pants off at the end of the commercial. Gm's trying too hard to be cool with the younger crowd.

swschrad

look for the tops of all the Saturns to be scratched after the example they're setting in their 24-hour test drive ad.

i_luv_toyota

The new series of ads that Jeep has on TV are horrible. The worst ones are (1)the ones where people (first a group of women, then two guys)camp out in front of the dealer, (2)the one where a guy is covering a red Wrangler with brush so nobody will buy that particular Wrangler, and (3)of course the lady who throws mud on two Grand Cherokees and says "I'll take the black one."

Phew! Talk about your run on sentences, huh?

suvshopper4

I thought she chose the red one.

I like the salesman's [standard] answer:
"Good choice."
Makes me laugh. Kind of an inside joke?

swschrad

especially when it gets slotted in the TV schedule between a snooty Lexus ad and the usual rebate hullabaloo.

as for " good choice"... that's usual sales-team positive reinforcement. it is as likely to be heard following

"I'll take that Yugo on fire over there that's threatening to burn down the high-tension line pole. can I get in it right now?"

as it was in the jeep ad.

speterson1

That throwing mud ad irritates me too. Look at how that lady is dressed! She's never gonna get dirty cruising unpaved trails. She should really park both of them in front of Costco and see which looks better, I think that's more of what her (and the majority of Jeep owners) will probably be using it for anyway. It makes me laugh to think of the real-world response you would get from a salesman if you went and chucked a couple buckets of mud on some new Liberties or Cherokees...

Based on my response here you can see why I think that recent Toyota Highlander ad (with the song sung about the software engineer heading to the home improvement store) is pretty clever. At least they're honest about how people use their vehicles!