Ozempic Commercial with Billy Gardell - Huh?

[Gregg.]

Billy Gardell of Mike & Molly and Bob Hearts Arishola, is seen on commercials for Ozempic. That's a diabetes and weight management medication. He tells us he has Type II Diabetes but Ozempic is helping keep him "in the zone."

We see him driving to a park dressed in a jogging suit. He pulls up on some ropes with handles for a moment. Then he slowly jogs around about 10 cones he apparently set up in a circle. I don't understand this. It takes almost no effort. Yes, football teams will have players during practices run around obstacles to improve their agility. But Gardell is quite heavy. I don't think agility is his major concern. If he's got diabetes and needs to lose weight, he should do something more than to pull on a rope in the park or slowly jog around some cones on a lawn. He's got to do a more vigorous exercise plan.

Then when it's finished, he goes to a park vendor for what looks like a yogurt parfait and a coffee. Later he's grilling in his backyard with friends around a table, serving them shish kebob skewers. I suppose that's supposed to represent wise eating. Lean grilled meat with vegetables included.

I'm not expecting him to run a marathon. But the super-easy exercise routine, coupled with food rewards, is not what a diabetes medication should be hawking.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

It's a commercial, not a documentary. It conveys a concept for people.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

The thing I noticed about the commercial is that at one point, he's wearing a gray pullover with a red O on it that's not quite like the Ohio State block O. That way they can say he's an OSU fan without having to pay for use of the logo. (I've never seen "Bob Hearts Abishola". Does it take place in Ohio?)

 

[Kelly A]

And Cyndi Lauper is a frequent spokesperson for a skin medication. Advertisers paying a celebrity who uses a product is nothing new.
Fail to understand the concern with an Ozempic ad. You shouldn't "expect" anything else of the celebrity other than them collecting their fee and any negotiated royalites for appearing on the spot.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

And they do what the script has them do. I don’t know the actor’s diet and exercise plan. But I wouldn’t infer from a commercial that what I see in one snippet in a 30 or 60 second ad somehow is an accurate depiction of his off-screen regimen. Even when using his “real” identity, he’s still playing a part for that commercial.

 

[ente]

The O is supposed to represent Ozempic, not any certain sports team. Bob Hearts Abishola is set in Detroit.

 

[anotherguyTN]

This may be a good place to ask: On earlier Ozempic ads I thought I had seen Randy Quaid, although the ad didn't mention it being him, and he was portraying a farmer. Was Ithis him or was this someone who looked similar?

 

[vchimpanzee]

The thing I noticed about the commercial is that at one point, he's wearing a gray pullover with a red O on it that's not quite like the Ohio State block O. That way they can say he's an OSU fan without having to pay for use of the logo. (I've never seen "Bob Hearts Abishola". Does it take place in Ohio?)

Detroit.

 

[Don CT]

All of these commercials have the worst writing and acting in them.

 

[disman00911]

I can't stand these Ozempic commercials! They are are played WAY too much! And they ruined that 70s pop song "Magic" by Pilot (I used to enjoy that song due to that Time Life "Sounds of the 70s" commercial that aired in the 90s until Ozempic came around.)

I agree with how bad commercials have gotten in the past few years. The only thing worst than Ozemptic commercials on TV are those Liberty Mutual commercials, especially those asinine "LIMU EEEEEEMMMMMMUUUU.........and Doug" commercials with that ear-bleeding jingle at the beginning.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

And they stick out. Mission accomplished.

 

[davideduardo]

All of these commercials have the worst writing and acting in them.

The fact that they were noticeable enough to start and sustain a thread show how effective they are in conveying their message.

 

[CTListener]

The fact that they were noticeable enough to start and sustain a thread show how effective they are in conveying their message.

The worst ads on television are the ones that no one notices.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

The one about the…oh you know…the whatever.

If that’s the reaction/recollection, it was a waste of money. Cutting through the “noise” isn’t always accomplished with polite, generic approaches. And not everyone is quite so focused on analyzing everything frame. They get the point, it makes an impression and some of the target audience hopefully acts on it.

 

[disman00911]

So according to these commercial makers, any publicity is good publicity even if the commercials themselves are so awful, forcing someone to either change the channel or mute the TV whenever they come on. The was a time where commercials were creative, such as the Budweiser/Bud Light ones from many years ago. Even Geico commercials used to be creative and funny 10-20 years ago, now they're just dumbed-down annoyances.

Ozempic isn't the only one who's guilty of butchering classic hits. There was one drug commercial (Trelegy) that butchered the Jackson 5's "ABC" and another drug commercial that feature vocalists that poorly sing the Fleetwood Mac song "Go Your Own Way"

 

[Don CT]

The worst of all is the talking box that enjoys you defecating inside it.

 

[davideduardo]

Ozempic isn't the only one who's guilty of butchering classic hits. There was one drug commercial (Trelegy) that butchered the Jackson 5's "ABC" and another drug commercial that feature vocalists that poorly sing the Fleetwood Mac song "Go Your Own Way"

But most possible users of drugs are in the generation that instantly recognizes those songs. Even if they think "terrible" they bond with the song and that builds empathy with the product. The message is positive for those with that condition in that sense.

The vocalists are apparently a well know group of very professional jingle singers who are extremely good. They are like the "Wrecking Crew" for instrumental work, and they do what the ad campaign producer asks. As an example, in the case of Anoro, the agency producer obviously wanted a "less rock" sound as a background, not Lindsey singing a "you slut" insult to Stevie.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

So according to these commercial makers, any publicity is good publicity even if the commercials themselves are so awful, forcing someone to either change the channel or mute the TV whenever they come on. The was a time where commercials were creative, such as the Budweiser/Bud Light ones from many years ago. Even Geico commercials used to be creative and funny 10-20 years ago, now they're just dumbed-down annoyances.

Ozempic isn't the only one who's guilty of butchering classic hits. There was one drug commercial (Trelegy) that butchered the Jackson 5's "ABC" and another drug commercial that feature vocalists that poorly sing the Fleetwood Mac song "Go Your Own Way"

Not what was said. And your reaction is not universal.

 

[disman00911]

I should have been more clear that not all these drug commercials that reuse old hits aren't too terrible. There's one commercial that uses the Sonny & Cher song "And the Beat Goes On" and that one isn't nearly as annoying as Ozempic and the other ones that I mentioned. Going back to Geico, the only commercials that I can tolerate from them are the ones that feature the Gecko.

Returning to this particular commercial, my main criticism is that annoying jingle and it airs way too much! The actor featured in the commercial doesn't bother me. Just that jingle that ruined Pilot's Magic! If they just used generic instrumental music, it wouldn't be so bothersome.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Frequency is a big part of the advertising game.