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Boston Furniture Commercials

A

ArtSpooner

Guest
There are three furniture businesses that must spend millions on Boston TV advertising: Bernie & Phyll's, Jordan's, and Bob's. I'm curious to see how people rank these ads. Jordan's, years ago, were very clever and inventive. Since one of the brothers left, they're not as clever, but are still pretty good. Bernie and Phyll's seem to have turned the commercials over to the next generation. They're not bad, but the daughter should either go on a diet or stay off camera. That leaves the ubiquitous Bob's Furniture. This little creep has annoyed me from the first time I laid eyes on him and my dislike grows with each passing year. His entire marketing strategy has been that every one in the furniture business is a crook except him, of course. I've never even been in any of these stores. My opinion is based solely on their ads.

Any other opinions?
 
Bob (Kaufman) is actually from Connecticut. His radio ads have been running here since about 1990, after he opened his first store in Newington, CT. I've always wondered who "Kathy" is/was in many of his ads? The Claymation looking ads were really stupid, if you ask me.
 
Bernie and Phyllis have been re-appearing in their ads, it seems, for just a little longer each and every time recently. Not for long but more often. The kids really don't do it for me. Maybe if they changed their clothes once in a while. ;D Phyllis has whatever that disease is (MS??) that makes your head shake so she hasn't been seen much over the last few years.

Ever since Barry Tatelman left Jordan's a few years ago, Eliot has been much laid back with more business oriented ads rather than entertainment based. Jordan's, by the way, is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. The Jordan's commercials best lines were from years ago, with directions to the Nashua store: "Left on Spitbrook, right on Daniel Webster." :D

Probably much less known than these three is Bernie Rotman of Rotman's Furniture out in Worcester who also stars in his own ads. His famous line is much like Bob's: It's fannnnnnnnnnnntastic!
 
By the way, next weekend (Aug 11 and 12) is tax free weekend in Massachusetts which presumably includes furniture so expect to see extra furniture commercials over the next week.
 
The Jordan's commercials were very clever and well done. Some of them were take-offs on nationally run commercials. They were definitely well produced and directed. I actually enjoyed watching them. One thing I've never understood is the remaining Tatelman's haircut. Here is a guy who appears to be in his 60s, is probably a millionaire, if Warren Buffet bought his company, yet he has a pony tail.

From what I've read, Bob owns about 25% of the company and Kathy is head of the corporate human resources dept. I think what annoys me most about Bob's ads is that he claims that free delivery, 0% financing, in store treats, etc. are all gimmicks when his competetors do it. He then does the same thing, but of course it's not a gimmick.
 
I'm just sick of all of them. You can't watch the local news without seeing a ton of these furniture ads. I mean does everyone need furniture at a given time? Isn't there something else to sell out there in TV? Of course, if it isn't furniture then it has to be cars. And every car manufacturer, make, model, and dealer is THE BEST, and they let you know it. I'm just sick of both the furniture and car ads on local television...so much in fact, that there are times when I watch the local news that I record the broadcast and delay watching by about fifteen minutes so I can skip over these ever present annoying ads.
 
Bob's never owned more than a third of the business... He's been more the idea man and the face of the company. Gene Rosenberg held the other 2/3 of the company. It's currently 70% owned by private equity group Apex Partners, and 30% owned by Bob.

Cathy is, in fact, the PR Director.

Say what you will about the annoying commercials, they work... especially for Bob. He's out there making a buck just like the rest of them. I've always gotten a fair deal shopping at Bob's. I've also gotten great deals at Rotman's and at Jordan's.

Furniture, appliances, and cars have the big margins that allow for large ad buys... always have, always will.
 
These ethnic types don't see themselves as anything less than media stars, trust me (the red head car dealer).

If the merchants came into a camera shot riding an elephant I don't think most viewers would even notice.
 
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