The worst commercials in TV history..

[desertv]

Couldn't tell you the product, only that some idiot is repeating AAAAAAAAAAA for something or other, and it is by far the worst, if not one of the worst of all.

It came on again last evening. Shame on FedEx.

The "AAAAAA.." stuff comes from the fact that in the phone book the business with the name that starts with the most "A"s is first on the list.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

I now add the latest UPS "That's Logistics" ad campaign to the Worst Commercials in TV History list--CAN'T STAND that STUPID "logistics" song and the girl singing it. I wonder if it was the same singer who sang the song to the Amazon Kindle ads this past summer.

Here's one of the ads from YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRAHa_Po0Kg

Just saw another BAD UPS Logistics ad in the last few minutes--with a male singing the lame-o Logistics song. I couldn't find it on YouTube, but I'm sure we'll see plenty of this ad on Sunday during the NFL (and probably during college football). Anytime I hear that Logistics song I just want to throw something at the TV. ;D ;D

 

[searadiofreak]

I wonder, really wonder, if there are not ad agency boardrooms that discuss this very topic, as in, "what commercial can we make that really will irritate the audience, to the point, that it actually works for us".

I believe this may actually be going on, and in truth has been going on for decades. If I am wrong on this, then these ad folks are even less intelligent than I thought.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

27 pages of this thread and there is no mention of the shrill, grating "He Went To Jared, he went to Jared, He went to BLEEPING Jared"

For a minute--until I looked up one of their ads on YouTube--I thought you were referring to a Subway commercial (featuring their Jared) in that quote. I'm surprised Subway hasn't tried to parody that Jared jewelry ad.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Almost all commercials that run during "The Price Is Right" are about elderly problems. Scooter-stores, medicare, medicaid, good lord. If this show is committed to dying, then they are on the right track. Perhaps there are some younger viewers watching, and there are certainly younger folks trying to be contestants, but if I hear that one old guy yelling about how he is a prisoner in his own home one more time, I will permanently turn to The View. And that will be the end of me, without the scooter.

But would you rather see those types of commercials than the ones that proliferated during the likes of the trashy talk-show craze (e.g. Jenny Jones, Ricki Lake, Donahue's last syndicated years) in the early/mid-'90s: the likes of Dionne Warwick and the Psychic Friends Network (and its many imitators), diet programs with free unrelated gifts (scam IMO), and commercials for infomerical products? Those ads (especially Psychic Friends and the ilk) are all worthy of this list IMO. And they probably still air during the likes of Springer, Maury and all the court shows too.

 

[crainbebo]

Most of what I see on Maury, Springer, etc. for ads are for law offices, lump-sum services (like Peachtree Settlement Funding), and colleges like Everest.

-crainbebo

 

[firepoint525]

I wonder, really wonder, if there are not ad agency boardrooms that discuss this very topic, as in, "what commercial can we make that really will irritate the audience, to the point, that it actually works for us".

Or more likely, some people are just looking to be offended every time they turn the TV on!

This thread started out being about the "worst commercials in TV history," now it's downgraded to "the worst commercial that you've seen on TV this week"! It's become a game of one-upmanship. ("You think that's bad, how about this one?")

Seriously, turn the TV off if these commercials offend you that much! Or better yet, let them know! Write to them, and let them know that you are boycotting them because their commercials offend your sensibilities.

 

[Silkie]

It used to be that the commercials were more entertaining than the programs. These days they are just desperate to sell anything to anyone who can afford it.

I still don't get the talking toilet wanting to be pacified, or the lonely mops and brooms thing.

 

[searadiofreak]

I wonder, really wonder, if there are not ad agency boardrooms that discuss this very topic, as in, "what commercial can we make that really will irritate the audience, to the point, that it actually works for us".

Or more likely, some people are just looking to be offended every time they turn the TV on!

This thread started out being about the "worst commercials in TV history," now it's downgraded to "the worst commercial that you've seen on TV this week"! It's become a game of one-upmanship. ("You think that's bad, how about this one?")

Seriously, turn the TV off if these commercials offend you that much! Or better yet, let them know! Write to them, and let them know that you are boycotting them because their commercials offend your sensibilities.

I will agree this should not be in "classic tv". However, why can't one enjoy the program while hating the commercials? Simple viewer "sensibilities", IMO.

 

[crainbebo]

Well I would enjoy my program with nostalgic ads from the '80s, but not the crap (Flo, Geico, stupid car ads) we have today.

-crainbebo

 

[Markieo]

Couldn't tell you the product, only that some idiot is repeating AAAAAAAAAAA for something or other, and it is by far the worst, if not one of the worst of all.

AAAAAAAAAA The Automobile Club of America for Alcoholics Anonymous run by the Fonz? ;D

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

I think I had seen a different a version of this promo within the last half-hour, but there are some really BAD (IMO) Fox promos for Tuesday night's All-Star Game, featuring Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. This one is the "Snakes" spot--horrific:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t0a-0xt_60

During Big Ten Network football coverage in the last 15 minutes or so, I just saw a promo for the ALCS on Fox that featured Tim McCarver briefly singing--as part of their "Traditions Can't be Messed With" (however they say it) campaign similar to their All Star Game promos this past summer originally quoted above. I don't see that ad on YouTube yet as any ad IMO that has Tim McCarver singing is probably worthy of the worst commercial list.

However, during my search I found this 2009 ALCS on Fox promo--one where they were still assuming that the Detroit Tigers would make the playoffs (but they blew a 7-game AL Central lead to the Minnesota Twins and lost in the one-game division playoff). This faux pas makes the 2009 ALCS promo worthy of the worst commercial in history list, and it's linked below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBUJClrWXRw

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Almost all commercials that run during "The Price Is Right" are about elderly problems. Scooter-stores, medicare, medicaid, good lord. If this show is committed to dying, then they are on the right track.

It's the one thing I don't get -- many of the contestants on TPIR are college students and young adults, but its commercial load slants very heavily toward elderly people who are either sick or invalid.

If the show is attracting young folks to Television City in Hollywood, why do the people buying ad time think that only seniors in nursing homes are watching the show. It makes as much sense as a 60 year old farmer in the middle of Nebraska watching Soul Train.

And now the Saturday morning E/I programming is also not safe from Scooter-store ads too--while at a laundromat this morning I saw one of those ads on my local ABC affiliate during their kids programming (the TV in there was tuned to it at the time). Plus also Gerber college savings plan ads (maybe a little more understandable) plus the ultimate doozy: TitleMax title loan and debt relief commercials during E/I programs.

 

[azumanga]

And now the Saturday morning E/I programming is also not safe from Scooter-store ads too--while at a laundromat this morning I saw one of those ads on my local ABC affiliate during their kids programming (the TV in there was tuned to it at the time). Plus also Gerber college savings plan ads (maybe a little more understandable) plus the ultimate doozy: TitleMax title loan and debt relief commercials during E/I programs.

The problem with the E/I rule is restrictions on advertising slanted towards children, which means that advertisers were reluctant to buy time during E/I programs. In the case of "Litton's Weekend Adventure" on ABC, Litton Entertainment, the packager, practically opened time to anyone who has the money -- resulting in Direct Response ads that are not only not slanted towards children, but not slanted towards parents, either.

As ABC refuses to display their logo during this block, I won't be surprised if local stations not even bothering identifying themselves beyond a simple flash of the calls on the hour.

 

[crainbebo]

Well those Sat. Morning ads are mostly for the parents, only. Children's advertising is a shadow of what it was in the 80s. Even PBS Kids Sprout, a cable channel mostly for toddlers and preschoolers airs ads for settlement funding companies and detergent, etc. during breaks between shows.

-crainbebo

 

[markwmcneil]

Here's a commercial from the classic era that I think should go on this list. It's the one for Milton Bradley's Mystery Date game. I disliked everything about that commercial, especially the girl that scoffed at the "dud".

 

[azumanga]

Well those Sat. Morning ads are mostly for the parents, only.

How many parents do you know ride scooters? What I meant is the block tends to run ads that are not only not meant for kids, but not meant for parents, either.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Time for the umpteenth Sunday afternoon reply to this thread this time courtesy of Fox, the NFL and Toyota.

The latest Toyota Prius "People Person" ad is practically SICK, IMO--and freaky too (even scarier than the old BK "King"). And probably will be running at least past Halloween (not to mention on the NFL games today), so it's out just in time for football and Halloween too. Link to the ad below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz50_1Y2pXU&feature=share

And the song is stupid too.

Why can't we just have the good old days of the Toyota "Oh What a Feeling" ads of the '80s today (with the ads usually simply set inside a car dealership).

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

I just witnessed this work of art for the first time within the last 10 minutes during Fox's coverage of the Bears-Cowboys game: the new "Breakfast at BK" ad--song, flute and all. On YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCF3z-a1G9M

To add further, all of the latest variations of the "Breakfast at BK" ads STINK to high heaven, IMO. Seems like a new one every week so far this NFL season. Next time I ever have a fast-food breakfast, I'll just go see Ronald and Co.

Burger King has the WORST marketing department of any major corporation on Earth! Their ad campaigns are just awful. Honestly, they seem like they are designed by a bunch of 14 year old deliquents who are forced to prepare BK ad campaigns as punishment for whatever vandalism they did at school. ;D

Honestly, the creepy king, the fighting chicken, etc. are not appetizing in the least. Then again, nor is BK's food. None of it entices me into going to a Burger King for lunch. McD's kicks their a**es in every way - from the ads to the food. So, for the category of worst overall series of ad campaigns, BK wins in a landslide.

When I first saw the opening of the latest NFL Network Gameday promo with the lame-o IMO "Good Morning, Good Morning" jingle (which isn't on YouTube), I immediately thought that it was going to be a Burger King breakfast ad and the fall 2011 version of last year's "Breakfast at BK" campaign that I made sure was part of this list. Did anyone else think the same as me when they saw that Gameday spot and think, "OMG, BK strikes again!"--then the relief when you find out it's just for NFL Gameday?

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

I just witnessed this work of art for the first time within the last 10 minutes during Fox's coverage of the Bears-Cowboys game: the new "Breakfast at BK" ad--song, flute and all. On YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCF3z-a1G9M

To add further, all of the latest variations of the "Breakfast at BK" ads STINK to high heaven, IMO. Seems like a new one every week so far this NFL season. Next time I ever have a fast-food breakfast, I'll just go see Ronald and Co.

Burger King has the WORST marketing department of any major corporation on Earth! Their ad campaigns are just awful. Honestly, they seem like they are designed by a bunch of 14 year old deliquents who are forced to prepare BK ad campaigns as punishment for whatever vandalism they did at school. ;D

And I don't think the bad BK ads have just been a recent phenomenon--does anyone remember the BK kid-oriented ads with the "Duke of Doubt" circa 1978? As the YouTube clip linked below indicates, I think he looked creepy himself--as did the early incarnation of the King (but at least that King in the ad seemed real rather than the creepy fake costume that the recently-fired King graced us with in recent years):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4JRTgVghO0&feature=related