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Don't touch that dial: Test Pattern tunes into television, movie, music and pop culture links, as well as gossip and idle chat from around the Web.

Every week, msnbc.com entertainment producers Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, Denise Hazlick, Paige Newman, Kurt Schlosser and Anna Chan weigh in on topics ranging from TV commercials to movie hype to the latest celebrity blunder. We're not ashamed to admit our love for bad TV or reveal what's on our iPods, and invite you to join the conversation via your comments.



TV commercial contest: The ground rules

Posted: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:

Are you ready for some TV commercial bashing? And some praise, of course (although it's often much more fun to dis the horrible ads than applaud the good ones).

Here's the deal: We've run the Test Pattern TV commercial contest for three summers now. I bring up topics and mention certain ads, but now that Test Pattern is in the new comment-friendly format, you're just as much a part of the game as I am.  Post about your favorite and least favorite ads in the blog comments, and suggest topics that we can riff on.

In the past, popular topics have included music in ads, humor that goes wrong, the tricky world of creating ads for intimate products, sexism in ads, stupid slogans, animals in ads, favorite vintage ads, local and regional commercials, car ads, fast-food ads, favorite and least favorite corporate mascots, and more. I'll read the comments regularly and elevate popular and hot topics to the main blog entries. In early August, I'll name the best and the worst ad of the year, as determined by your emails, your blog comments, online polls we host throughout the summer, and other feedback. If it's close, I get the final call.

Only a couple ground rules, which will surely be ignored by some anyway.

1) Ads can only win once! Sorry, toenail monster.
We're looking for commercials that are new in calendar year 2007, or very close to it. No classic ads, as much as I still enjoy Mean Joe Greene's Coke ad. If a commercial has been named either best or worst in the past, that same ad isn't eligible again. (But other ads for the same product are). That means ineligble receivers are:

From 2004:
WORST: Lamisil toenail monster
BEST: Citibank identity theft ads, with voice-switching

From 2005:
WORST: Tampax stops a leak in a rowboat
BEST: HP's cool "Frames" ad

From 2006:
WORST: HeadOn! Apply directly to the forehead!
BEST: Talking cows for real California cheese

2) Don't like the topic? Don't read it.
Yes, we are spending time talking about commercials. Yes, we know about TiVo, fast-forward buttons, books and playing outside. There are approximately eight billion other Weblogs and Web sites for those who feel this discussion is beneath them.

3) All publicity is not necessarily good publicity.
Dozens of folks will write in to defend even the worst commercials, claiming that the sheer fact that we are talking about said ad means it has done its job. I disagree: In my experience, at least half the time those who comment on bad ads do not remember the product, and if they do, they've often sworn never to buy it due to the ad's sheer offensiveness. Take that, Madison Avenue.

4) Please do comment, but NOT IN ALL CAPS.
Comments must be approved by me before they go live, but most of them do make it through. Simple guide to getting your comment published: Be bright, be somewhat brief, and do describe the ad somewhat for those of us who haven't seen it. If your comment is going on and on and on, save us the stress of trying to read one big block of type by breaking your comment into two posts (or edit yourself and just make the comment shorter to start). And please don't POST YOUR COMMENTS IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE YELLING AT US AND IN FACT MAYBE YOU ARE.

Commercials will not hog the spotlight in this Weblog all summer. Other entertainment and TV topics will still have their turn, though commercials will likely dominate at first. In July, I'll be reporting about the new fall TV shows from the TV Critics' Association summer press tour. Multi-link Monday fun will return next Monday.

But for now, please start noticing those commercials that especially entertain or annoy you, and start posting a few favorites in the comments. Think especially about the use of music in commercials -- I'll share a few thoughts on that in my next post.

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Comments

I've mentioned this ad here before, but it drives me totally nuts.  A little kid takes an two liter bottle of orange soda, shakes it up, and sprays it all over his mother, who is washing dishes at the sink.  Rather than get mad at him, she grabs the spray hose and starts a liquid fight with him.  The ad is for some kind of paper towels.  I'm just pretty sure that if I had done that to my mother I wouldn't be sprayed with the sink hose...

jamie Casey IL (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:15 AM)

Worst:  The Arby's ads with the four working class stiffs.  The worst one is the one where they are all in an Arby's restaurant and one of them bets the other one that there isn't such a deal at the 5 for $5.95 even though they are all looking at the menu board posting the 5 for $5.95 deal. Hate!

Amy, Minnetonka, MN (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:20 AM)

There has been a commercial for Danactive that I really can't stand to watch now that I see the HUGE errors in the production of it.  It shows a little boy playing castle with his dad and the mom comes in talking about setting up their defenses for attack and uses the castle and action figurines for visual affect.  But if you look closely nobodys lips match their words and I am not talking a little off, I mean they don't match at all.  And then if you look at the product you can tell that it is superimposed into the scenes.

Terra, Carthage, MO (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:23 AM)

I'm sure it's not the worst commercial out there but I cannot stand the Burger King commercials. The guy wearing that big plastic head, it's freaky...

KM, Portland Maine (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:30 AM)

The most obnoxious commercials on TV are those stupid body spray commercials with the "man- sniffer".  I swear, my blood pressure spikes every time I see her, and that stupid "I want to smell you from (sniff) right here" makes me want to throw a brick at the TV...

KB, GA (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:32 AM)

Best commercials:

Mastercard--Elephant buys soup, blanket, and cold medicine for sick zookeeper

Tide To Go--Drill sergeant and "daggone Houdini"

PetsMart or Petco?  Bulldog loves his red toy and takes it everywhere.  One day, his people bring home a bulldog puppy.  Bulldog gives his beloved red toy to the puppy.

La Quinta?  Bad news and good news series.  Example: "Your wife is escorted off the plane.  Now you get a window seat!" (Picture of smiling dolphin leaping toward camera while wacky music plays.

Sharlene (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:33 AM)

Commercial: I think it came out at SuperBowl Time, but it's the one for Bud Lite where some guys decide to play "Rock Paper Scissors" for the last beer & the guy gets knocked out & knocked over with a large rock to the head. That one made me LOL everytime.

H, Bowling Green KY (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:34 AM)

The commercial for the Dodge Caliber with the dog in the backseat, his hind-end out the window mooning all the cars he's passing, tail & tongue wagging in pure happiness. I Love This Commercial!! How could that not make you smile??

H, Bowling Green KY (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:37 AM)

I love "Messin with Sasquatch" beef jerkey commercials.  If ever there was a reason to NOT fast forward your Tivo....

melissa, Suitland, MD (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:41 AM)

No commercial is more painful than the Starburst Berries and Cream with that little freak wearing knickers dancing around the bus station screeching, "berries and cream, berries and cream....I'm a little lad who loves berries and cream".  It's creepy and quite disturbing.  I have to change the channel every time it comes on.

Andrea, Fairfield, CT (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:43 AM)

Worst: Starburst, with the 'I'm a little lad who loves berries and creme'. Completely creeps me out.
Close second worst: Skittles with the siging rabbit. The rabbit is highly anoying, and the entire time I'm thinking, "didn't that guy ever see the Looney Tunes cartoon with the singing frog?"

Jenny, Iowa (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:53 AM)

I especially dislike any Burger King ad, so much so that I am avoiding them. "Spongebob Nopants" is just one of their horrible spots. Their radio ads are even worse. They have one that encourages you to "show your Grandpa that he's way past his prime" by buying the dollar double cheeseburger that's "cheap like when he was a kid." Maybe I sound old fashioned, but I was taught to respect my elders. I can never eat at Burger King as long as they run those stupid ads.

B.B., Florida (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:54 AM)

my favorite commercial is the Mastercard one with the 3 little boys dancing to "We Want the Funk"

LS Buffalo, NY (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:56 AM)

The absolute worst commercial is the Avis commercial where they just open their mouths and music comes out...how retarded....I hate it so much I don't even get the point of the commercial because I am screaming Nooooooo! in my head !  

Terri (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:59 AM)

I would have to nominate as both best and worst commercials two from the same company.  Sprint has a series on "connectile dysfunction" that is really clever and sharp.  They also have, as worst, a couple of ads talking about their connection speed.  ANNOYING.  All I want to do whenever I see that is throw-up and change the channel.  Not necessarily in that order, either.

Anne Roberts, Independence, Missouri (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:17 AM)

The axe body spray Boom Chica Wah Wah commercial cracks me up every time, not because it was expertly executed but because it makes me laugh at myself.  I think it is so stupid they way they portray these women just completely loosing their mind over the smell of that body spray when they happen by it....

But the other day I was out and a guy walked by me and a friend of mine and he must have had on Axe or some other similar product and we both stopped in mid-sentence and whipped our heads around because that was the best smell either of us have ever smelled.  And we both instantly fell out laughing because we probably looked like one of those girls on the Axe commercial.  Weird...man what do they put in that stuff????

Nikki, Louisville KY (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:18 AM)

I'm surprised the Geico cavemen haven't already won as best ad, so I'll nominate them now. I particular, I like the caveman party ad: "What? Having Geico makes me less of a caveman?"

On the other side of the coin... while I wouldn't call it the *worst* ad on TV, there's an ad running now that I'd nominate for the Unintended Counter Message Award. It's the ad for a cat litter (I forget the brand) that hides odor so effectively the cat needs the help of a bloodhound to find its box. It's actually a pretty well-made ad, but... well, I don't know about anyone else, but if my cat *couldn't find her litterbox*, I'd call that a Very Bad Thing!

Bill Dauphin (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:29 AM)

Oh, man.  That McDonald's Filet O'Fish commercial, with its interminable repetition....ugh.  My brain hurts just thinking about it.

Eric, Houston TX (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:34 AM)

I've been waiting for this day for weeks, because I'm convinced I've seen the "champion" worst commercial already.  It's for Wendy's and features a group of adults in a forest, repeatedly kicking tree trunks (why?), with one of the men wearing a Wendy/Pippi Longstocking wig (again, ??).  What the hell it has to do with selling burgers I have no idea--I lose my appetite just thinking about it.

Kelly, Indianapolis, IN (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:36 AM)

theres a local commercial that runs for the mn twins on fsn north.  it shows 3 players performing a magic show for a bunch of kids.  one player holds the how-to magic book & the other one saws carlos santana in half.  when the player splits the 2 pieces of santana in half, a kid in the first row rolls his eyes & tips over like hes just fainted.  that kid is so funny.  i laugh every time its on & in twins territory, thats almost every night.

tealv8, fargo, nd (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:49 AM)

one of the worst ads i've seen lately is the one where there are a bunch of people standing around, kicking trees.  what does this have to do with wendy's burgers??

jeanne, fulton, ny (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:50 AM)

The current commercial that I just cannot stand is the Tim Horton's commercial where an entire wedding party comes in and gets married in Tim Horton's, complete with donuts as wedding cakes.  Huh?  I'm not sure if this is a commercial that is playing all over the country, but I just don't get it (or get why it is supposed to be funny).

Chris, Columbus, Ohio (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:50 AM)

I would like the gekko to go.  Geico's commercial has undone all the good the caveman commercials did. They were great.  The gekko, with his supercilious voice and condescending attitude, insure that I would drive without insurance rather than buy from Geico.  Who says an Australian accent is cool?  

C. Lee (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:54 AM)

My most recent favorite is the Cingular commercial where the daughter calls her mom from Las Vegas and her mom asks if she's getting married.  The call drops and the mom looks around furtively and then says "don't make the same mistake I did."  I fell off my couch laughing!

Kim, St. Louis, MO (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:55 AM)

The worst ad I have seen recently involves a group of women sitting on top of a roof. All of a sudden a nearby water tower springs a leak, gushing out massive amounts of water. One of the women springs into action, reaches into her nurse, pulls out a sanitary napkin, karate jumps into the air, and freezes in midair, while her product saves the day by soaking up the massive amounts of water. Umm, yeah.

Jim Harsh (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:57 AM)

I don't think there is any debate - as a long-time Geico "Caveman" series fan, they hit a grand slam with the minimalist "Moving Sidewalk" advert.  Not only is there brilliant use of fidgeting on the part of Caveman, making sure everything is in order, but the muted colors and the use of Royksopp's "Reminder" as a soundtrack was icing.

dean pilkington; dallas, texas (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:57 AM)

Mucinex has disgusting ads. Basically, the characters are talking green snot-balls. How much more repulsive can you get?

Christine Bowers, Norwalk, CT (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:59 AM)

Please, someone at GEICO, put those cavemen back into extinction.

Matt Sedita, Lodi, NJ (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:00 AM)

My nominantion for "worst use of music" in a commercial would have to be the Wendy's ad featuring Blister in the Sun by the Violent Femmes in the background.  Catchy tune, sure.  But appropriate subject matter for a mainstream audience and/or fast food preparation?  Definitely not!  (You can look it up on your own.)

Megan, Alexandria, VA (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:02 AM)

Oh how I hate Bob the Enzyte guy!!  That stupid grin, that awful whistling music....I just want to scream!

John, Upstate NY (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:05 AM)

One of my favorite commercials this summer is the "Muffin Top" one for Life Savers candy. I think it is hilarious! (and unfortunately, for a short period of time, I could identify)

Josie, Miami, FL (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:06 AM)

Best:  Geico Caveman in the airport (the no talk version)

Worst:  Chicago area ads for Feldco (talking baby, singing in the shower), Luna (Honey, I know...), and Illinois Lottery (I love Parieeeeees).

Nephris (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:07 AM)

The worst to me is the disgusting "Midnight Snack" commercial that basically has a woman being woken up in the middle of the night only to go, wipe her baby down, and then start nibbling on him. Sorry, baby lovers, but it's gross.

n (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:11 AM)

The ad that gets me yelling at the TV every time is the one where the little boys are having a ball playing in the mud and then is shows the mom and maybe an older sister smiling as they are folding the now beautifully white clothes the boys wore.  Ya, know?  little girls can have fun playing in the mud and little boys can learn to clean their own muddy laundry!  I think the ad is for Clorox bleach.

Donna M. Gilbert, Winterport, Maine (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:12 AM)

Although it's not very realistic, I love the PetSmart commercial with the bulldogs. Older bulldog is introduced to a new puppy bulldog. The dogs are both adorable. They look at each other and there is a pause. Then the older dog pushes his beloved stuffed toy towards the puppy. I always smile when I see this commercial.

Jennifer, Charlotte, NC (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:12 AM)

I've already got a nominee for the worst. that would be the Hardee's ad for the patty melt. you know the one-the blond rolling all over the floor w/ porno music playing in the background

middle-age mom against this commercial (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:17 AM)

Yeah, I love this time of year...I have been doing my research and have decided that recently, I really like the Absolut Vodka ad with the massive pillow fight.  I love the song that plays along with it.  I first saw this ad at a movie theater and actually didn't mind seeing it. This ad makes me smile each time I see it.

Shannon, Goose Creek, SC (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:21 AM)

There's several commercials I'd like to go off on (Geico, I'm looking your direction here), but keeping with theme of music I have to say a car commercial comes to mind that I actually liked.
I don't remember which car it was for, but the jist of the commercial was a somewhat geeky looking lab worker watching the cars run on those stationary rollers in a lab to test their engines, when he starts messing with the stick shifts...and after a few different combinations of hums he winds up playing "Smoke on the Water" by shifting the gears.
That commercial made me smile every time I saw it just because the guy looked so happy jamming (c'mon that job couldn't normally be very exciting and doesn't everybody dream of being a rock star at least once?), and I think ever person I knew who played guitar started by learning that song...so it seemed the logical choice for a budding...car musician?

Leslie, New Mexico (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:21 AM)

worst:  any burger king commercial with the "king" the newest round with the mustaches is just creepy

good:  the alltell commercial (what is up chad?) gets me every time

best:  i can't think of one now

andrea, high point, nc (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:27 AM)

I watch very little TV so I'm not sure when the ad sarted. I don't even know the company being advvertised because the ads were so horrifying.  It's about bunnies that had their "lucky" rabbits foot reattached.  The ad show bunnies being rehabilitated with these florescent colored reattached feet.  I only saw it once, thank goodness.  I could see little children having nightmares over it if they thought about it.  I can't imagine ther person who Ok'd this horror.

Donna Ester, Loveland Oh (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:29 AM)

I know they're a little silly, but I still always laugh at the Windex commercials where the birds shut the door and the guy runs into the glass.  Maybe it's because the birds have such heckling voices, but it's funny.  

Angie, Fenton MI (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:32 AM)

Of course there are the best of the best, like the cavement. But, the Stanley Steemer ad is hilarious - mom is in the living room chatting with a friend. Son comes in excited and all smiles - "Mom you gotta check out Toby's new trick!" Mom checks out Toby (their dog) scooting his dirty butt along the carpet. Mom freaks out. It's funny because it is so real. I laugh every time I see it and I caught my dad cracking up over it at his house as well.

Maureen Goldsmith (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:36 AM)

I would have to say that there are two ads that just make me shake my head in disgust. One is for a pregnancy test - I can't remember which one - but it has a digital readout. The "stick" is seen floating in a black screen, then from nowhere this stream of pee comes splashing down on it. I think the tag line says something like "The most sophisticated something or other you will ever pee on". Gross! The other one is for a carpet cleaning service - again I can't remember which one. It has a kid saying "Hey Mom, look at Toby's new trick." You then see a dog drag it's butt across a carpeted floor. The mom then screams in disgust. I always seem to catch this one during lunch. Nasty!
I do have to say my favorite so far is the Petco (I believe) ad with the bulldog and his new "little sister". How adorable!

Carrie, KY (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:39 AM)

My favorite commercial on television right now is still the Bud Light rock-paper-sissors commercial where one of the guys gets beaned with rock to the face.  It always cracks me up.  Nothing like gratuitous violence over alcohol to make me laugh.

By far the worst commercial is the Abe Lincoln-Beaver-Scuba Diver commercial for the prescription sleep aid Rozerem.  I realize dreams are supposed to be weird - but what moron chose these three things to be grouped together?  Just stupid!

Dave - Columbus, Ohio (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:40 AM)

My favourite ads in a long time is the "Go Meat" ads for Hillshire Farms. The kicky cheer/chant of the office workers (go meat, meat. go meat, meat) is enough to make me smile for a good long time.  And yes, I am hungry (but not because my mama said so).

Amy, Maryland (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:43 AM)

The Jack in the Box "I want to be a vegetarian" commercial is one of the best! Jack's son is in front of a school assembly talking about being like his dad (Jack is surrounded by other parents and beaming with pride)when the son says "but when I grow up, I want to be a vegetarian" (Jack covers face and hangs head in shame). Then the son says "because when my dog was really sick the vegetarian made him all better and that's why I want to be one, too." (Jack is beaming with pride, again.)I haven't seen this one in a while but it still cracks me up thinking about it.  

Taylor, Dallas, TX (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:46 AM)

Best:  GEICO - clever, innovative, to the point
Worst: GEICO -- repetitive, monotonous, uninspired

Don B, Sandy, Utah (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:46 AM)

I would nominate the Jack in the Box ad for their Sirloin burgers where they denigrate other fast food chains for serving Angus beef.  The ad clearly suggests that Angus has something to do with the rectal area of the cow.  The first time I saw this ad I was annoyed because Sirlon is a cut of beef, while an Angus is a type of cow.  I would expect a purveyor of beef to know the difference.  On repeated viewings I can't help but be reminded that Jack in the Box actually killed several patrons of their restaurant with e.coli in undercooked hamburgers more than a decade ago.  It seems in very poor taste for Jack in the Box to be suggesting that their competitors beef has anything to do with the rectal area of the cow!

I'd give runner up to the Quizno's ads which make fun of Subway.  Subway is not great, but the Subway subs they show in the ads just look nothing like the subs that you actually get at Subway.  I find myself wanting to go to Subway just to punish Quizno's for the bad ads.

For best ads I would have to go with Mac and PC.  I find myself watching these ads every time they come on and some of them are genuinely funny.  I think this is one of the most successful series of ads that I have seen.

Fletcher, Manchester, WA (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:49 AM)

My favorite commercial right now is for Propel Fitness Water. It has the guy running through the city and as he runs all the things causing him stress fall off. It has a great song and it captures the feeling of doing something for yourself to relieve stress perfectly. I love that commercial.

Stressed, Richmond, VA (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:49 AM)

OK, so I know HeadOn can't win again, but have you seen the new ads???  They start out just as you would expect "Apply directly to forehead!", but then someone comes on mocking the commercial saying things like "I get it, I get it" and then finishing up with something like "I HATE your ads, but I LOVE your product."  How is that for poking fun at yourself!?

J Carlson, Ann Arbor, MI (Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:50 AM)



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