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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.



Watch some of the best commercials on-air

Posted: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 11:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:

We're down to the last week of the TV commercial contest. I'll announce the results on Tuesday, Aug. 28. But as a refresher, here's as many clips as I could find of some of the front-runners in the "best ad" category. (I'll add the "worst ad" links later this week.)

Feel free to use the comments to campaign for your favorites or to suggest other ads. They're in alphabetical order by product, not by fan favorites.

BEST AD CONTENDERS:

Apple: Mac vs. PC, a link to numerous ads in the series.

Cingular: "IDK, my BFF Jill?"

Cingular dropped calls: "Way to step up, Rick" is mentioned more often, but I couldn't find a link to that one, so here's another in the series.

Comcast: Slowsky turtles.

Dairy Queen: Waffle cone and soft serve are meant for each other

Jack Links beef jerky: Messin' with Sasquatch.

PetSmart: Bulldog welcomes new member of family.

Subway: Ordering thunder thighs at the drive-thru.


 

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Comments

My vote goes to the Slowsky turtles!! The first one I ever saw was one of the first, if not the first one. The turtles are on vacation and sitting on some lounge chairs. The wife starts in on high speed internet while the husband is stuck on dial -up. While shes talking, the husband looks at her and proceedsto hiss at her. I had to see it a few times to really get the full affect. But when I did, I fell of my chair.

I still think the ad with Kevin Federline from last ears Super-Bowl was hysterical!!! But, what were they selling?

caineme, Quincy CA. (Sent Tuesday, August 21, 2007 3:10 PM)

Hrm, nothing quite impresses me like that old HP Printer ad did.  I am trying so hard to remember the name of the fiber cereal ad (it is on during the Today show in the morning) which features many symbolic references to the digestive benefit of eating fiber - in the form of a dump trunk dropping off its load, etc.

I like the T-mobile ad where a guy's girlfriend calls his buddy and the ringtone is Secret Lover.  Link below:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=UcVd5E4NSe8

RandomEsq.

Randomesq, Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, August 21, 2007 3:19 PM)

You left off all the forest animals calling "Ricky!"  

Becky Blue (Sent Tuesday, August 21, 2007 4:26 PM)

Where's the Windex commercial with the two Magpies in the tree.....Love that one!!

Natalie (Sent Tuesday, August 21, 2007 4:32 PM)

I find it humorous that half of your "best" list would go on my "worst" list.
I mean, c'mon. "Bendonka-donk-butt"??? Did a three year old with a "hipster"-complex write this?

Please.

Sean (Sent Tuesday, August 21, 2007 7:31 PM)

i like the suzuki com. with gy in the car and the gal on the bike the begining of a love story.

jerry rybeck (Sent Wednesday, August 22, 2007 1:28 AM)

 I love the PetSmart ad,those dogs are so cute.

MaryAnn Fetter ,Bedford,Pa (Sent Wednesday, August 22, 2007 8:25 AM)

The best ad right now is the Snickers ad with the toga guy and the Viking, announcing a party.

Second best is any one of the 3 Geek Squad ones, "I'll get my stuff."  (mosquito-boy, mandroid and asteroids)

Third best is the Geico one with Warren (or Loren) Wallace.

ellorysgirl (Sent Wednesday, August 22, 2007 9:42 AM)

Target has the most imaginative and eye-catching ads on TV, period.

a Krugman (Sent Wednesday, August 22, 2007 11:31 AM)

Really? These are the contenders in the Best Ad category? None of them are really that good. I hate the "IDK, my BFF Jill" commercial. That girl needs to have more than her cell phone taken away, she's a brat who is badly in need of a major attitude adjustment.

Terry, Shawnee, KS (Sent Wednesday, August 22, 2007 11:37 AM)

I love the beer commercial with the man and the woman in the car that pick up the guy with the axe

peggy greensboro nc (Sent Wednesday, August 22, 2007 11:58 AM)

You don't have the new Dunkin' Donuts spot with Ace Frehley of KISS?
"I'll give you a P & L statement"...hilarious !

Lil Vernon, NJ (Sent Wednesday, August 22, 2007 12:28 PM)

The new All Bran ad has slipped by many viewers because at first look, it appears to be a conventional snoozer.  Not so.  The background 'movements' are blantantly timed to the dialouge.  Not subtle in the least, but very funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwX8MzOKOzI

Linda, Redmond, WA (Sent Wednesday, August 22, 2007 5:57 PM)

The Commercial with K-Fed from last year was for Insurance, I believe. Since it was one of those Now What? Commercials, and I think those are insurance commercials.

I think the bulldog commercial is quite adorable though. Some of the DQ commercials are quite smart though, and they aren't bad. xD

mooglebunny, California (Sent Wednesday, August 22, 2007 7:34 PM)

Just an FYI, that "slowsky" turtles ad is a direct ripoff from a Shaw Cable ad up here in Calgary, from 2-3 years ago (though the Shaw Cable one used snails)...even some of the jokes in the ad are directly copied. Not to fault anyone for missing it, since we get more US ads here than you get Canadian ones there, but I wouldn't be citing "originality" as one of this ad's features.

Phil, Calgary (Sent Thursday, August 23, 2007 11:21 AM)

YES!  Linda (from Redmond, WA) sent the link to the Bran ad that I couldn't find.  Excellent.  

As she said, it appears to be a snoozer but the moment you see what's going on, it's a far better ad.

Random Esq, Chicago, IL (Sent Thursday, August 23, 2007 1:59 PM)

My fave is still the T-mobile add where it's 2 guys at a table and one sees the other's lower back tattoo.  "Playa"  Immediately he takes him out of his fave 5 and possibly out of his life all together.

Too funny

Playa, Lou ky (Sent Thursday, August 23, 2007 2:02 PM)

You completely left off the AFLAC Goat commercial? See link below.

The ones left are already lame... the IDK, my bff Jill commerical appeals to parents and grandparents of kids that age.... and one of my favorites.

Shane Pyle, Coshocton, Ohio (Sent Thursday, August 23, 2007 11:21 PM)

where is the commercial with the kid that want to run Rusty wallace into the wall? He does it  with shopping carts,radio controlled boats,the kid says "poor guy (Wallace) he has no idea !! I love it.....

Justme (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 12:08 AM)

The ones I love (there are three, two from one company, another for another show on a different network show.)  The first two are the parents "arguing" with their children "I know you love me!"  One is a mother-daughter and the current one is a father-son.  The other one I like is the commercials for "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe and the pig.

Les, Greer, SC (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 12:36 AM)

I don't know if everyone gets to see the terrible "COMCAST HOUSEMATES!!!!".  Those who don't are definatly the lucky ones.  That ad is by the worst.  ERRRR!!!

Stacy, Redmond WA (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 9:58 AM)

My favorite is the Nextel commericial film in what looks like a nuclear reactor going critical while two guys are complaining about bread not being part of the initial of a BLT.

eric d, Fremont, Ca (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 11:18 AM)

I think the funniest ad is for Nationwide Insurance, where the guy and the girl are watching TV and he gets a phone call and steps away.  The girl, clearly bored by the game on TV, looks down at the half a dozen remotes, picks one, and tries to change the channel.  However, the remote she chose is for the gas fireplace in the background, and when she can't get the channel to change, she keeps pushing buttons, turning up the fireplace and lighting the whole wall on fire, all the while she is completely oblivious.  Life comes at you fast!  Hilarious.

Jen, Gibsonia, PA (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 11:40 AM)

i will always love the budweiser power ballad series.



kate, virginia (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 12:50 PM)

Some of the ads might be mildly entertaining (I liked the Wendy's "thunderthighs" ads myself), but are probably very ineffective at selling their product. Especially troublesome are the ones that identify a problem the consumer has with the industry, and then tries to identify it with the competition, but not the company paying for the ad. The problem is that consumer's don't pay that much attention to the details in a commercial, and are often left only with a persuasive re-enforcement of the problem in their minds, along with the name of the company paying for the add. As for the Wendy's ad, I think it's very entertaining, but everytime I think of going to Wendy's I think of "thunderthighs", and pass.

Rick, Seattle, WA (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 12:53 PM)

The T-mobile my faves commercial with the father talking to his daughters boyfriend.  Nobody I talk to seems to realize that the father does not blink through the entire commercial.  "It's like I'm watching you...aallll the time."  I think this is one of the funniest I've seen in a while.  

Larry, Houston, TX (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 1:24 PM)

What about the VW commercials with the scientist?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv157ZIInUk

Sam, Austin, Texas (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 1:28 PM)

Mac vs PC was a contender?  Hmm, okay I guess I can see why people like to be insulted at what square idiots they are, as opposed to the cool hip apple users.. course given that, I wonder why Mac decided to add the ability to turn their Max into a PC with Windows for Mac...  hypocricy?  or just coincidence?  Will we ever know?

Ronald Stepp, Enterprise, Alabama (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 1:39 PM)

I just love the GE commercial with the baby elephant dancing to "Singing in the Rain" in the rain forest!

Val, Lawrenceville, GA (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 1:42 PM)

My fave is for Go Phone where the dad and kid are getting all the cliches wrong.  "I raised you to talk to me like that!"

Jane Doe, Seattle, Wash. (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 2:26 PM)

It may be too late, but the animated pop-tart ads are not only weird, but mildly amusing.

Non-TV viewer (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 3:30 PM)

I *hate* the Go-Phone ads (e.g., "I raised you to talk to me like that!")
I *like* the Target ads (all of them - I agree they are the most stylish on TV). I also like the Windex commercials with the birds, and the All-Bran ad mentioned above.

Katie B, Dayton, OH (Sent Friday, August 24, 2007 3:51 PM)

Is there a Good commercial? I think the number commercials have ruined the viewing pleasure of TV. Now you never watch at the scheduled time, but play back so you can fast forward. Many of us will l buy stock in a company that will cut ALL commercials in DVR mode!! Maybe we should boycot all products advertised more than once and evening.

Connie, Greensboro,NC (Sent Saturday, August 25, 2007 8:53 AM)

I still say "Geico's gecko rocks"

Judy Coder, Denison, Texas (Sent Saturday, August 25, 2007 9:28 AM)

My favorite commercials right now, ones I will gladly stop the tivo for, are the Sonic drive-in ones.  I love the new one for the cookie dough shake, where the woman is talking about how the cookie bits make you savor the treat because you have to slow down to eat them and the guy has already wolfed his down and now has "ice cream headache".  That is so totally my husband! I love all the Sonic ads, the people are very real and funny.

t zajack, spokane wa (Sent Saturday, August 25, 2007 11:00 AM)

GEICO should have at least two spots in your top ten.

DJ-Kansas City, MO (Sent Saturday, August 25, 2007 3:51 PM)

Definitely the Jack in the Box ad: "How many tacos should I get? Thirty. That's what I was thinking!" For those of us who have raised teenaged boys, thirty tacos doesn't sound so out of place!

Susan Smith, San Diego, Ca. (Sent Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:13 PM)

Does anyone know where we can find the commercial made about 10-12 years ago with the giggling little boy with all the puppies?  Can't remember the product...it just made you laugh listening to him.

Bari Dubois, Magnolia, TX (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 10:37 AM)

hands down the best commercial is the one for breath mints where the boy and girl at the counter try to one-up each other on the kinkometer, getting more worked up until they just grab and maul each other. ah, young love!

Alison Norman, Baltimore, MD (Sent Tuesday, August 28, 2007 9:55 AM)

You all missed my fav, for a Lincoln SUV. All the surfer dudes are checking out the new blonde when her three kids get out of the car. It must be the music...I watch it over and over.

Connie Denver, Colorado (Sent Tuesday, August 28, 2007 3:56 PM)

I loved the "Muffin Top" ad. Saw it one time & busted up....anybody got any idea what it was selling? I have no idea. Maybe that's why they pulled it.

Martino, Edison, Wa. (Sent Saturday, September 15, 2007 2:40 PM)

Do anyone know how to get to a link of the nextel commercial with the two guys discussing the blt/condiments while the nuclear reactor is going off?

Rick Weeks (Sent Friday, February 01, 2008 9:28 PM)



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