Ads we like: War kittens and Mr. Bill

Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 4:00 PM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under: TV commercials

Can it be? Are there enough TV commercials out there that we actually like to merit a discussion? It's so easy to slam the bad ads, but harder to remember the few good ones.

We've already praised the Discovery Channel ad (but I keep mentioning it, because it gives me an excuse to go watch it again). It epitomizes so much of what we like about any good ad. Some ads are funny, some beautiful, some educational, some make you say "aww." But rarely will a good ad gross you out, or make you feel worse about the world, or make you feel smug or cynical.

Many of the best ads are almost mini-movies. They tell a story, but somehow manage to work the product being sold in to the plot -- in an almost unobtrusive way. Last year's winner, in which a big dog passed down his favorite toy to a new puppy (and then was taken to PetSmart to replace it), is a perfect example.

One new ad that hasn't yet been mentioned in the comments is the Mr. Bill for MasterCard commercial. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the old "SNL" skits featuring Mr. Bill, the clay figure who gets smashed around while yelling "Ohhh nooooo," but I think the ad is a smart resurrection of an old favorite character. In the end, Mr. Bill ends up flat on a bus windshield, is thrilled to find the bus is on time, and then gets wiped out by the windshield wiper. I can't help it, I laugh. As the ad says, "priceless."

Keep on sharing your favorite, and least favorite ads, in the comments. Coming up next: Ads that split the audience. Some of you love them, but for others, they're like fingernails on a chalkboard.

More ads you like:

KELLY! KELLY MOORE!
"I really love the AT&T spots where the people don't have enough bars and their alter egos are talking to us about them not receiving their calls. My favorite is the dad knocking on cars trying to find his daughter."  --Cindy
[Editor's Note: I love the one where the guy isn't going to find out about Motorhead tickets because he doesn't get a cell signal in his favorite bar, where he's playing pool.]

ROCK ME GENTLY
"The other one that we loved this year was the Jeep commercial where the guy is singing in the car ("Ain't it good, ain't it right...") and a squirrel falls in and joins along. Then come the birds, and the wolf. The wolf eats a bird and the guy driving the car just gives him 'the look.' The wolf spits the bird back out and everyone keeps singing. It gets us laughing and singing along every time. In fact, my 7-year-old has it on DVR and has to watch it every so often. Something about that commercial just works for us!"    --Amy

ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM AND SOFT SERVE
"Anyone seen the Dairy Queen ad with the mother, father and baby?  The father agrees to give the baby the rest of his sundae if the baby can say 'antidisestablishmentarianism.'  The baby says it and the dad remarks that he should have made the baby spell it.  The mother says to the dad, 'You can't even spell it!' and the baby laughs at him!  Really funny!"  --D

DIRTY WORDS ARE IN THE MOUTH OF THE BEHOLDER
"I don't know if this commercial counts, but I LOVE the Orbitz gum commercial where the lady busts into the guy's office with the box full of convertible bits and they're all yelling at each other but not swearing; 'What the French toast?' 'Who are you calling a cootie queen you lint licker?' 'Pickle you kumquat.'    --Katie

WAR KITTENS
"I love the ad for personalized credit cards that is set in a 'Star Wars'-like hangar where the guy in the long cloak says he wants kittens on his card and his sidekick utters my favorite line: 'WAR kittens?' Just cracks me up every time."  --Lenora

THE SLOWSKYS
"The Slowskys --  those turtles who prefer DSL over cable Internet because they like things to be slow. The guy turtle has a real attitude about everything and it's pretty entertaining, especially when he yells at his wife."    --Dave

PAY IT FORWARD
"I love those (Liberty Mutual) insurance commercials where people are doing good things for strangers Pay it forward."    --Jessica

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