Vote for best and worst ads

Posted: Monday, August 17, 2009 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under: TV commercials

We've been hashing out commercials for two months now, and it's time for a vote. The contest isn't over, and the vote isn't the final word on who will take this year's best and worst ad honors, but it'll definitely help narrow things down.

Progressive Insurance

Love or hate Flo? Vote in our polls

As always, there's at least one commercial that shows up on both lists. This year, it's Flo, the saleswoman for Progressive Insurance. Some readers find her both attractive and funny; others just find the ads tiresome.

I went through your comments and tried to pick the ads that were mentioned the most often, but there are so many commercials that I may have forgotten some. Please vote in the polls (you can vote for "other" if your favorites aren't there) and also feel free to talk about these ads and others in the comments.

I really need your help here -- usually at this point in the summer it's fairly obvious who's going to win in at least one category. This year ... not so much. There's no obvious favorite like last year's Discovery Channel "boom-di-ada" promo. So help me out by voting, and thanks!

BEST ADS -- vote here (Link fixed!)
Prius people hide out in flowers and clouds
Ozzy Osbourne uses Samsung phone to make himself understood
Skating babies rock out for Evian
Giant hamster wheels roll for Kia Soul
Most interesting man in the world drinks Dos Equis
Flo sells Progressive insurance with help of giant nametag

WORST ADS -- vote here
Woman sucks down Dannon yogurt in grocery store
Woman's long armpit hair waves in boyfriend's face (Boost Mobile)
Geico money is always watching you
Quizno's oven flirts with employee
Flo sells Progressive insurance with help of giant nametag

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Comments

For "best ad" I vote Giant Hamster Wheel with Ozzy in 2nd place.
Worst: "Armpit Girl" closely followed by Flo; those commercials for Progressive might be cute if they were 5 seconds long, but they are not. Fail.

Maybe I'm weird, but I like the Gieco $$ ad. It's the song that gets me. I actually leave the commercial on to listen for it, which is a total win for them in my DVR-watching world. What should be on this worst list is the Geico "Caveman" ads. Why are they still making those? Ugh.

Vicki, FL (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 10:00 AM)

No Traveler's Insurance "Troubled" dog for best? You missed the bone!

Kathi Rivers, Macon, Georgia (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 10:23 AM)

BEST (1st place): Traveler's Insurance-little dog worrying about his bone, trying to find safe place to hide it, voice-over of song "Worry". (2nd place): Dannon yogurt woman in grocery store; most heard comment from [male]friends:"Could she not suck a golf ball thru a garden hose?". WORST: ANY of the Geico stack-of-money-with-eyeballs; they are all so stupid they don't even suck.

Pete White, Richmond, VA (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 10:59 AM)

WHAT??? No mention of the Etrade baby? I've seen them a million times and they still crack me up!

Amy , CT (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 11:18 AM)

I am in love with the new Baskin-Robbins ad. "Ice cream and cakey cake, ice cream and cakey cake, etc...

I have been humming that catchy little diddy all day! It is a bit annoying, but it also makes me happy.

Andrea Hess, Panama City Beach, FL (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 12:18 PM)

Ozzy hands down. Love it when a celeb can make fun of himself or was that Sharon's doing...SHARON!!!!!HA HA HA

Luna G, Lusby, MD (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 12:34 PM)

I absolutely hate the Taco Bell (I *thnkk it's them) with the two guys in the car talking back and forth. Some commercials *can* manage to be useful or even sometimes great (the Apple "1984" ad) but this series is just so irritating.

Dave S (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 12:42 PM)

Funny - Etrade baby Shank-o-potomus gets me every time!
Not Funny - any Geico caveman commercial.

Chris, Philadelphia, PA (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 1:06 PM)

My husband and I just saw the Travelers ad with the dog and his bone. When it finished we both thought it was a great commercial. Definitely would like to see that on the best list.

Christi, Indiana (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 1:18 PM)

Baskin Robbins is the best. It's so cheesy it's brilliant.
I hate the Geico eyeballs. Weird.

irina, miami florida (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 1:20 PM)

Even though the product is questionable at best, I love the Free Credit Report.com commercials and their catchy diddies. My favorite is the one "I was shoppin' for a new car, which one's me..."

Lisa, Remus, MI (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 1:23 PM)

You know I have an observation. Every year at Christmas we howl and moan about those Jared commercials and every summer come commercial voting time we forget about them.
Gael, put a stickie on your screen to get people riled up about those Jared commercials next year. I really want to see them win worst ad one of these years!

Leslie, Albuquerque (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 1:24 PM)

the Geico ads are just plain annoying, and some don't even make sense (guy tries to trap the money with eyeballs under a box?)and the caveman ones are so overdone and old. the Prius ones creep me out. i love the giant hamster ones. that dos equis guy is nasty and cheesy. love the one with ozzy osborne.

sara, richmond, va (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 1:39 PM)

best: the new verizon commercial where dad twitters "I am sitting on the patio" and when the kid says "I know your sitting on the patio" and the dad does this little chuckle... that gets my boyfriend and i everytime...

worst: ALL and I mean ALL of Geico's adds. and progressive's Flo, and all of the adds that make me feel crappy about not being able to afford gold coins and not having any gold to send away in a stupid free postage envelope

Helen, San Angelo, Texas (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 1:42 PM)

Well, my vote for best still goes for the Heineken ad with the built-out clothes closet for the wife and the built-out beer fridge for the hubby. The guys shrieking like little girls is priceless!

Worst is the armpit hair ... so icky!

Phyllis H. (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 1:50 PM)

Does Dannon support shoplifting?

Pam Morrical, Mountlake Terrace, WA (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 1:57 PM)

Ozzy first with the GPS in his home stating "wow this is new!" (looking at his bathroom) on his Samsung phone

Cfoote,Schenectady,NY (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 2:15 PM)

The worst is the armpit girl, ICK. the yogurt commercial is just bad taste, but the armpit hair girl that is completely disgusting...
I love the KIA Soul commercial with the hampsters and the Ozzy finding his way around his house..

jrzygrl. (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 2:19 PM)

"He can speak Russian... in French."

"He can disarm you with his looks... or his hands, either way."

"People hang on his every word... even the prepositions."

How is this not inspired and infinitely superior to hamsters driving crappy cars and some old rock star mumbling and shuffling around his house?

Byrd (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 2:19 PM)

I don't like those Charmin bath tissue commercials with the bears. Picking off the little pieces of used tissue from bady bear's bottom. Real classy there Charmin.

chris, Portland, OR (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 2:21 PM)

One for the HATE column.

That one for selling off your ex-boyfriend's gift jewelry. That thing makes me homicidal. I can't even remember what company it is from, but the woman is so smug and greedy looking. She reminisces about her old boyfriends, looking at the gifts they gave her, while it is implied that her husband is oblivious in the next room. As a woman, I find that representation of the gold digger particularly irritating.

"Discreet." "Break up with his jewelry too." Ugh. Make it stop.

Vicki (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 2:35 PM)

" The side of the train tracks he is on is the right side. If he were to cross over the tracks, he would still be on the right side."

The most interesting man in the world always is good for a laugh.

Scott, Houston, TX (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 2:41 PM)

Best: Definitely the Traveler's Insurance dog bone commercial with Ray Lamontagne "Saved by a Women" song...without a doubt.
Worst: Any Free Credit Report.com commercial, ALL natural "male enhancement" commercials, Shamwow infomercials; there's just too many to list!

Ella, So Dak (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 2:42 PM)

Best in years! The Travelers dog and his bone. The dream sequence is priceless.

Doug Blood, Geneva, NY (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 2:57 PM)

have to agree, the charmin ads are nasty. I get it, we all hate toilet paper that sticks your rear, but do we really need cartoon bears showing it? Also last time I played football, we had on pants ;)

brian, macomb, mi (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 3:06 PM)

The bike-riding armpit hair girl is the worst-makes me want to HURL, followed closely by the 2 people sitting in bathtubs on top of a mountain evidently happy one of them used Viagra. (Whatever THAT has to do with the tubs????)PUHLeeze! Stop insulting our intelligence!

Pam Pankratz, Boise, Idaho (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 3:13 PM)

While I don't love Flo's commercials, I don't hate them either. Hate is such a strong word. We should reserve that for commercials so bad like the Quizno's (pretty much ALL Quizno's are bad), Digger the toenail virus, and the creepy Burger King.

ALL Geico's ads are inventive and different. For that alone, they belong in the top. Whether you like them or not - they get attention, and that's the point of advertising.

Amye, Chicago, IL (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 3:19 PM)

I wonder if this is only a local ad but the ones for Ally bank make me laugh. Too complicated to describe in this space but I am sure you could find them on YouTube. But from the list above, love the Hamsters. Hate the e-trade baby. And anything involving sloppy eating (Hardee's).

Koz, St. Louis MO (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 3:27 PM)

Worst: Please don't let me hear that Subway "five dollar footlong" song being screamed, warbled, chopped, hatcheted by all those different people, one more time.

Cleta, Austin, Texas (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 3:43 PM)

Traveler's insurance dog with bone commercial. No contest.

gary christopher, Mcadoo ,pa (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 3:49 PM)

The new Pizza Hut ad makes me want to look away. The fake french gal has a customer try the pastries you dip in chocolate. Good to that point except when the camera zooms in to her full ugly mouth of the stuff and the ummmmm that follows. Makes me want to barf.

Joan Hamer Manchester PA (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 3:51 PM)

Worst: Any/All Viagra & Cialis ads.

Best: Skating babies for Evian Water - too bad the plastic bottles are such a no-no.

Kay Verelius, Seattle, WA (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 4:01 PM)

I think the "troubled" dog on the Travelors Insurance ad is the cutest commercial ever - how did it miss the number 1 slot for best?

I hate the long hair armpit ad -

Kay \Pphoenix, AZ (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 4:07 PM)

How about a right in vote? I LOVE the Saturn guy, Honey I'm home, lost my job, don't have a car, what's for supper?

They haven't played it in a while, but it still makes me lmao....

Alicia, Smalltown, IL (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 4:44 PM)

"He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it felt." - Dos Equis ads are both brilliant and hilarious. To reward their creativity, I drank some of their product.

Joe, Houston, Tx. (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 5:00 PM)

The absolute worst is the Irish guy whipping people with his stupid dipstick. It's painful for me to watch and it just seems so awful! I always turn it off immediately! The best? The guy who has the internet connection stick who says "I'm faster than Andy Roddick" or "Michael Phelps" or the boxer. Funny stuff.

Pauline, Fayetteville, Arkansas (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 5:01 PM)

Although I voted for the hamster wheel, I really think the Traveler umbrella ad featuring the dog & bone is the best.

Susan H. Stewart (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 5:35 PM)

I despite those commercials with the office workers shouting across the room instead of using e-mail. I can't mute them fast enough.

Thankfully, I can't remember who does these commercials.

Kevin C, Nashua NH (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 6:21 PM)

I agree with most of these - I HATE the Geico commercial with the eyes. I liked the cavemen when they first came out now they're stupid. One that I don't know if it's shown outside of LA is for 800-Dentist. The woman is a complete idiot! I don't know who they're trying to reach out to.

I can't help but love the Ozzy commercial and I love Flo. I still miss a commercial that I've seen a few years ago about Staples. The one when it's time to go back to school and they're playing, "The most wonderful time of the year". The dad's dancing all over the store, then they show the poor kids with the saddest look on their faces. That's a classic.

DIANA, LOS ANGELES, CA (Sent Monday, August 17, 2009 6:50 PM)

I think one of the worst commercials is the Axe deodorant ad where the guy lifts up his arms and sprays water all over his girlfriend before she buys him Axe to stop the spraying water. Gross!!

Kathy Clepper, Carlisle, PA (Sent Tuesday, August 18, 2009 11:04 AM)

Add my vote: Traveler's insurance dog is the best!!!

Marian Cole, Bellevue WA (Sent Tuesday, August 18, 2009 2:10 PM)

My vote for best is definitely for the Traveler's Insurance commercial with the dog and his bone. It is just perfect.

My vote for worst is the Dannon yogurt one. It's appalling.

Ashlee, Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, August 18, 2009 2:23 PM)

The Heineken closet commercial is THE BEST ad ever. Hands down.

Mel, San Diego (Sent Tuesday, August 18, 2009 3:22 PM)

It's probably not been mentioned, but I hate the Dell ad where the factory workers sing Lollipop. First off, the screen is dark, then the lights go on and you see one man, and then another stands up re-hookin his overall strap. What were those men doing in the dark? Sick I know, but that's the first impression I had.

Debra R, Springfield, MO (Sent Tuesday, August 18, 2009 8:58 PM)

Best ad: Most interesting man in the world. (He's HOT)
Worst ad: Quizno's oven

I still hate Bing dot com's ads more than anything else.

HHinson NC (Sent Wednesday, August 19, 2009 10:17 AM)

The worst is the Eva Longoria / Heineken beer commerical. It makes no sense. A waitress brings two beers to the two guys and then leaves. Why does Eva ask to have one passed to her. Plus, she doesn't look too hot, with her lower choppers only visible.

Gary R. Battison (Sent Thursday, August 20, 2009 12:36 PM)

There are a lot of bad ads out there (looking at you, Geico), but the ones that really annoy me are the Olive Garden ads. They're so cutesy they make me sick. I guess it's just me, though, since I haven't seen anyone else mention them. On the other hand, I like Ozzy, the Traveler's dog, and some of the others people have mentioned.

Tim, San Antonio (Sent Thursday, August 20, 2009 2:23 PM)

The best ad is HANDS DOWN, "Most interesting man in the world drinks Dos Equis."

Shana, Provo, Utah (Sent Thursday, August 20, 2009 3:26 PM)

Okay..the worse commercial has to be the lady playing bingo, or cards, or whatever and she can't hear a thing so she gets the thing in her ear that lets her hear what her neighbors are saying about her etc...man..who wrote that??

P. Ratliff, Coeur d'alene, ID (Sent Thursday, August 20, 2009 3:26 PM)

The one I mute is the ungrateful son in the car's backseat asking for more phone minutes because he does not want to use the rollover ones his mom gave him at the restaurant.

Laura, Dallas (Sent Thursday, August 20, 2009 4:32 PM)

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Vote for best and worst ads

Posted: Monday, August 17, 2009 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under: TV commercials

EMAIL THIS

Comments

SEND A COMMENT

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ABOUT TEST PATTERN

Vote for best and worst ads

Posted: Monday, August 17, 2009 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper Filed Under: TV commercials

EMAIL THIS

Comments

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TRACKBACKS

More Test Pattern

Links

Syndicate This Site

MSNBC Weblogs

Posted: Monday, August 17, 2009 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under: TV commercials