This whole series has really grown on me. It's goofy, but... consistenly and unabashedly so. And ya gotta respect that. Most importantly, the characters are engaging, and the product very, very memorable. Mmmm.... craving some sausages right now.
I love this one. Every time I see it, I'm still drawn in by the "WTF is actually happening here" question. And not only does it get your attention, it delivers a powerful message -- that is very much ON message.
He needed to appeal to Christian conservatives, and... what better way to do it than a floating cross in the background (yeah, right, it was "not intended.").
Say what you will about whether it was appropriate, but... it appealed to the people it needed to target, and got the rest of America talking about it (and news programs showing it for free).
(Promoted by popular demand -- my own)
10 years ago, this would have been an unqualified disaster -- a truly terrible ad. But the advent of the Internet has changed the rules, and for that reason, Flea Market Montgomery has hit a grand slam with this one.
With the rise of YouTube and other file sharing services, the TV ad can move beyond the TV and into the world of the net. If you strike the right chord, your ad isn't just seen by passive TV viewers, it's emailed at a fast and furious pace by legions of netizens. And striking a chord can be done by a fantastic ad, or an ad so bad that you can't help but pay attention.
Is it a cheesy ad? Oh yeah. But has it been seen by millions of Americans online, and tens of millions on TV? Even parodied by SNL? Hell yes. Had it been a "good" ad in the traditional sense, a few thousand local people might've seen it, and a few dozen might've been spurred to go to the store. But with this approach, the store is now known across America. And you better believe that that has led to a heck of a lot more than a "few dozen" visitors. Any ad creator who does not take into account the web's "echo potential" is playing by outdated rules.
The rules of the game have changed. And when it comes to TV ads, "annoying" can sometimes be "annoyingly good" or even "annoyingly fantastic."
That is one cool gorilla. It's so engaging, and I'm not even sure why. I wanna hang with that gorilla.
Yeah, there's no doubt that this is from an era long, long, long ago. This doesn't so much get "best" recognition for the quality itself, but more from the pure, unadulturated "holy s***" reaction most people will have from watching it.
One of the most talked about ads of the presidential campaign... didn't come from one of the candidates... and didn't even run on TV. Well, paid, at least. But God knows, it showed up a zillion times in the news.
Originally an "anonymous" ad, this actually came from Phil de Vellis. I met him, actually, to chat about this. Good guy, funny as hell, and... he did this alone on his own computer. How cool is that?
Folks, this one was sent to me by BestAdsEver reader Luis Sinibaldi. And it warrants a new category here: "Web Only." You see, this was an ad that Luis and his friend Matt created for a Heinz Ketchup content (i.e., for user submitted ads).
And while Heinz didn't pick it as a winner, it sure as hell is a winner in our book. Funny as hell, and a testament to the creative potential a company can realize by tapping into its own user base. So for now, it may be "web only," but we think it's very much ready for prime time.
This isn't just a brilliant ad, it's a brilliant Internet-age strategy. Teaser ads were run on TV, driving people to visit the web to see the full-on ad.
Smart idea, and yet, still surprisingly rare. I mean, it's not like the Web is a new thing anymore, right?
