Archive for the ‘television’ category
June 15, 2012
– – In the past, Jack Links Beef Jerky has regaled us with commercials featuring the legendary cryptid Sasquatch (aka, “Bigfoot”) in the “Messin’ With Sasquatch” series. A common theme of these was jerky eaters pulling sophomoric pranks on the big guy, for which the jokers would receive well-deserved and usually physical retaliation. They’re still making these spots, as in one where the classic “snakes in a can” prank is pulled on Sasquatch; he retaliates by throwing an enormous real snake through the window of their camper in a clear case of what goes around, comes around!
Additionally, Carmichael Lynch now has a new “Snackin’ With Sasquatch” campaign out in which the former tormentors are now making nice with Sasquatch but still getting their lumps. In the “Touchdown” spot, Sasquatch is actually sitting on a couch in the living room of two apparently twenty-something guys who are watching the big game. When a touchdown occurs, the two guys enthusiastically jump to their feet and give a “bro” hug to one another. Caught up in the spirit, the towering Sasquatch grabs one of the two guys and hoists him up; too bad that the ceiling isn’t high enough to accomodate this gesture!- – Feed your wild side!
Categories: absurdities, anthropomorphic, cryptozoology, furry, furry commercials, television
Tags: Jack Links Sasquatch, Snackin' With Sasquatch Touchdown
Comments: 4 Comments
June 13, 2012
– – In a recent series of Geico commercials, the gecko is traveling across America, his journey leading him in this installment to the American Southwest where he runs across two iconic figures from the Looney Tunes world, none other than Wile E. Coyote (Super Genius!) and The Road Runner. An anvil impacts with the Earth first, embedding itself deeply, followed by a piano…then the Road Runner himself screeches to a brief halt by the gecko, but obviously soon must be off, leaving the gecko to consider the meaning of, “Meep meep!” Wile E. Coyote follows, and we are privy to his thoughts where he envisions the gecko as dinner…
…but not to worry! A large safe smashes down on top of the coyote, the brand on such product being, of course, “Acme”…and the gecko is again free to continue his journey, pondering “What a strange place!” as he walks off. – – It’s all vintage Chuck Jones stuff in this worthy crossover effort!
Categories: animals, anthropomorphic, Brilliant but twisted, cartoons, furry, furry commercials, television
Tags: The Gecko and Road Runner
Comments: 2 Comments
June 11, 2012
– – We all know that some parents can be quite cheap, so when his kids asked him for a puppy, one big-spending father depicted finding that puppies can be really expensive got them a possum instead! We see this guy in a Geico commercial working over his barbecue while his son and daughter stand over their “pet” possum, which is lying motionless at their feet; the son appears to prod the possum with his foot. “Dad, I think he’s dead,” advises the daughter. “Probably just playin’ possum,” reassures the father.
Sure enough, moments later the inert possum comes to life, rolls to his feet, and hisses at the two kids. “There he is!,” declares the vindicated father, not even bothering to look up from his grill. There’s an easier way to save money, of course…Geico Insurance!
Categories: animal behavior, animals, furry, furry commercials, television
Tags: Geico's pet possum
Comments: 2 Comments
May 25, 2012
– – The course of true love did never run smooth, especially if your intended is of a different species than yourself, and a predator to your prey. Such is an on-going story on Frontier Airlines ads, where Jack the rabbit has been hitting unsuccessfully on Foxy the fox. In an offering airing recently, Jack asks other “spokesanimals” what his breath smells like (answer: carrots…”Good, that’s what I was going for!,” responds Jack), and then inquires of the winsome vixen if she’d like to have dinner with a rabbit…
…”No,” replies the red fox, “I’d like to have a rabbit for dinner!”
“Waiter, check please!,” reconsiders the hapless rabbit…
Categories: animals, anthropomorphic, Brilliant but twisted, furry commercials, television
Tags: Frontier's Jack and Foxy
Comments: 2 Comments
May 22, 2012
– – The Enchanted Forest as envisioned by Psyop in a recent commercial is a wondrous place indeed, filled with sprites, smiling trees, and a variety of dancing, costumed anthropomorphic animals. There’s even a fox, a remarkably tall and slender specimen wearing shorts and a top hat! It’s essentially an environmental plug for FedEx clad as a fairy tale, and when those conventions are stripped away, we’re then left with electric trucks, recycled shipping materials, and lower-emission planes as FedEx’s contribution to the environment.
The spot is 80% live action and 20% CGI at the onset, with an actual forest having been filmed in Washington state on the northern Pacific Coast. The look is magical but not overly cartoonish, with a sing-songy soundtrack composed by a musical collective called Human which would be “perfectly at home in a 1950’s-era animated film,” according to the spot’s Senior Creative Director/Copywriter. The animated characters are all fully CGI, and a wealth of fine detail may be seen in successive viewings of the spot, such as the fox character modestly covering himself when his outfit is taken away…
Categories: absurdities, animals, anthropomorphic, Brilliant but twisted, environmental, furry, furry commercials, television
Tags: FedEx's "Enchanted Forest"
Comments: 3 Comments
May 17, 2012
– – It’s like a scene from The Twilight Zone; two incredibly wholesome-looking people come knocking at the door of their new neighbors to welcome them to the neighborhood. She looks like a Stepford Wife, and he looks like Enzyte Bob, or perhaps Rick Santorum…they ask the newcomers if they are ready for their new “bundle,” namely a service package for phone, TV cable, and internet; their smiles are so radiant as to be scary. The twosome hold forth a bundled group of objects representing these services, and this grouping also includes a puppy, with the woman at the door holding out an adorable Golden Retriever puppy. The commercial’s message is, “Don’t get bundled, get Vonage!”
The commercial has already drawn the ire of some Golden Retriever fanciers, who point out that the proper way to hold a puppy is not by its rib cage, dangling it in mid-air…
Categories: animals, furry, furry commercials, television
Tags: Vonage "Puppy Bundle"
Comments: 7 Comments
May 12, 2012
– – In yet another MiO Energy Drink commercial staged at the legendary Watering Hole bar, we are shown a lemur trying to make time with the giraffe girl previously seen in another commercial of the series. With the world’s worst timing, the lemur’s efforts are ruined by the unwelcome intrusion of the hapless, unlucky-in-love crocodile character, who ruins the set-up by commenting that he thought he smelled the lemur in there, and asking the primate if he’s still living with his parents…
…”You just totally croc-blocked me!,” complains the irate lemur. “Oh!,” responds the clueless crocodile, who upon close inspection may be seen to be wearing a Lacoste shirt! I live for stuff like that…sad, isn’t it?
Categories: animals, anthropomorphic, Brilliant but twisted, furry, furry commercials, television
Tags: MiO "Croc Block"
Comments: 4 Comments
May 10, 2012
– – I, for one, prefer not to see naked mole rats, especially when they’re in an obvious state of intoxication. Strange sights are known to appear with some regularity at the Watering Hole, however, a bar or pub frequented by anthropomorphic animals in a series of MiO Energy Drink commercials.
In this brief segment, previously-seen Rhino and Zebra characters are discussing how convenient the small water additives are to carry anywhere when the mole rat appears, naked but with certain mole rat, err, parts tastefully pixillated out. The mole rat slides up onto the bar, wearing a checked hat and little red sneakers, and proceeds to shake his booty. Where does the mole rat carry his MiO, asks the Zebra…the Rhino prefers not to think about it.- -One can hardly blame him! Other characters from previous episodes such as the Cheetah are seen in the background…
Categories: absurdities, animals, anthropomorphic, Brilliant but twisted, furry, furry commercials, television
Tags: MiO animal commercials, MiO naked mole rat
Comments: 2 Comments
May 5, 2012
– – Bears are sociable, party animals who enjoy indulging in a good Dairy Queen Blizzard…or so we might think from a DQ commercial which opens with a kid’s softball team called (- -what else?) the Bears who are in celebratory mode at a Dairy Queen following an apparent team victory. They hold aloft a trophy in testimonial to this, and moments later we are shown a trio of bears who are likewise indulging in the same treat…
…these bears, however, effortlessly hold aloft a uniformed officer who had apparently been sent to seek them out!
Categories: animals, anthropomorphic, furry, furry commercials, television
Tags: Dairy Queen bears
Comments: 4 Comments
April 30, 2012
– – I love considering the tale of Little Red Riding Hood from the wolf’s perspective, and now it would appear that in addition to cagey little girls and woodsmen with axes, the wolf also has to contend with red Volvos as well! This commercial begins with a bright red Volvo S-60 R-Design driving down the road in a dark, scary forest! The red Volvo’s standing in for Little Red Riding Hood, ‘ya see, and it’s moving right along to a version of “Little Red Riding Hood,” originally by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs…wasn’t that a great song?!- –Everybody sing!!!
– -Now I feel much better! Anyhow, the car slams on its brakes because there in the road is a real wolf, unkindly called the Big Bad Wolf in the story. The magnificent lupine begins growling and barking at the Volvo, which in turn revs its engine to “growl” back at the wolf. Obviously not Courage Wolf, the wolf in this commercial backs away scared. The father driving the Volvo then asks his young daughter riding in the back seat (clad in a red hooded cape, natch!) what a wolf says, she responds by howling, and they continue driving down the road!
<Sigh>…wolves never get a fair rap…if he had called for reinforcements, they could have taken that Volvo!- – And what are the Pharaohs doing these days, anyhow?!- –*Howl!*
Categories: absurdities, animals, Brilliant but twisted, furry, furry commercials, television
Tags: L'il Red Riding Hood, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Volvo's "Little Red" commercial
Comments: 2 Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.