In brilliant contrast to so many boorish ads that aim to get our attention through cacophonous noise and vapid jokes, Allstate’s 60-second “Smooth” ad communicates its message with style, grace,
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Super Bowl LV commercials: The Cranky Ad Review verdict
Really, what did everyone expect? Smarter and funnier than most TV commercials aired during Super Bowl LV, the 1999 Mike Judge film Idiocracy was sadly prescient. So let’s watch a
Continue readingAd Review: GEICO’s gags are getting old
Prolific insurance advertiser GEICO is back with more “hilarious” TV commercials. This time, two couples are excited to share how much they love their new homes — despite clogging problems
Continue readingAd Review: PlayStation 5, Xbox battle for video game supremacy
PlayStation 5. Xbox Series X. The next generation of video game consoles is here, and with it, a stark reminder of why advertisers need to communicate the right message to
Continue readingAd Review: Simplisafe’s ‘Robbert’ commercials sell the product short
I like SimpliSafe. The company’s home security systems are easy to use, effective, and affordable. So I’m a little disappointed with SimpliSafe’s latest TV commercials featuring new spokesman “Robbert,” a
Continue readingI hate Allstate’s ‘safe drivers save 40 percent’ commercial
It assaulted my ears from another room: a rapid-fire series of irritating voices all repeating the same line, over and over. I couldn’t make out the words, but I knew
Continue readingProgressive’s ‘Motaur’ ads are too clever by half
Racial tensions are rising as American cities burn. Meanwhile, fear of an over-hyped virus ravages the globe. This breaking news is brought to you by Progressive Insurance and Motaur, the
Continue readingAd Review: Tonal TV commercial shows and tells
In a sea of terrible TV commercials, this ad for Tonal digital fitness equipment caught my eye—not for shouting at me or blithering like an idiot to get my attention,
Continue readingDr. Pepper’s ‘Sweet One’ ads hit a sour note
Every time I see one of those Diet Dr. Pepper TV commercials with the twerpy little glam rocker and his annoying high-pitched voice, I wonder: Who is this guy? Am
Continue readingTurboTax ad review: When creative trumps strategy
Working in advertising is fun, especially as a creative. We copywriters and graphic designers get paid to think up clever ways to communicate a brand’s messages. The problem comes when
Continue readingNo good: Super Bowl LIV commercials miss the mark
On Sunday night, Super Bowl advertisers spent $5.6 million for 30 seconds to make people go “ha!” or “aww”—only to have their costly TV commercials forgotten a moment later. The
Continue readingPeloton holiday ad triggers snowflake meltdown
This week, the Internet exploded in furor over a holiday ad for the luxury stationary bike company Peloton. Critics mocked and hate-tweeted the ad mercilessly, calling it “sexist,” “mysogynistic,” and
Continue readingThis Little Caesars TV commercial is supremely unappetizing
One of the worst TV commercials of 2018 is back on the air. Let’s all point and laugh at Little Caesars’s “Can’t See The Crust,” a deliberate nipple-slip of an
Continue readingAd Review: PS Vue gets it right
Sony’s live TV streaming service, PS Vue, is ending. But don’t blame the ads, because they were great. Let’s see what PS Vue advertising got right that so many ads
Continue readingAd Review: Esurance commercials with Dennis Quaid
Remember Erin, the pink-haired secret agent who starred in the first Esurance TV commercials? Alas, some people liked the character a little too much and the company was forced to
Continue readingLiberty Mutual Ad Review: Zoltar, bad actors, and other dumb ideas
Liberty Mutual’s “Truth Tellers” ads are back, and they’re as bizarre and unfunny as ever. Let’s look at the four new car insurance commercials we’ll all be muting with extreme
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