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Category: Ad Reviews

scene from hotels.com tv commercial, the breakup
July 1, 2021 The Cranky Creative

Thanks, Captain Obvious! Hotels.com ads are awful

Adweek has just reported that agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky, creators of the “Captain Obvious” character and campaigns for Hotels.com, has lost the account. Why? Take a look at the

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Gillette Venus Pubic Hair Trimmer Ad the Cranky Creative Review
April 30, 2021 The Cranky Creative

Yes, the Gillette Venus Pubic Hair and Skin razor ad goes (down) there

Would you ever knock on a stranger’s door and, upon being allowed to enter, strip down and start shaving your pubes? That’s precisely what Gillette and model Nicole R. Rasenti

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No one needs Liberty Mutual's wet teddy bears
April 16, 2021 The Cranky Creative

No one wants Liberty Mutual’s wet teddy bears

Liberty Mutual’s new wet teddy bear commercial has convinced me of two things: 1) The once proud profession of advertising is dead; and 2) We really do live in a

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ad review allstate's tv commercial smooth
March 4, 2021 The Cranky Creative

Sorry, Cranky readers, but I like the Allstate “Smooth” ad

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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Cranky Creative ad review: Super Bowl LV
February 7, 2021 The Cranky Creative

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

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Cranky Creative Ad Review: GEICO's gags are getting old
January 28, 2021 The Cranky Creative

Ad 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

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Cranky Creative Ad Review: PS5, Xbox battle for video game supremacy
November 19, 2020 The Cranky Creative

Ad 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

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introducing robbert, simplisafe's new burglar slash tv spokesman
October 28, 2020 The Cranky Creative

Ad 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

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allstate tv commercial safe drivers save 40 percent
September 30, 2020 The Cranky Creative

I 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

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Progressive insurance company's new motorcycle mascot, Motaur
June 4, 2020 The Cranky Creative

Progressive’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

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tonal tv commercial mom
May 21, 2020 The Cranky Creative

Ad 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,

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Today’s Top Posts

  • Liberty Mutual's branded idiocy: is this the future of advertising?
  • Subliminal messages in advertising ... and Disney cartoons?
  • What happened to white people in TV commercials?
  • My short-lived career as a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier
  • Yes, the Gillette Venus Pubic Hair and Skin razor ad goes (down) there
  • Why is modern advertising so terrible? A comparison of ads, past and present

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