Advertising Archives - The Cranky Creative Blog

Liberty Mutual's branded idiocy: the future of advertising?

February 6, 2025 The Cranky Creative

Liberty Mutual’s branded idiocy: is this the future of advertising?

I admit, I didn’t used to “get” Liberty Mutual TV commercials. From the intelligence-insulting “Truth-Teller” ads, to LiMu Emu & Doug, to Zoltar and “Liberty Bibberty” and the utterly braindead

This vintage print ad from Bell Telephone connects with heartfelt human emotion

January 12, 2025 The Cranky Creative

Remember when ads had heart? A Bell Telephone masterpiece

There’s something missing from advertising today. Amidst all the snarky voiceovers, fast cuts, dumb jokes, and conspicuously diverse actors, there’s an emptiness. Today’s ads, with their glossy visuals and overproduced

The Cranky Creative blog: Why better advertising is worth fighting for

January 5, 2025 The Cranky Creative

We can’t let them win: why better ads are worth fighting for

I’ve been feeling a little defeated lately, to the point where I considered quitting the blog. Ever since Google changed its search algorithm to shortchange small blogs like mine in

December 15, 2024 The Cranky Creative

Creativity without accountability is killing the ad industry

The advertising industry as we know it is dying, and for good reason. Just … not the reason many ad people would have you believe. Over the past year, I

Car company Jaguar ‘Bud Lights’ itself with new woke ad

November 25, 2024 The Cranky Creative

Ad Review: Jaguar ‘Bud Lights’ itself with ridiculous new ad

With its controversial new ad campaign, “Copy Nothing,” British luxury car company Jaguar becomes the latest brand to sacrifice its reputation and sales at the altar of “modern audiences.” I

A young female marketer carrying a cardboard box as she leaves the office on her last day of work

November 11, 2024 The Cranky Creative

How to survive The Great Marketing Shakeout

If you haven’t noticed, the marketing and advertising fields are a bloodbath right now. AI is surely one reason for all the layoffs, but mostly, I think it’s a reckoning

September 29, 2024 The Cranky Creative

Doritos dares us to make a better Super Bowl ad

When I called out Doritos for its dopey and overproduced Super Bowl 2023 commercial with its trite focus on “triangles,” I did not expect a response. But now, a year

cranky creative ad review of Pepsi chase cars advertising campaign

September 13, 2024 The Cranky Creative

Short Pepsi film shows how obnoxious brands have become

Just when you thought ads and advertising couldn’t get any more obnoxious, here comes Pepsi with a ‘short film’ showing everything that’s wrong with the industry and the culture today.

NFL football fans playing a drinking game with Super Bowl LVIII ads

January 30, 2024 The Cranky Creative

Million-dollar mind control: why ‘your favorite Super Bowl ad’ does not exist

Pass the chips, hold the Kool-Aid. This Super Bowl, The Cranky Creative is serving up some red-pill hors d’oeuvres. Plus: The ultimate Super Bowl ad drinking game! Super Bowl LVIII

The Cranky Creative sits down with The Daily Telegraph to talk about why today's ads are so bad

January 9, 2024 The Cranky Creative

Why TV ads are so bad: Cranky sits down with The Daily Telegraph

Last week, I was contacted by Stephen Armstrong, a journalist for The Daily Telegraph who wanted to speak with me about the quality of today’s TV commercials as Netflix, Amazon,

Chevy's new Christmas ad, A Holiday to Remember, Shamelessly Exploits Alzheimer's Syndrome

December 23, 2023 The Cranky Creative

Merry Christmas? Chevy plays the Alzheimer’s card in viral holiday ad

Earlier this month, Chevy set the world alight with a “must-see” five-minute ad titled “A Holiday to Remember.” Billed as “heartwarming” and “a tear-jerker,” the ad garnered rave reviews from