I have spent the week in the whipping winds of the Midwest, staying at my grandparent’s house. They have basic cable. And no TiVo. Choke me now.
The lack of “luxury” has given me a chance to consume countless commercials, however. You would think, given that I am an advertising guy, I would be totally in to watching commercials. I’m not. And those who know the Blind Society mantra understand: DEATH TO TRADITIONAL!
Some of the worst culprits of überboring television spots are cable companies. Most of their attempts to seem hip and cool leave me feeling unmoved at best; annoyed at worst.
And then there’s this gem:
Kimya, is that you? Whoever penned this lil’ diddy must have watched Juno two- or three-thousand times. (As did I.)
Apparently, I’m not the only one to realize this connection. Writes AdFreak: [The new Comcast Town ads are] a groovy mix of live action and animation, with characters singing in a Moldy Peaches/”Juno”-esque hipster monotone.
Here’s Ms. Dawson singing “Tire Swing.”
Do we not grasp the obvious connection?
Great job, Comcast—you made me watch your commercial. I th—oh, wait, there’s more? You have a website? Okay, let’s check it out.
At first blush, it’s impressive…some real FWA-level work. Let’s dig! The site has content—honest-to-goodness content—on it. I can watch videos, read lyrics, create a Second Life-esque abode, connect with Comcast Town on Facebook, and download wallpapers and ringtones.
¿Qué en la tierra? This is actually engaging and unique! I don’t know how to process this information!
On a blog post by Ari Herzog, replies are mixed.
Writes one person: I totally thought it was cute too. Who doesn’t love the guy in the hot tub, watching football with the giant finger? Love it. And how about the guitar playing squirrel?
Writes another: I honestly think the commercial is the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen. All the people are so monotone and sound like zombies. They could have at least had the people be more excited in their singing to bring it out of “awkwardville”. I’d really like to know who came up with the idea; they should see a psychiatrist.
There is no accounting for taste, is there?
What are your thoughts, roving readers? Do these ads inspire you to connect, or, as one Twitterer put it, do these ads “blow“?
