TV Guide recently released a list of the top 50 commercials of all time, and I couldn't help but stick my nose into the fray. Call it a view from outside the ad world, but inside the broadcasting industry. Blurring the line, if you will.
Having been in print, radio and TV, I've seen a lot of advertising from a variety of angles. About two years ago I tried to get a job in advertising. I had worked in a variety of media: I'm a fairly creative guy, and I really have no other marketable talent.
I quickly found out something shocking about the ad industry: Logic dictates that a majority of an ad campaign's success would be judged by the resulting sales generated for the client. Not so. Ad agencies want to win awards. If the product moves, great, but the real goal is to slap each other on the back and gloat over how clever they are. A lot like broadcasting actually. If you can impress your peers, you've made it.
It should also be noted that, even though I had no actual experience in creating ads (I had sold them), everyone was quite helpful and filled with very useful advice as to how to pursue my goal.
In any case, my perspective has since been changed. And from that perspective I approached the TV Guide list. Shockingly, the Budweiser Frogs checked in at number 50. Beer ads are notorious for being either brilliant or abominable, and the frogs certainly fall into the latter category. Conversely, the Miller Lite campaign from 1975 with Bob Uecker came in at number 8. Too low really, since it spawned several great "spin-offs," including the memorable "I must be in the front row."
Currently, the best beer commercial is Labatt's Beer's bear. There are actually two running. One has him playing checkers and extolling the virtues of the brand. That one is serviceable. The other one, much more brilliant, has him attacked by fur activists who spray paint him on the chest. The whole ad is a scream.
The Energizer Bunny, of course, made a strong showing at number 19. What's odd about this campaign is that its best spots didn't come until much later in its run. The post-"Twister" bits about a stormchaserlike crew trying to catch him was very amusing.
I recall two ads I actually taped, one of which made the countdown, one of which did not. Fed Ex and fast talking actor John Moschitta appear at number 5. The E.F. Hutton ads from the early '80s do not. In one of the last in that series, a little girl is reciting the alphabet in class, and pauses after "e-f." "E.F. ... E.F. ... E.F. Hutton," she beams, at which point all of her classmates lean in with hands cupping ears to hear what E.F. Hutton has to say.
ESPN's current promos, "This Is Sportscenter" make the list at number 22. These, for the most part, are very funny, reminiscent of what made Airplane! such a funny movie. People who aren't comedians -- mostly athletes and sports anchors -- doing very dry, very deadpan stuff, like Dan Patrick giving lessons to Texas Rangers All-Star "Pudge" Rodriguez. Laugh out loud hilarious.
The list demonstrates that making advertisements is an art form. Sometimes it's mimicked successfully; other times not. The recent VW ads featuring two guys cruising around listening to Trio's 1983 New Wave hit, "Da, Da, Da," did a lot for the new Beetle and quite a bit for the German group that recorded the song.
Then along comes Mazda, who think they can do the same. They get a group of twentysomethings to tool around while we're treated to a vulgar '80s song (The Nails' "88 Lines About 44 Women") with new lyrics. Sadly, this very fine car could've used a better campaign. But then so could a lot of advertisers.
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