Nearly 30 years of one of American television's most storied and beloved traditions (i.e. portraying our presidents as moronic simpletons whose inability to tie their own shoes could send the country to Defcon 3) came to a glorious fountain of awesomeness at Funnyordie.com.
The website premiered a new public service announcement on federal finance laws directed by Ron Howard in the form of a very funny "Presidential Reunion" sketch that features the likes of Will Ferrell, Darrell Hammond, Dana Carvey, Dan Aykroyd and even Chevy Chase reviving their classic impressions of former presidents including (respectively) George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., Jimmy Carter and (the most hilarious in my opinion) Gerald Ford who come together to help the beleaguered Barack Obama, played by Fred Armisen. Jim Carrey also stepped in the room to play Ronald Reagan probably because Randy Quaid is nuttier than a Payday bar these days.
'SNL's' Presidential Reunion Video Hits Funny or Die
Jon Hamm Gets New Gig with Mercedes
Don't you just love it when life sort of imitates art? Jon Hamm, who plays the chain smoking Don Draper on TV's 'Mad Men,' has been hired by Mercedes Benz as a pitchman for their car commercials, which will premiere during the Academy Awards.
This means, of course, that Mr. Hamm will replace actor Richard Thomas who has done the voiceover for Mercedes' car commercials for the last four years. Good night Jon-Boy.
The company's marketing VP Stephen Cannon called Hamm "a hot actor." That must have been one awkward audition.
That Verizon Commercial Sounds (And Looks) Familiar
You don't often see a company using the theme song to another commercial for the theme song in their commercial, but that's what Verizon is doing in this spot. It's the jingle from old Big Red gum commercials. I think it was used in the '80s and maybe into the '90s, but it's funny to see it used for a completely different product.
After the jump, the original (yes, that's Peter Billingsley). It's funny how they didn't just grab the theme song they reproduced scenes from the original spot (though I bet a lot of people wouldn't even had remembered those scenes in the old ad without seeing it again).
After the jump, the original (yes, that's Peter Billingsley). It's funny how they didn't just grab the theme song they reproduced scenes from the original spot (though I bet a lot of people wouldn't even had remembered those scenes in the old ad without seeing it again).
Continue reading That Verizon Commercial Sounds (And Looks) Familiar
How Well Do You Know Celebrity Commercial Voices?
There are a lot more celebrities doing voice overs than you might think. Sure, we can all instantly recognize David Duchovny when he plugs dog food, but there are a lot of other celebrities doing ads and you probably don't even realize it as you're watching the commercials (if you still watch commercials and don't speed through them on DVR).TV.com has a quiz to see if you can guess which voice is on various commercials (don't read the comments on that page because they give away some of the answers). They show you the commercials and then you type in the actual name of the person (no multiple choice with this quiz, sorry).
A few of the voices will be familiar to you right away while some of them are going to leave you scratching your head a bit. I only got six out of fifteen, though all of the voices sounded familiar to me. I'm really angry at myself for missing number three...
So How Did They Film That New Old Spice Commercial Anyway?
It seems like TV Squad is ruining the illusion of television lately. Last week we showed you how often ChromaKey/green screen is used on TV, and now here's a behind the scenes look at how that new Old Spice commercial was filmed (the one with the guy on the boat, then on the horse). Leo Laporte had two of the guys behind the ad on his TWIT web show recently. Surprisingly, it wasn't all done with special effects.
I laugh out loud every time I hear the guy say "I'm on a horse." So quick and deadpan and funny.
I laugh out loud every time I hear the guy say "I'm on a horse." So quick and deadpan and funny.
The World Is Ending, So Have Sex With a Stranger (And Drink Pepsi Max!)
I'm not quite sure how Pepsi Max even fits into the commercial below, except in a "yo, we just did something awesome, high five and let's drink Pepsi!" sort of way. It shows a bunch of people in a bar who see a TV report that the world is ending. Some freak out, some decide to have sex. This takes the term "wing man" to a whole new level.
[via AdFreak]
Gilbert Gottfried: Comedian, Actor and ... Pitchman?!?
Does it ever feel like your TV is screaming at you? This ad is actually yelling at you. No, you're not high on drugs.
For some reason, the people behind Shoedini, the device that allows you to put on and take off your shoes without all that unnecessary bending and exercise, hired Gilbert Gottfried, a man who's voice could make babies cry BEFORE they are born.
WARNING: If you watch this ad, just like anytime you hear Gilbert's voice on TV or in a movie, it will follow you around in your head for the remainder of the day or narrate your most haunting dreams.
For some reason, the people behind Shoedini, the device that allows you to put on and take off your shoes without all that unnecessary bending and exercise, hired Gilbert Gottfried, a man who's voice could make babies cry BEFORE they are born.
WARNING: If you watch this ad, just like anytime you hear Gilbert's voice on TV or in a movie, it will follow you around in your head for the remainder of the day or narrate your most haunting dreams.
Tracy Morgan and Stevie Wonder Play Punch Dub
There was a commercial for Volkswagen that aired during Super Bowl Sunday last week, but it didn't make Kona's best of the best. Still, having seen it a couple of time since, perhaps it should have been. Do you remember it? It's based on a game called punch dub, and every time a person sees a Volkswagen before the other person, they get to punch their partner and call out the color of the car.I had some friends who played a car game like this, punching each other each time one saw a vehicle with one light not working. They called it pediddle. Ridiculous name, but then punch dub is just as silly. But it's real. And that's a big part of why this commercial is so good. You can relate to it. Everyone can play. There's the kid with his grandfather. The two Amish folk. The drunk guys in the limo.
Continue reading Tracy Morgan and Stevie Wonder Play Punch Dub
Did Coke Copy Another Ad For Their Super Bowl Spot?
Coca-Cola had a Super Bowl commercial last Sunday titled "Sleepwalker," and it showed a guy getting up in the middle of the night and sleepwalking to a fridge with Coke in it. Now some people are saying they copied an ad for Yotvata (another drink) several years ago.
Here are the two ads, both using the same music, same plot, and even a moon in the background. Coke says they didn't know about the other ad. We report, you decide.
Here are the two ads, both using the same music, same plot, and even a moon in the background. Coke says they didn't know about the other ad. We report, you decide.
[via AdFreak]
Did Megan Fox Have a 'Thumb Double' in her Super Bowl Ad?
The Internet has been buzzing over Megan Fox's bathtub ad for Motorola during the Super Bowl... about her thumb?!? (sigh) Oh Internet, will you never learn? Apparently, rumors are growing that the makers of the commercial had a hand model serve for the bathing beauty (literally! Wocka, Wocka!) because of her condition, brachydactyly, better known as "clubbed thumb."
Asylum's Brett Smiley compared images from the commercial to Fox's actual hands and found some alarming differences. He also called the cell phone giant for an explanation and was met with a thousand variations of the phrase "It's part of our corporate policy not to comment on rumor or speculation."
Letterman Pays Tribute to Art Donovan in Super Bowl Ad
If you were watching carefully during the now-momentous Letterman/Oprah/Leno promo for the 'Late Show' that aired during the Super Bowl, you'll notice that Dave was not wearing an #18 Peyton Manning Colts jersey, like he did in the 2007 promo with Oprah that kicked off this series. Instead, he wore a #70 Colts jersey, a number which is not on the team's current roster.
When I saw the promo for the tenth or eleventh time (for some reason, I still get a kick out of it), I vaguely recalled that #70 was the number for Art Donovan, a Hall of Fame defensive lineman for the then-Baltimore Colts in the '50s and '60s. He was also a frequent TV presence in the '80s and '90s, telling hilarious stories about his playing days on Letterman's shows, as well as many others.
Richard Roeper wondered this, too, and confirmed it in his column this morning. See what happens when you follow up a notion with a simple Google search?
More on Donovan, including video, after the jump.
Continue reading Letterman Pays Tribute to Art Donovan in Super Bowl Ad
Here's a Product You Need: Pajamas That Look Like Jeans!
Sometimes I don't know if these products are parodies or the real thing. Parodies have gotten so clever that it's often hard to tell. But this is real. It's a commercial for Pajama Jeans. They're...pajamas that look like jeans! Because what everyone has been waiting for it a pair of pajamas that look like something else. I can't wait until someone makes socks that look like sneakers! Sneakers are so uncomfortable!
I have no idea why anyone would want these (I would say that if your jeans aren't already comfortable, you're wearing the wrong size), though they do seem very sensual. These women can't stop rubbing them for some reason. [via BrandFreak]
I have no idea why anyone would want these (I would say that if your jeans aren't already comfortable, you're wearing the wrong size), though they do seem very sensual. These women can't stop rubbing them for some reason. [via BrandFreak]
'Twilight' Guy to Play Stretch Armstrong on the Big Screen
I had a Stretch Armstrong toy when I was a kid. Like most boys I tried to find some way to break it. Sure, the ads said you could stretch and stretch and stretch the guy, but could you really stretch him really far and not snap off an arm or a leg? If I remember correctly he was pretty resilient. We'll see what they do on the big screen, because they're making a movie out of the toy (and I'm sure they'll be a toy for the movie, so it all comes full circle), and Taylor Lautner is going to play Stretch.
In this ad, the kids each take an end of Stretch Armstrong and stretch him practically across the room. I know that Lautner is not a doll he's a grown human being, but I think it would be funny if they included a scene like this in the movie. Sort of a wink and a nod to parents in the audience who remember the toy.
In this ad, the kids each take an end of Stretch Armstrong and stretch him practically across the room. I know that Lautner is not a doll he's a grown human being, but I think it would be funny if they included a scene like this in the movie. Sort of a wink and a nod to parents in the audience who remember the toy.
The Super Bowl Commercials: The Worst
It has become a cliche to say "I watch the Super Bowl just for the ads," but I really do. I have no interest in football at all (even less this year because the Patriots aren't in it - the only reason I would have to even be a little interested in the game is if the team from my area was in it), so I really do look forward to seeing and reviewing the ads. Too bad the Super Bowl ads aren't what they used to be (except for that Letterman/Leno/Oprah ad ... wow).This year I'm picking the seven worst ads, while Kona is handling the seven best. Two rules for my worst: no movie ads (they're in a category all by themselves and shouldn't be judged with the other ads), and I tried not to pick any commercials that aired before today.
Continue reading The Super Bowl Commercials: The Worst
TV Squad Ten: Most/Least Sexy Super Bowl Ads of All Time
Will Rogers once said, "Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don't have for something they don't need." And how do you that? That's easy. Just sprinkle in some sex! It's nature's negotiator.
Of course, it's not as simple as it sounds. These days, people are easier to offend than Catholic nuns and the FCC has made it nearly impossible to advertise products the way God intended (i.e. naked girls with abnormally large boobs writhing and moaning over the awesomeness of Flonase). So an even subtler art of using sex to get your money lies within this deeply layered process. Here are the best of the best and the worst of the worst.
Continue reading TV Squad Ten: Most/Least Sexy Super Bowl Ads of All Time
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