Commercials That Miss the Mark (Part 1)

We can all agree that there are plenty of annoying commercials on TV.  Some are irritating because of their content, others because of the number of times they are shown.  In fact, there are so many stupid commercials that I can’t possibly discuss them in just one blog entry.
 

So here we go with Part 1. These commercials have elements that distract me from whatever product or service they are shilling:

Totino Pizza Rolls – At least I think that’s what they are selling.  I’m too distracted by the kid talking to his mother on the phone to know for sure.  First, he can’t find the pizza rolls in the freezer, even though they are two inches from his face.  Second, he nods at the phone like his mom can see him.  By the time this moron leaves the phone in the freezer, I’m wondering why his mother trusts him to safely use the microwave at all.

ATT U-verse Home Bundle – On Career Day, a cable guy has taken time out of his busy schedule to perform a community service for a local school.  How is his generosity rewarded?  Some snooty brat tells him how inferior his service is to AT&T’s and argues with him when he tries to explain what he offers.  The teacher not only tolerates the brat’s disrespectful behavior, but she also joins in to ridicule the guy. I get that AT&T just wants to compare and contrast their bundles with those offered by cable companies, but watching smug kids embarrass an adult doesn’t sell me anything.

ATT Wireless Internet – I’m not picking on AT&T, but they have another commercial featuring a child getting all high and mighty on an adult.  This time, a father is looking for his computer cord.  The mother very nicely explains that they now have wireless internet at home and on the go.  The daughter’s only contributions come in the form of two snarky remarks to Dad (“It’s an invisible cord, Dad!” and “The cord’s really long, Dad!”) Dad ought to remind her who pays for the internet service and take it away until she can learn some respect.

Temptations by Jell-O – Kids aren’t the only ones misbehaving in commercials. Here, a mother is telling her children a story about a chocobeast monster or some such nonsense that attacks children who steal Temptations from their parents.  The chocobeast (Dad) suddenly appears, scaring the poor kids senseless.  It’s ironic that a product marketed directly at adults is using such juvenile means to do so.  Maybe Mom and Dad should have spent time at the grocery store buying snacks for the whole family instead of scarring their children for life over Jell-O.

Check back soon when I dissect commercials from Nationwide, Amazon.com, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and others.

What commercials do you love to hate?  Let me know in the comments and they might appear in a future blog entry.