Dan Frommer makes a great point on Silcon Alley Insider, the new Ask.com television commercials are creepy and are not helping.
Here are a couple of questions that these commercials make me ask:
“Am I going to have nightmares after watching these?”
“How do I go about removing this creepy person that is attached to my neck?”
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
The concept isn't all that bad… but the execution…. that's where it totally derails
I think there is an operation for that – like what they do for siamese twins.
I believe they are supposed to be funny because of the contrast between characters. The young white pregnant wife's “inner voice” is a middle-aged Indian man. The little boy's “inner voice” is a large English woman. So it's funny. Only…not.
It's the same idea behind the tall thin smart henchman and the short fat stupid henchman that populate nearly every animated movie ever. Even the two-headed dragon in “Quest for Camelot” has these two characters literally joined at the hip.
These commercials are “funny” because the contrast between the characters chosen is supposed to make us uncomfortable.
There's a third one with a Eastern European lady over a cop's shoulder asking “Where can I meet cougars?”. These commercials are so drilled into my head, every time I hear that opening music I have to yell “Can I eat eggs, clams and CRABLEGS??”
http://www.ask.com/web?q=where+can+i+get+a+buck...
Tried it – it doesn't list the nearest KFC. Misleading advertising?
Jason's comment is exactly the point of these ads. And the fact that you put them in your blog is another testament.
They're obviously brilliant. It's hard to make 30seconds effect you in any way let alone pushing branding on you effectively.
Burger King ads are the same deal. They saved Burger King.
Hmmmph – I didn’t think they were creepy at all. I just thought that they were showing people a way to get the annoying character off their backs – i.e. your nagging questions are like this, use us and these things on your back will go away. Not going to get me to use them, but that was how I read the ads.