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Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:41 am
by Jon O'Neill
Phil Reynolds wrote:My subjective opinion (though I could probably put together some facts to support it) is that the 1970s and 80s were a golden period for imaginative, witty and memorable TV ads while most of today's are feeble in comparison, although I suspect what's happened is that, in terms of production values at least, things are more evenly balanced now - there were some great ads around when I was growing up but there were some shit ones too.

However, there are still occasionally some really good TV commercials. The Google Chrome 'It Gets Better' ad is astonishing, brave, uplifting and just absolutely fucking brilliant. One ad like this makes up for a hundred naff ones.
Dunno if this topic has been done before, but never mind. I agree with Phil's conclusion, so let's share some.

These Sony Bravia ads are awesome...

Bouncy balls
Paint explosions

And my all-time favourite, Honda Cog Thingy. I first saw it at a cinema. I stood up at the end of it and applauded for ten continuous minutes before leaving knowing that no film could match up to what I had just seen.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:56 am
by Jennifer Steadman
I'm just upset that this advert wasn't shown on TV.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:59 am
by Ryan Taylor
Jon O'Neill wrote:And my all-time favourite, Honda Cog Thingy. I first saw it at a cinema. I stood up at the end of it and applauded for ten continuous minutes before leaving knowing that no film could match up to what I had just seen.
Incredible. Not the advert but the fact that you applauded it. But yes a genuinely brilliant advert I think it often tops the Best Adverts countdowns when they do them on the TV.

The other Honda one with the choir of people making the sounds of the car was also good. I also liked the "Belly's gonna get ya" for Reebok. That left an impression on me as a kid.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:00 am
by Michael Wallace
Jennifer Steadman wrote:I'm just upset that this advert wasn't shown on TV.
Excellent.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:00 am
by Ryan Taylor
Michael Wallace wrote:
Jennifer Steadman wrote:I'm just upset that this advert wasn't shown on TV.
Excellent.
IAWTP

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:47 am
by Matt Morrison
That is indeed awesome, I'm sure you all spotted the other banned one; I actually think it's better.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:01 am
by Bob De Caux
I remember watching the Superbowl a few years ago and seeing this awesome set of Reebok ads

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:48 pm
by Ben Wilson
Most Honda adverts since Cog have been pretty good, especially the live skydiving one and the one where they make an animation out of car headlights. I've also got a bit of a soft spot for the 'dream the impossible dream' one.

Also, the Barclays adverts voiced by Stephen Merchant become unintentionally hilarious if you've played Portal 2.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:51 pm
by Jon Corby
Ben Wilson wrote:Also, the Barclays adverts voiced by Stephen Merchant become unintentionally hilarious if you've played Portal 2.
Wow, I really thought that was Justin Lee Collins on those adverts. I suck.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:39 pm
by Liam Tiernan
Jon O'Neill wrote: And my all-time favourite, Honda Cog Thingy. I first saw it at a cinema. I stood up at the end of it and applauded for ten continuous minutes before leaving knowing that no film could match up to what I had just seen.
Didn't realise quite how clever this ad was until I discovered that there is absolutely no camera trickery or CGI involved. It took more than 600 takes to get it right.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:47 pm
by Jon Corby
Liam Tiernan wrote:Didn't realise quite how clever this ad was until I discovered that there is absolutely no camera trickery or CGI involved. It took more than 600 takes to get it right.
Yeah, I just went to snopes to read up on this (again, I've done so before but forgot what it said) and you have to ask "is it worth it?" on reading that (supposedly) it's all completely genuine, and took a ridiculous amount of time to make. I'm still not quite sure I believe it tbh.

My first reaction on seeing the ad was that it was really cool, but I also just instantly thought it was CGI, or at least not simply WYSIWYG (ie, stuff (like the tyres going up the slope) was on wires which got edited out). The snopes article claims it was take 605 or something that we see. I want to see the other 600. I want to see it filmed from different angles. I want to see other stuff to prove it. I'm such a cynical bastard that I just think "why do it that way, when there's easier ways to get the same effect?" It doesn't really matter to me if they cheated - it's just a car ad. Of course, if it didn't have the backstory then it probably wouldn't have been such a huge viral hit...

Edit: Okay, I found a 4 minute "making of" video. Still not convinced... :?

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:48 pm
by Adam Gillard
I thought this thread was about me. Disappointed :(

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:52 pm
by Jon O'Neill
Adam Gillard wrote:I thought this thread was about me. Disappointed :(
Cheer up, there is one about you!

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:58 pm
by Adam Gillard
Jon O'Neill wrote:
Adam Gillard wrote:I thought this thread was about me. Disappointed :(
Cheer up, there is one about you!
Heh I was about to post this on the "Annoying Ads" thread but you beat me to it.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:27 pm
by Soph K
This is not really amazing, but it's funny and probably Specsavers' best advertisement: the one where a lady gets off the train then kisses the wrong man.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:36 pm
by JimBentley
I'm loving the Old Spice advert with Isaiah Mustafa (actually I think there's more than one but I've only seen the one so far). Genuinely laugh out loud funny.

"I'm on a horse".

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:37 pm
by Rhys Benjamin
Soph K wrote:This is not really amazing, but it's funny and probably Specsavers' best advertisement: the one where a lady gets off the train then kisses the wrong man.
No, it's gotta be the one for Specsavers hearing centres - an elderly lady drives past with the radio so loud that it's smashing all the windows. And she still can only just hear it.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:38 pm
by Michael Wallace
The (original) Powerthirst advert is probably my favourite, come to think of it.

Edit: It's kinda annoying that nowhere near here seems to stock it, though :evil:

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:40 pm
by Gavin Chipper
Phil Reynolds wrote:However, there are still occasionally some really good TV commercials. The Google Chrome 'It Gets Better' ad is astonishing, brave, uplifting and just absolutely fucking brilliant. One ad like this makes up for a hundred naff ones.
As just an uplifting video, it's good, but as an advert for Google Chrome, I think it's absolutely fucking shit. Uplifting video - therefore use our really tenuously connected product. Fuck off (them that is, not you).
Jon O'Neill wrote:These Sony Bravia ads are awesome...

Bouncy balls
Wrong tune, surely.
And my all-time favourite, Honda Cog Thingy. I first saw it at a cinema. I stood up at the end of it and applauded for ten continuous minutes before leaving knowing that no film could match up to what I had just seen.
That advert's fine and everything but the fact that you stood up and applauded for ten minutes is surely a bit mental. Did everyone else in the cinema stare at you? Did they applaud too? Had the film started by the time you stopped?
Michael Wallace wrote:The (original) Powerthirst advert is probably my favourite, come to think of it.

Edit: It's kinda annoying that nowhere near here seems to stock it, though :evil:
That one's pretty good.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:44 pm
by Joseph Krol
Woot woot. New Compare the Meerkat advert.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 7:24 pm
by Mark James
Gavin Chipper wrote:
Jon O'Neill wrote:These Sony Bravia ads are awesome...

Bouncy balls
Wrong tune, surely.
That's something that annoys me with ads these days where they keep the same ad but change the music. Cadbury's keep doing it. The gorilla should be playing drums to Phil Collins not Bonnie Tyler and the clothes had been dancing to a much better song the first time around.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 7:52 pm
by Ben Wilson

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:29 pm
by Adam Gillard
(Mock) epic ads like this generally seem to be the ones that I like. They're something of a rarity though. The link under that video has a top 25 compilation of epic ads, some of which I remember being good.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:45 pm
by Steve Balog
Phil Reynolds wrote:My subjective opinion (though I could probably put together some facts to support it) is that the 1970s and 80s were a golden period for imaginative, witty and memorable TV ads while most of today's are feeble in comparison, although I suspect what's happened is that, in terms of production values at least, things are more evenly balanced now - there were some great ads around when I was growing up but there were some shit ones too.

However, there are still occasionally some really good TV commercials. The Google Chrome 'It Gets Better' ad is astonishing, brave, uplifting and just absolutely fucking brilliant. One ad like this makes up for a hundred naff ones.
This is amazing. But, the first thing I noticed after the fact is 338 dislikes. Really?

The second thing is a commenter actually cheering that these people killed themselves. REALLY? And even if it is a troll, I've seen (in real life and in many, many Facebook posts) people who would very happily agree with this sociopath.

Fuck you, America.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:48 pm
by Jennifer Steadman
Joseph Krol wrote:Woot woot. New Compare the Meerkat advert.
Doesn't this belong in the Annoying Ads thread?

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:50 pm
by Steve Balog
Michael Wallace wrote:The (original) Powerthirst advert is probably my favourite, come to think of it.

Edit: It's kinda annoying that nowhere near here seems to stock it, though :evil:
On a much lighter note, I am very happy that Powerthirst is real, so I'm probably going to buy some.

EDIT: their website.... it's a thing of legends... :cry:

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:51 pm
by Mark James
There was a brilliant ad I saw once, I think it was on Tarrant on T.V. and there's this sexy woman walking around her house stripping off to her underwear and then lying on a bed stroking her midriff and the tagline says "Turn what's in your pocket now in to hard cash" and then the company's name comes up and it's a sperm bank.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 10:21 am
by Andy Wilson
Gavin Chipper wrote: Bouncy balls
Wrong tune, surely.
[/quote]

Sure is. I doubt most of us would have yet heard of José Gonzalez or the knife were it not for that inconic ad. It really made me want to go out and buy some bouncy balls. Just went after the original on youtube and found 'making of' versions of each one, then this, which is silly, but funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC65uIu0 ... re=related

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 6:40 pm
by Soph K
Rhys Benjamin wrote:
Soph K wrote:This is not really amazing, but it's funny and probably Specsavers' best advertisement: the one where a lady gets off the train then kisses the wrong man.
No, it's gotta be the one for Specsavers hearing centres - an elderly lady drives past with the radio so loud that it's smashing all the windows. And she still can only just hear it.
Haven't seen that one.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 11:58 am
by Ian Volante
JimBentley wrote:I'm loving the Old Spice advert with Isaiah Mustafa (actually I think there's more than one but I've only seen the one so far). Genuinely laugh out loud funny.

"I'm on a horse".
Never heard of the bloke, but I saw this yesterday and was vaguely amused. That's high praise from me.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:16 pm
by JimBentley
A good one from the USA (or at least, I've not seen it on normo UK TV) here. I still had absolutely no idea what it was going to be advertising until the final reveal.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:30 pm
by Jon O'Neill
Hahaha, amazing.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:59 pm
by Adam Gillard
JimBentley wrote:A good one from the USA (or at least, I've not seen it on normo UK TV) here. I still had absolutely no idea what it was going to be advertising until the final reveal.
Very good; thanks for sharing it.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:18 am
by Karen Pearson
Excellent! :-D

Nice to see a good creative ad from the US.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:11 pm
by Matt Morrison
Just seen Hugh Laurie doing a L'oreal advert. That just seems so weird.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:41 pm
by Jon Corby
Matt Morrison wrote:Just seen Hugh Laurie doing a L'oreal advert. That just seems so weird.
Were you amazed though?

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 11:01 am
by Matt Morrison
AMAZING! Just seen that new Injury Lawyers 4 U advert where one of the lawyers actually falls down the steps in her high heels! Haha!
Or rather I had it on in the background, wasn't watching just listening but not really listening and then it all kicked off.
I rewound it about 8 times, still can't work out if it was real or fake. Brilliant though.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 11:08 am
by Jon Corby
Matt Morrison wrote:AMAZING! Just seen that new Injury Lawyers 4 U advert where one of the lawyers actually falls down the steps in her high heels! Haha!
Or rather I had it on in the background, wasn't watching just listening but not really listening and then it all kicked off.
I rewound it about 8 times, still can't work out if it was real or fake. Brilliant though.
This one?

How is that "not her fault"?

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 11:10 pm
by Lesley Hines
Jon Corby wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:AMAZING! Just seen that new Injury Lawyers 4 U advert where one of the lawyers actually falls down the steps in her high heels! Haha!
Or rather I had it on in the background, wasn't watching just listening but not really listening and then it all kicked off.
I rewound it about 8 times, still can't work out if it was real or fake. Brilliant though.
This one?

How is that "not her fault"?
She's gonna sue Clarks for selling shoes that ugly.

Re: Amazing Ads

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 11:21 pm
by Gavin Chipper
I quite like this Tango one.