It’s almost time for one of my favorite annual traditions: The exchange of terrible playoff commercials between a Canadian (me) and an American (other Sean).
But which ads should I force him to watch? The field is crowded this year, so I’m asking for your help. Please choose up to three ads from the list below, or post your own nominations in the comments.
But first, a quick word about Lay It On The Line, which is at the top of pretty much every Canadian’s “please no more I’m begging you” list this year. I didn’t put that one on the list, for two reasons. First, I think it’s actually a good ad that’s just been way, way, way (way way way) overplayed; somebody seeing it for the first time wouldn’t necessarily think it was all that bad. And second, I’m led to believe that a lot of Americans have already seen it, including Other Sean. I’ll make it’s included in the actual post one way or another, but I don’t think it’s a great candidate to be one of the official three Bad Ads.
With that in mind, let me know what you think with the form below (which I may update with new ads as they're suggested):
Rogers - Lay It On The Line
ReplyDeleteLay it on the Line!
ReplyDeleteVolkswagen - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L91Vdh5HbAo
ReplyDeleteBooster Juice
ReplyDeleteRogers: lay it on the liiiiiinneeeee
ReplyDeleteOld Man Instacart - how does he get away with using a double negative?! 'Should not sound like nobody is home".
ReplyDeleteSomeone should be home?!?
DeleteYes! 'Should sound like someone is home'.
Deletelay it on the line!
ReplyDeleteThe Molson Canadian what do Canadians have to be proud of ad, i don't mind it but my wife has a visceral dislike of it
ReplyDelete-Lay it on the Line
ReplyDelete-"are you having any fun" volkswagen
Booster juice and lay it on the line are the most egregious. The rest of them save for the Rogers ones are fine.
ReplyDeleteAny questrade commercial
ReplyDeleteRyan Reynold Tim's ad. are we seriously to believe that that's his actual recipe and not something Tim's concocted?
ReplyDeleteAnything from Six Flags and the old man dancing
ReplyDeleteThe shit-talking conservative spot is beyond bad, must see. It's like Grumpy Old Men, but without the charm, humour, casting, writing, directing, self-awareness.....
ReplyDeleteI loved that those two wieners would vote conservative. A short guy with his pants hiked all the way up, and then a different old guy who seems like he’s borderlining dementia. Then in the most dorkish voice at the end “I’m voting conservative”
DeleteLay it on the Line!
ReplyDeleteManitoba Public Insurance - Even if it's one or two, you know what to do. Plan a safe ride home jingle, playoff edition
ReplyDeletelay it on the line must be included already right
ReplyDeleteThe ScotiaBank "ever feel like someone else has more than you... Actually, the rich are envious of YOU!" ad that's been running for a couple years now just kind of grosses me out. It's fully on brand for a bank, but... Yuck.
ReplyDeleteI actually like the InstaCart cantaloupe ad, just because of the cello (?) cover of I Want It That Way. Slick second layer to the ad.
Questtrade was been assaulting us with bad ads during the playoffs for years. Someone needs to hold them accountable!
ReplyDeleteAlpine credits where homeowners are approved has haunted me day and night
ReplyDeleteSkip - Jon Hamm's Dog
ReplyDeleteThe Molson commercial! "Since when was Canada good? Since when was Canada anything other than a smoldering pile of fetid trash despised by the world? Since when was living here anything other than a living nightmare, a place where people who harmed innocents in former lives were sent to be punished? Well get this.... since when were we not?"
ReplyDeleteClumsy, repetitive, self-congratulating, cloying, crawling, pathetic.
Also the instacart one with the deranged old man and his weird adult daughter. The string cover of the Backstreet Boys for no reason makes the whole thing seem like it was written by AI if the prompt was, "Create commercial that leads locals to hate you, themselves, life."
The Sports Interaction ad where the guy keeps changing jerseys with every bet. That’s not quite as funny as they seem to think. Someone who does that is not a fan, they’re an addict.
ReplyDeleteInstacart where they're planning a funeral
ReplyDeleteChuck's: Celery Three Ways
ReplyDeleteThe Rielly Sonnett Insurance commercial. Painful... https://youtu.be/5oSX1xg6-iA?si=i3FbaJqucj8m9aaO
ReplyDeleteBooster Juice with Dion Pheneouf's wife that demands a lot and never says please.
ReplyDeleteThe other election commercial of Stephen Harper looking like young Emperor Palpatine talking directly into the camera.
ReplyDeleteThe jingoist Molson ad is gross.
ReplyDeleteElisha Cuthbert torturing a minimum wage worker with the world’s most obnoxious smoothie order and Dion Phaneuf wishing he could smack her around in public for it.
ReplyDeleteSonnet Insurance w/ Morgan Reilly - in which a man making $7M a year complains that he isn't paying less for car insurance than an arena worker.
ReplyDeleteRyan Reynolds nasty tim Hortons breakfast slop bowl
ReplyDeleteDoorDash three times. I hate that commercial more than I hate the Sens.
ReplyDeleteThere are a bunch with Keanu. Do they all count as one?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the rich guy who drives past the date. Scotiabank.
ReplyDeleteMike Chez Rona. It’s in French but you will hate it so much.
ReplyDeleteBooster juice!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCan the election commercial really be included? The election was more than a month ago, so that commercial is long gone. It should be commercials that are still driving us insane.
ReplyDeleteI read your preamble, but regardless... It has to be Lay it on the line. My wife told me she hated that song the first commercial break the first night of the playoffs. The amount of hockey that gets played in a house with me and two teenage boys is relentless (especially with both Leaf and Oiler fans in the house) . She's now in Australia and left me with the two boys. I'm not saying it was because of that commercial... But can't guarantee it wasn't.
ReplyDelete