Southwest having fun at other airlines' expense

Here's the latest in a series of commercials (others follow) where Southwest proclaims their love for bags (by not charging you for them). A fun concept, no doubt great for employee morale because it features real employees, relatively inexpensive to produce, and it hits the one true advantage Southwest has over the competition.

I mean, flying any airline these days is a drag. So why not fly the one that charges you less? Plus you'll avoid all the idiot travelers who try and cram as much in their carry-ons (and I use that word loosely) as they can. You people know who you are...

Anyway, smart advertising from a smart company.

GE gets a little too personal.

The idea of electronic medical records that can be accessed by any physician is an idea that's long past due. It is the future of medicine and already being practiced by many hospital systems.

But in these "funny" commercials (the music is your cue) from GE, they disregard the feelings of the patient.

Seeing a doctor is a highly personal experience--not something most people want to share with residents in an academic medical setting, let alone a room full of doctors or a stadium crowd.

The "Stadium" spot is a little lighter, but still feels kinda creepy. Big Brother may not be watching, but apparently everyone else is.

(and why does the female doctor get stuck doing the cheerleading thing?? perhaps we're not quite as forward-thinking as we'd like to believe.)

And finally, the "Say Ahhh" spot quickly goes from cloying to annoying. You can see it (the song) coming a mile away, and it goes on for far, far too long.

Maybe the Cranky Ad Guy is being too cranky. These commercials are, without a doubt, some of the best "healthcare" ads out there. But amongst all those great production values and corporate chest-thumping, the human element is strangely lost.

The Muscle Milk hustle

The trouble with sports tournaments is that you inevitably see the same commercials over and over.

If you watched any b-ball this weekend, no doubt you got a perplexing look at these commercials for Muscle Milk. I have to admit, the first few times I saw them was on a huge flat-screen TV with the sound off. Visually, they were impossible to ignore. Must have been the faux Super-8 (film) color treatment...

Hearing them with the announcer and the music didn't make them any better (the music tries too hard to be "humorous" even thought the copy is kind of funny). No, these spots are pure, politically incorrect eye-candy.

In other words, perfect for the playoffs...

The NASCAR-ization of our nation.

I'm not sure who came up with the idea of putting little logos on everything, a la NASCAR, but it's got to stop.

Here's Lindsey Vonn in a cool-looking outfit that would be a lot cooler without all the logos scattered across it, like some attention-deficit child unloading his stash of stickers. Ironically, in this ad for Rolex, their logo is the least noticeable of all of them.

I mean, do these logos really work? Do you associate Nature Valley with Lindsey? Why, because she looks "natural?" Does she drive an Audi? Slam a few Red Bulls before a big race?

Sure, these logos generate cash, and cash is king in America, but couldn't we tone it down a bit. You know, like professional golfers, who currently keep their whoring tasteful--with just one or two sponsors emblazoned on their hat/shirt/bag/umbrella.

Tiger Woods for Trojan condoms? Now there's a sponsorship that makes sense!

A different kind of healthcare spot.

We do a lot of healthcare advertising at my agency, and we always try to make sure it doesn't fall into expected cliches, like sick little girls holding teddy bears or a line of doctors walking "ER" style down the hall.

But for all the healthcare TV spots I've seen in the US, good or bad (mostly bad), I've never seen anything quite like this.

Must be a different sensibility in Sweden...but a fun spot to watch, nonetheless.

Promo for BBC Global

A commercial for an upcoming BBC TV program that almost looks like a trailer for a movie.

Nicely done.

Cheeseburger, cheeseburger!

OK, if you simply live for cheeseburgers (like I do), then take a moment to visit the Cheese and Burger Society. With 30 delicious suggestions on a burger you can make tonight!

Fun web site. Great idea starter for dinner.

Hamburger helper, indeed!