C-R-E-E-P-Y & Sweet Pea

Thank you, Comcast! I can now safely say that I have trouble sleeping at night. It's not cause of the monsters under my bed. Those guys left along time ago when they realized there was literally no space to live in under there. See my idea of cleaning my room is swiping as much random crap as I can under the bed, then throwing away or donating the stuff I don't use that won't fit in the former residence of the monsters. But I'm getting away from my original point, shocking I know.

Anyways, Comcast Cable/Internet/Phone/Everything-else-electronic Provider decided they'd like to go a different route with their advertising campaign. The creepy route. They air commercials where random zombied-out people are singing monotone songs about things you see on acid trips, the punchline C-O-M-C-A-S-T. Truthfully, it's terrifying. (I could go on a rant about how people nowadays are becoming technological zombies who need fresh air, sun, and an imagination, but I'll spare you...for now) Could they really not come up with a better advertising campaign than this painfully weird song that just spurts out lyrics about nothing-in-particular? I know I'm not alone in this because everyone I've seen these bizzaro commercials with shudders as violently as I do upon taking the nonsense in. Maybe you could say it works because I'm talking about the company, but I personally wouldn't get Comcast after watching these ads. This can't possibly help their already awful public image with a lot of the people who use them as their cable provider. (I don't have cable, I know it's crazy. Seriously though, I don't think I've heard one positive word uttered about people who have theirs provided by this company. For this reason, I wouldn't use them anyway, but the creepy ads are exactly suckering me in either) I just do not understand it. Maybe there's someone out there who could explain it to me.

On the completely opposite end of the spectrum you have possibly the sweetest, most affective advertisement I've ever seen. The ad has been on for over a year, and it still runs frequently, proving that the company has seen results and/or received positive feedback from it. Me and Dan/DJ/DanJosh/Ned(New Edgy DJ)/D-Nuts/LG/DayJota (or whatever else you may choose to call him) made our love of the commercial public together, even though guys aren't supposed to get suckered in by cheesy stuff like that.

OK, on to the actual commercial for Cingular/AT&T. Daughter around the age of 4 runs up to her Dad with his briefcase as he's about to leave for work, and gives him a big hug. As Dad opens it on the way to work, he sees his daughter has put her favorite stuffed animal, a monkey, to remind him of her. As Dad goes through his workday, he sends her a variety of picture messages with the monkey in all the different settings he passes through. In the background, you see various subtle signs for the company (bars of service). Eventually he sends a picture of the monkey in front of their house, and the daughter runs out to give him a big hug upon returning. The whole commercial has this stellar song playing in the background called "Sweet Pea" by Amos Lee. (GREAT SONG!! DOWNLOAD THAT JAWN RIGHT NOW IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT!!!) Not only is the song beautiful, but it compliments the theme of the commercial well, which gets the product name out there without throwing it in your face, and shows why you need their product. You want to think, "that is sooo cheesy" but you can't cause it's just too cute to be, and any self-respecting man would admit to loving his daughter like that without it being corny in the least bit. Brilliant advertising scheme! They have me sold...well to a point, because I'm already on the Verizon Network, and I'm on a family plan. But if I didn't, I'd be seriously considering AT&T.




So moral of the story: Good advertising is genuinely adorable and does make you want to start using a night light again.