If commercials are any guide, literally NO ONE is #TooBlessedToBeStressed. This week, Andrew and Vieves (with an assist from the New York Times) look at ads that claim to offer a solution to the madness. Plus, listeners confess to the gross games lurking in their toy chests.
Andrew and Vieves are having a bowl this week -- from the cheeky new ads by Dole to the bewildering campaign for America's grimiest pastime. Plus, Mercedes Benz gives us all a valuable lesson in women's history.
Kids have always loved disgusting stuff, but Andrew and Vieves wonder if adults haven't taken it too far by marketing games that have kids getting sprayed by toilet water and scrambling after loose turds. Plus, in what can only be one more sign of the apocalypse, Pitbull has a cruise ship.
The continuing uncertainty of quarantine requirements have marketers taking wild swings and sending mixed messages about how people can safely consume their products. Plus, Andrew and Vieves are relieved to discover that bullying remains one of nature's most effective tactics.
Jack in the Box's new "Menutaur" mascot gets dragged this week, while comedians Fred Armisen and Amy Shumer surprise and delight. Also, the Mandy Patinkin story just gets weirder and weirder.
If the spirit does live on after we shuffle off our mortal coil, how grim to imagine that one could spend eternity shilling for Diet Coke and Ikea! Andrew and Vieves look at commercials that rely on the shades of the departed to make the sale. Plus, Diet Coke has another swing and a miss.
It's a real jinglepalooza this week! With the help of a musical listener stuck in quarantine, Vieves quizzes Andrew on some classic commercial jingles. Plus the Ad Council sings the classics of their childhoods.
Special guests Gus (who's ten and a half years old)and his mom Phyllis (we didn't ask her age)join Andrew and Vieves for a look at commercials through the eyes of a child. It turns out, the kids are alright...with some SUPER weird commercials. The darkness is real, ya'll.
Andrew and Vieves consider commercials built on flawed premises, failed leaps of logic, and shaky foundations. Or is it all just a lot of smoke and mirrors to disguise a rant about Gordon Ramsay? Plus, a cereal commercial featuring implied bestiality proves the 90s were a weird time to be alive.
A half-baked theory on the emotional range of commercial robots leads Andrew and Vieves to interrogate the true nature of the mechanical man as he endeavors to sell everything from toilet paper to cell phone plans. Plus, a musical legend leaves behind a diverse commercial legacy.
What happened to the car commercials of yore? Back in the day, carmakers didn't bother with drone footage of cars cruising along a coastline or navigating empty cityscapes. No, they offered us a vision of the fantastic: spandex-clad Romeos, 9-to-5 Tarzans, and women scientists! Andrew and Vieves marvel at car commercials as they once were.
"It." Everyone's doing it, getting it or thinking about it, but what is "it", and why does it sound so gosh dang dirty when it's used in commercials.? It's innuendo galore this week. Plus, thirsty Ja Rule is thirsty.
Vieves is loving (and hating) a batch of ads related to animals this week, while Andrew interrogates the commercial career of podcast favorite, Malcolm Barrett (don't worry, they explain who he is). Plus, an astute Ad Councilor points out a similarity between two very different commercials.
Across America, COVID restrictions are lifting, and businesses couldn't be more excited to get customers into their - and they can't stress this enough - CLEAN establishments. Plus, a 30-year old dish detergent commercial is too hot for TV.
When it's time to sell the drugs that keep the Baby Boomers' hearts, lungs, and everything else working, advertisers rely on the music that turned on a generation, with varying degrees of success. Plus, Andrew launches a new segment designed to make Vieves prove that she really did go to grad school.
It's rarely good news for a brand when one of their commercials makes it into the news, but in today's show Andrew and Vieves are honestly scratching their heads about what is happening in some of these messes. Is it possible for everyone to agree that a commercial is racist and still not be exactly clear on what even happened?
Like every human experience, the end of a relationship is nothing if not grist for the capitalist mill. This week, Andrew and Vieves consider commercials that start with heartbreak, but end with a sale.
The passing of Jerry Stiller brought to light a trove of commercials he made with his wife and comedy partner Anne Meara, everything from Windex to horse racing. You want a piece of Stiller?! YOU GOTTT IT!
The Ad Councilors are in charge this week! Genevieve and Andrew look at the commercials that listeners have been sharing on Facebook, especially now that the covid crisis is in full swing. No need to shove, there's enough somber piano music for everyone.
A very surprising Jay Leno cameo leads Genevieve and Andrew to explore the best and worst commercials that feature the best and worst late night TV hosts. Plus, a viral video highlights just how damn similar every commercial is in the age of coronavirus.
Animal spokescritters are everywhere, including our homes, cars and beaches. But what should a talking commercial animal actually sound like? Andrew quizzes Vieves' ear for animal voices. Plus a Portland ad giant joins the COVID-19 PSA game.
A chilling new ad campaign from BetterHelp.com leads Andrew and Genevieve to explore mental health in TV commercials...from ads touting therapy services, to tire commercials that use the old "psychiatrist couch" gag.
For a creature that might not exist, Sasquatches fill a surprisingly large niche in the advertising ecosystem. Andrew and Vieves review the many, many commercials that rely on these elusive forest apes.
The pandemic has created a dividing line between the before times and the now times. Nowhere is that divide more apparent than in the pre-COVID-19 commercials that are blissfully unaware of the coming apocalypse. Andrew and Vieves look at the before and after, plus a catchy jingle gets one Ad Councilor out of a jam.
As the quarantine drags on, Genevieve discovers a small silver lining as the increased TV time reawakens her love of commercials. She shares her discoveries with Andrew and the ATM Ad Council.
Apropos of absolutely nothing at all, Genevieve and Andrew take a look back at some of the best (and worst) hand-washing PSAs of all time. Also, Andrew learns that he was actually right about something!
What would brands say about themselves if they had to tell the truth? What constitutes "fast casual dining"? What the heck is going on with Golden Corral? Andrew and Vieves try to answer these questions and more in this week's After These Messages.
When advertisers need an out-of-touch, self-important boss, they go to one actor: national treasure Gary Cole. If you could tune in this week, that would be greeeeaaat.
They say all is fair in love and cola war, which explains these spokespeople who turned their coats and went over to the competition. This week, Andrew and Vieves consider commercials that reek of betrayal.
Billionaire presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is spending so much money advertising his campaign, that by the time it's over, there may be an ad for every man, woman and dog in America. This week, Andrew and Vieves are joined by Slate correspondent Justin Peters (@justinstrevett) who voluntarily subjected himself to 185 Bloomberg ads...and ranked them all!
