Andrew tests Vieves' encyclopedic knowledge of the After These Message archives using a trove of old listener emails. And if Ryan Reynolds gets any more excited about TV commercials, ATM is going to need to find a new gimmick.
Dec 28, 2021•56 min
Advances in pillow technology lead Vieves and Andrew to explore a seemingly endless parade of commercials for pillows of every shape, size, and composition as well as inspiring a potential new business venture for Vieves. Plus, an Ad Councilor puts their finger on yet another reason why Amazon sucks.
Dec 21, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Classic fairy tales serve as fertile ground for commercial premises, but how well do some of these ad wizards actually remember the source material? Andrew and Vieves explore ads that rely on happy endings to sell everything from Levi's to breakfast cereal. Plus, Ryan Reynolds resurrects a fan favorite, and Vieves gets good news about processed meat.
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 28 min
TBTL host and extreme commercial enthusiast Luke Burbank joins Andrew and Genevieve to weigh in on ad campaigns for egg-free eggs, sugar-free sodas, and charisma-free geckos. Plus, the Ad Council shares some commercials with local flavor to spare.
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Andrew and Vieves look at commercials for products that never quite made it to the top of the category heap. From Faygo to fake SPAM, these also-rans did their darndest to catch consumers' attention. Plus, buoy technology is surprisingly complex.
Dec 01, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Andrew and Vieves review three current ad campaigns that run the gamut of quality, from boring and confusing to top notch pitches. Plus, sometimes surprising collaborations work, and sometimes they...don't.
Nov 24, 2021•1 hr
Andrew's 3rd or 4th worst phobia inspires Vieves to explore all the ways that plummeting to the ground is a metaphor for modern capitalism. Plus, an Ad Councilor's child becomes the unwitting puppet of Big Toilet Paper.
Nov 17, 2021•1 hr 7 min
A domestic misunderstanding leads to a show about bears in which Vieves somehow achieves a new level of sanctimony. Plus, the Ad Council notices a creepy AI commercial that may also foretell the future of parenting.
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 18 min
Vieves takes over this week to sing the praises of Zillow's versatile new spokesperson and the sheer brilliance of a new campaign from the Lifetime Movie Network. Plus, a weirdly familiar musical score takes everyone on a trip to the dark web.
Nov 03, 2021•57 min
Invisible men, women and cars are put to work selling everything from blue jeans to mortgage lenders, raising some uncomfortable questions about nudity in the invisible community. Plus, both Star Trek and John Oliver inspire local advertisers to greatness.
Oct 27, 2021•1 hr 6 min
In the spirit of Halloween, Andrew tries to trick Vieves with some treat-filled commercials. Plus, an Ad Councilor finds a surprising life insurance ad, and Vieves and Andrew are appalled - as usual - by the patriarchy's idea of a sexy romp.
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Andrew's newest obsession is revealed to be a campaign for a mattress retail giant with a surprising flair for the surreal. Plus, Vieves gets a lesson in dialectology, and a grocery store chain takes a long overdue poke at the French.
Oct 13, 2021•55 min
A deep dive into the trendiest of trending YouTube videos yields a trove of pre-roll ads that captured Vieves' imagination. Plus, the Ad Council is full-on free-associating the oddball grocery store names of this great nation.
Oct 06, 2021•58 min
What can't a man on bended knee sell to consumers? Andrew and Vieves look at ads that ask you to make a lifetime commitment. Plus, Vieves is outraged by the chutzpah of a vacation rental service, and Andrew finds the limits of some hometown heroes.
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Genevieve and Andrew spend today’s episode doing what they do best: Letting someone else produce the show! Listener Megan created a playlist of new and noteworthy commercials with insights and commentary that Andrew only wishes he could muster. They also stumble on the best Star Trek commercial ever produced.
Sep 21, 2021•37 min
Fabled tight end and genial meathead Rob Gronkowski is really raking in the ad dollars lately, with mixed results. Plus, Uber Eats finally picks some winners, and it turns out Doublemint Gum has had many more jingles than we even realized.
Sep 15, 2021•52 min
Andrew has some troubles with doubles in a look at commercials that suggest all kinds of messed-up ideas about twins. Plus, the Ad Council has some new entries for the gross-out files, and a new jingle is both annoying AND incomprehensible.
Sep 08, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Vieves rounds up a collection of current ads that grabbed her attention and raised her ire. Plus, a handful of haters put ATM in its place with one-star reviews, while a jingle singer reviews her own performance.
Aug 31, 2021•59 min
The American work ethic - stuff of legends, font of American exceptionalism, and a reason to buy a luxury car or a plane ticket. Andrew and Vieves look at commercials that champion (and occasionally deride) tireless labor for the Man. Plus, apparently kids are filthy. N'est-ce pas?
Aug 25, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Andrew and Genevieve hone their hypothetical parenting skills with commercials for products designed to get kids to do their chores. Plus, a listener recalls a bygone commercial era that sends Andrew down a rabbit hole. And a jingle loop is closed.
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Sometimes it's your enemy who sees your truest self. At least, that's what this week's advertisers seemed to think when they made strawmen the faces of their campaigns. Plus, the Ad Council issues a ruling on airborne landmark identification, and a Pringles ad takes awkwardness to a new, hilarious level.
Aug 11, 2021•1 hr 4 min
When policing tactics aren't being used to oppress the masses, they're put to work selling fancy coffee blends and fantasy football leagues. Andrew and Vieves look at commercials that take the law into their own hands. Plus, a 70's toy company is a treasure trove of advertising delights, and a train song gets a workout.
Aug 04, 2021•1 hr 20 min
Summer is the season of picnics and road trips, and America's sandwich giants have left no celebrity stone unturned in the battle for the consumer dollar. Plus, Pete Davidson has some regrets, Andrew and Vieves play a train jingle that might be familiar, and a cat does tricks.
Jul 27, 2021•53 min
Everyone knows that dreams make for boring conversation, but do they make for interesting commercials? Andrew quizzes Vieves on ads that may - or may not - rely on dreams to make their pitch. Plus, a car ad is a total copycat and a pooping aid cries sexism.
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Andrew and Vieves look at ads that rely on the time-worn trope of convincing a skeptic to abandon their cynical ways. Plus, a 70's toy ad sparks a discussion of wheelie techniques and a cartoon baker goes mad.
Jul 13, 2021•59 min
We know we're not supposed to believe everything we see on TV, but when advertisers straight-up lie to us, that crosses a line. Andrew and Vieves look at campaigns that were too good to be true. Plus, Andrew is excited to discover a breakfast beer at last.
Jul 07, 2021•57 min
A campaign for a smart phone device challenges Vieves' conception of love in the modern era (and Andrew's conception of voice-over-IP technology.) Plus, the gloves come off in some new ads for the U.S. military.
Jun 29, 2021•1 hr
After a walk on the White Claw side, Andrew indulges his curiosity about how all the hard seltzer also-rans are hawking their wares. Plus, Sam Adams isn't the only brand making hay from the Boston accent, and the Ad Council is Krogering their brains out.
Jun 23, 2021•1 hr 21 min
Ideas are like...uh...um... something... or - um, well... You know what, let's whiteboard this, and see what develops. Andrew and Vieves look at commercials that rely on the gimmick of whiteboards. Plus a grocery store jingle gives Vieves some nostalgia for a change.
Jun 16, 2021•1 hr 1 min
SNL mainstay Kate McKinnon must be about ready to put in an offer on a beach house, because she's showing up in several major ad campaigns that Andrew and Vieves review. Plus, Andrew quizzes Vieves on the sounds of sportball advertising, and a paper plate ad offers a bad faith premise.
Jun 09, 2021•59 min