#381 Tubi or Not to Be
Andrew and Vieves mop up the last of the Super Bowl commercial reactions and learn a few lessons along the way. Plus, BTDubs is back with either the dumbest or the smartest YouTube commenter of all time.
Feb 22, 2023•57 min
After These Messages Podcast
Hosts Andrew and Vieves talk TV commercials with their listeners, the Ad Council, in this weekly podcast. As the slogan says, they've got "hot takes on commercial breaks." Find them at [email protected]
Episodes
#380 The Bowlies III: Bad Bunnies and Good Dogs
It’s the third annual Bowlie Awards, and while it’s an honor just to be nominated, some will go home happy and some will go home empty-handed (the losers, that’s who). It’s the star-studded, all-singing, all-dancing, puppy-bunny-electric-vehicle extravaganza that is the Super Bowl commercials ep.
Feb 15, 2023•2 hr 38 min
#379 The Rule Of Tease
It’s once again Bowlies season as Andrew and Vieves prepare for the onslaught of Super Bowl ads with a look at the most (and least) intriguing teasers. Plus, it’s a topsy-turvy world when a commercial mime is endearing and vacation photos are a creep-fest.
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 22 min
#378 Swear Buy It
Vieves and Andrew look at commercials that try to sneak some swear words past the watchful eye of the FCC. Plus, a battery mascot must reckon with its international alterego, and a powdered drink mix makes a play for the throne.
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 20 min
#377 Shoe Me the Money
A naked publicity grab by a candy giant inspires Andrew and Genevieve to take a tour of the foot fashions of America’s most iconic advertising mascots. Plus, some light internet stalking really pays off, and an Ad Councillor can’t help but obey her thirst with a classic jingle.
Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 17 min
#376 Pains, Stains, And All Of These Bills
Andrew quizzes Vieves on some of the world’s lowest-quality ads for pain, stain, and debt relief. Plus, licensing deals for children’s products got wild in the 90s, and an Ad Councilor makes a big score.
Jan 18, 2023•1 hr 19 min
#375 The Bins Of The Father
Andrew and Vieves hand out a host of ad-collades and admonishments to a crop of new(ish) commercials. Plus, a YouTube commenter throws Andrew for a loop, and Amazon works their dark magic once again.
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 29 min
#374 As Time Goes Buy
Andrew and Genevieve look back at the personal milestones in their life in 2022 as told through TV commercials. Plus, a long defunct corporate social responsibility gambit is weirdly troubling.
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr 3 min
#373 Oh What A Ceiling!
Andrew and Vieves consider commercials that have everything from bathtubs to bombastic chefs crashing through the ceiling in an orgy of broken plaster and water damage. Plus, it’s the return of Nordic Tracks with exciting new scores to liven up exercise equipment testimonials.
Dec 28, 2022•48 min
#372 Nordic Tracks
A commercial classic inspires Andrew to try his hand at musical scoring, and a host of newly dubbed ads is a reminder that the 90s were a weird time. Plus, a UK soccer legend is hellbent on getting potato chips.
Dec 21, 2022•1 hr 10 min
#371 Holiday Tragic
Vieves and Andrew are visited by the ghosts of holiday disasters past (and possibly present) as they consider ads that put the mess in Christmess. Plus, it’s a nostalgia-soaked BT-Dubs, and TikTok makes its first incursion into ATM territory.
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 16 min
#370 Friends in Buy Places
Andrew and Vieves consider the depiction of female friendship in commercials that are selling everything from beer to baseball tickets, posing the question: if two women never talk to each other, do they pass the Bechdel test? Plus, they get outsmarted by a pizza commercial, and an SNL parody addresses an uncomfortable truth about fast food.
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 22 min
#369 Ya Buick!
Vieves delivers on her promise to test Andrew’s knowledge of Buick models through the ages. Plus, Andrew unleashes a flood of new BT-Dubs and reflects on a time when “everything had to be a flashdance.”
Nov 29, 2022•54 min
#368 Pilot Episode
What is it about a man in a cockpit? Andrew and Vieves look at ads featuring pilots who are selling everything from pancakes to perfume dispensers. Plus, the Ad Council reveals some dazzling deets about commercial mobsters, and Clint Eastwood joins forces with Paul Allen to redefine "books."
Nov 22, 2022•1 hr 9 min
#367 Offers You Can’t Refuse
A surprising discovery about a vintage TV show inspires Andrew and Vieves to look at commercials that are well-connected…TO THE MAFIA! Plus, a cool kid goes to the dentist. And could a Geico actor be ready for her star turn?
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 12 min
#366 The Shill of the People
In celebration of what may be the nation’s last free and fair election, Andrew and Vieves look at brands that invite customers to cast their vote, mostly in service of creating bizarre flavor profiles. Plus, Steven Weber is the human embodiment of the 90s, and even in retirement, Gronk is still MVP.
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 7 min
#365 Number One With A Mullet
A current ad that leans on the inherent comedy of the mullet inspires Vieves and Andrew to interrogate whether the hairstyle can still be considered shorthand for dirtbag. Plus, an electronics superstore of yesteryear has Andrew looking into time travel, and a motel chain gets its hooks in an Ad Councilor.
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 6 min
#364 Candy Shop
Andrew and Vieves take a sugar-fueled trip down memory lane as they recall the Halloween candies of their youth and the commercials that made them so irresistible. Plus, an up-and-comer makes a car commercial, and Arnold does Japan.
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 41 min
#363 Locker Room Talk
Andrew and Vieves look at ads that rely on the easily-understood trope of the sports team clubhouse. From the pep-talking coach to the post-game interview, these ad wizards use every part of the locker room. Plus, it takes a village to operate a turkeysaurus, and Steven Bochco gets scatalogical.
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr 18 min
#362 Stranded Content
Andrew and Vieves consider ads that rely on the trope of island castaways, leading to a remedial lesson in the Tom Hanks classic "Cast Away" for Andrew and some predictable pearl clutching for Genevieve. Plus, empty nesters get museum-quality horny, and sasquatch abuse goes too far.
Oct 12, 2022•1 hr 11 min
#361 Fall Guys
Andrew and Vieves are falling all over themselves this week as they look at commercials featuring stumbles, tumbles and dives. Plus, a Camaro ad from the vault creates confusion, and a furniture store might be trolling us with pronunciation.
Oct 05, 2022•1 hr 19 min
#360 Let The History Be
A commercial featuring a millennial Leonardo da Vinci inspires Vieves to take Andrew on an anachronistic tour of history’s greatest pitchmen and women. Plus, the Ad Council steps up to help name Andrew’s new hobbyhorse of a segment, and a dating app isn’t beating around the bush in its veggie-filled commercial.
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 20 min
#359 You Do The Bath
Inspired by a new ad featuring Lizzo, Andrew and Vieves discover that bathtubs have been used to sell everything from dairy products to discount travel. Plus, Andrew's digital ad archiving turns up a paleofuture gem, and State Farm absolutely crosses a line.
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 16 min
#358 Team Effort
Andrew has hidden clues inside a collection of commercials to see if Genevieve can decipher a sports-related secret message. Plus a listener reveals that a major soda jingle is actually a Brazilian classic.
Sep 14, 2022•1 hr 10 min
#357 Break-In Bits
Andrew ranks the scariest home invader commercials aimed at selling security systems (so you know some white homeowners are going to get menaced.) Plus, a travel website goes for a second bite of the conspiracy theorist apple, and an institution of higher learning should learn how to draw a map.
Sep 07, 2022•1 hr 15 min
#356 Plumber Lovin’
Andrew and Vieves unpack commercials based on house calls by skilled tradespeople this week, from homeowners who are too invested in their relationships with their plumbers to housemates in denial about the redemptive power of electricians. Plus, a listener ignites a sonic branding sound off, and an extended warranty commercial makes a big play for the Fox news crowd.
Aug 31, 2022•1 hr 13 min
#355 The Original Kings of Commerce
Andrew and Vieves look at commercials that feature some stand-up comedy greats and are left asking: why are so many of these ads not funny? Plus, an Ad Councilor makes the definitive case for the loathsomeness of mimes and the great comedian impressions continue.
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 30 min
#354 Mime Is Money
Mimes, lowly and reviled, are nevertheless a rich vein of commercial comedy, selling everything from renter's insurance to hotdogs. Plus, the ghost of Mitch Hedberg rides again, and an Ad Councilor shares relevant Max Headroom information.
Aug 16, 2022•56 min
#353 Broken Premises
Some recent commercials with flawed logic are driving Vieves up the wall, while Andrew reports on a new marketing gambit by Panera Bread. Plus, one talented Ad Councilor embodies the spirit of a comedy legend.
Aug 10, 2022•58 min
#352 Carbonated Leverage
OG digital pitchman Max Headroom sends Andrew on a trip through the cola wars of 1985. Plus, an insurance company borrows a premise from a stand-up great.
Aug 03, 2022•58 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast