Meet The Lucky Ones

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 7:25 pm

<a href="http://www.mercuryvehicles.com/extras/s ... mod=5">The most bizarrely captivating car commercial ever</a>

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 7:44 pm

If Ford really wanted to be on the cutting edge of advertisement they would have actually cooked the frog.

The next frontier of advertisement: Animal Cruelty.

Post by **Lunkhead** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:43 pm

Dude, did Wes Anderson make that commercial? If not, he should sue.

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:15 pm

how do you find this stuff??

...no need to answer...just keep finding it and linking to it...

I don't even know what to make of that.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:17 pm

Mercury sent me a DVD with all the episodes on it a few months ago, and tonight I finally got around to watching it. The DVD showed all the clips in what's probably the best 'ah ha!' order, though it didn't show any of the side-story stuff, like the stuff about Bill's garage fire and so on (though it was mentioned offhandedly in a later clip).

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:38 pm

I don't think this is captivating at all.

If I was the customer of the ad agency, I wouldn't just demand my money back, I would sue on the basis of poor business practices. Then again, the customer bought that shit I guess, so what recourse do they have? Where's the product? Where's the branding? I didn't watch anymore than the first link. The ad didn't make me want to.

I'm sorry Fluffy, maybe I'll be proved wrong down the road, but I don't see this campaign doing well at all.

I sure hope they're not willing to pay "Super Bowl" prices to start the campaign. If they are, I'm dumping my Ford stock now.

(I'm basing "Ford" off of Puce's comment, not because I saw anything to indicate this ad is for Ford.)

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:46 pm

Yeah uh, actually the whole thing is for Mercury, which it says right in the damn URL, and actually this campaign was from something like a year ago and was considered quite a rousing success because it brought a lot of people to the website and generated at least some ancillary interest in the car. And if you don't like it, don't watch. I thought it was interesting, especially in that it was somehow a car commercial but had nothing to do with the car aside from it being a prop in a minor subplot.

I think it was pretty daring of Mercury to try this as an experiment, and I thought at the very least it was an interesting little experience, even if it didn't make me want to go out and buy a Mercury SUV or whatever.

Sorry for sharing a link with you in the link-sharing section of the forum, and forcing you to watch it and make a decision about whether you liked it or not.

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:56 pm

Yeah you freakin mind control expert.

...must watch further episodes...must obey..must obey....

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:14 am

Dann, here I go explaining myself again.

Clearly you didn't force me or anyone to watch it. You did however offer up the link as being "captivating" which I did not find it to be. On top of "captivating" thing you used the term "ever" which is a huge mistake in any medium.

This is the best commercial .... "ever".
This is the best song .... "ever".
This is the best team .... "ever".
This is the best recipe .... "ever".
This is the best post .... "ever".

What"ever". Saying something is the "best ever" immediately opens it to the criticism that it isn't. You're the one that offered that conclusion up, I'm sorry (again) that I didn't agree with you.

Please don't make me debate the whole "Mercury" is owned by "Ford" thing with you.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:16 am

Do I need to prefix/postfix every single damn sentence I say with IMO? IMO, that would be pretty stupid. IMO, that's not something that people should have to do. IMO. YMMV.

And I don't know which car brands own which other car brands but I didn't say it wasn't Ford, just pointing out that it's definitely Mercury.

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:18 am

What "ever".

EDIT: My response(s) may have been unkind, but I definitely wasn't meaning to be. I'm sorry if I was Fluffy, I just didn't like the ad. I realize this is a friend of yours, but just like anything offered up to the general public you shouldn't be upset by a negative reaction.

I'm one in a billion or more possible viewers. The likelyhood that my reaction is the one that a billion other people had is mathematically impossible.

erik · Post by **erik** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:28 am

Dan-O from Five-O wrote:Where's the product? Where's the branding?

Viral web advertising is so fundamentally different from television commercial advertising that to judge one on the characteristics of the other completely misses the point. It doesn't matter that you don't find this captivating because this advertising campaign wasn't designed to attract your demographic. It's clearly designed to target a young audience who thinks that linear, obvious advertising is uncool, and who also either think that Mercury makes cars for old people or who don't even think of Mercury when they pick out cars.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:49 am

My problem wasn't with your disagreement, but the way you stated that disagreement. You'd might as well have just been all like "BZZT YOUR OPINION IS WRONG."

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:00 am

Eirk: Here's something that they didn't teach you about "Demographics" in school. Kids learn a lot of their opinions from their parents. Whether they learn that opinion through positive or negative stimuli is academic, it is an undeniable fact that they will learn it and retain it.

Positive: Mom and dad like Chevrolet so the Blazer looks good to me.

Negative: Mom and dad were Republicans so I need to be a Democrat because my parents weren't as open minded as I am.

However you approach the equation, you will always reach the same conclusion:

An opinion expressed can and usually will effect an opinion derived.

EDIT: I have no idea what "BZZT" and "YMMV" mean, so help the old guy out please.

erik · Post by **erik** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:16 am

Dan-O from Five-O wrote:Whether they learn that opinion through positive or negative stimuli is academic, it is an undeniable fact that they will learn it and retain it.

Look, you can't diss on someone for daring to use the hyperbolic exageration of "best ever" and then turn around and use "undeniable fact" with a straight face. It's completely and totally deniable. Kids aren't studying their parents' every move in order to agree with or rebel against the totality of their parents' existence.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:20 am

BZZT: the sound a buzzer makes on a game show when someone gets something wrong. It's onomatopoeia.

YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary.

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:30 am

erikb wrote:
Dan-O from Five-O wrote:Whether they learn that opinion through positive or negative stimuli is academic, it is an undeniable fact that they will learn it and retain it.
Look, you can't diss on someone for daring to use the hyperbolic exageration of "best ever" and then turn around and use "undeniable fact" with a straight face. It's completely and totally deniable. Kids aren't studying their parents' every move in order to agree with or rebel against the totality of their parents' existence.

First, it's "DIS" not "diss" even I know that.

And second yes I can DIS anyone's hyporle if they can't back their argument up with fact. Prove me wrong Erik, or else you're just expressing another opinion like I did.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:32 am

I believe Erik was just expressing his opinion. Do you really not get it?

erik · Post by **erik** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:35 am

Dan-O from Five-O wrote:Prove me wrong Erik, or else you're just expressing another opinion like I did.

If you're just expressing your opinion, then how the hell am I supposed to prove you wrong?

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:37 am

Bingo!

EDIT: You can't, and I can't either. Let's just call it it a draw guy's. We should just agree to disagree. Or maybe "We all just can't along" afterall.

erik · Post by **erik** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:40 am

What are you going on about? You are not making logical sense.

Dan-O from Five-O · Post by **Dan-O from Five-O** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:47 am

erikb wrote:What are you going on about? You are not making logical sense.

Logic has little to do with this discussion, you've proven that.

Besides, logical and sense should never be used in conjunction with one another.