Wednesday, August 19, 2009

I Interrupt This Program

*You’ll need to turn off my playlist for this:

What are you trying to do with your writing? What is anyone trying to do when they write? Say something, right? We write to communicate a message, a moment, a story, a character or a legend. We write as a form of expression.

About once every five years a commercial is aired that nails it, a commercial that’s able to tell a beautiful or compelling story in less than two minutes. The Levi’s one I’ve chosen to post is just over a minute long and it rates as my favorite commercial of all time. And I consider myself somewhat of a commercial connoisseur. I used to turn on the TV as a kid and if nothing else was on, I’d be content and satisfied to watch commercials for hours. I’ve always enjoyed deciphering “what works” and what’s insulting in commercials.

Maybe it’s the music that entices me with this one, but if you watch it you’ll see there’s a story there (I love when the guy slows down for a moment behind the elderly couple).






What does this commercial say to you? And what is your favorite commercial of all time?


*commercial thanks to YouTube and Levi's

20 comments:

  1. I've always liked that commercial too!

    Hmmmm...my favorite commercial...I really liked the Pepsi one with Justin Timberlake...um and..Ugh I can't think!! All this on the spot pressure Oh I love the Etrade commercial with the little baby talking finance and then he says he saved up enough money to get a clown and that the one where his little friend starts singing. Those commercials are GREAT!

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  2. The Geico gecko commercials come to mind--e.g. the one where naturalist David Attenborough is on the subway staring at the gecko and making him feel uncomfortable ("E's giving me the eebie jeebies," says the gecko),then the gecko outsmarts him and slips off the train.

    I also like the Mac/PC commercials, but I always feel sorry for the PC guy.
    Here's a good spoof on that one: Creation vs. Evolution.
    http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=b12da7e7cb352308e802

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  3. I remember this commercial but didn't think too much about it at the time. Wouldn't that be nice to know what you want and go for it at any cost--without being deterred? Kind of like writing I guess...

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  4. How come I've never seen this one? It's a goodie, too.

    My favorite commercial is super applicable to my life right now. It's the Staples one where the Christmas song, "It's the most wonderful time of the year" is playing as they are going back to school. hahahaha. that one gets me everytime :)

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  5. Yes! I love this too! Especially when the girl walks through the meeting. I have never liked meetings!

    My fav. commercial is for a cell phone, when the guy brings home a monkey with a cold. I want that monkey!

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  6. Gosh I haven't seen that one but I loved it! I loved the romance of it all. I'm a sucker that way :) But you know what really struck me? The impossiblity, the you can't stop me attitude it reminds me of how Jesus loves us and moves for us still. My heart just thumped! Thank you Wendy I love your posts!

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  7. Wow. I love the literal sense of "walking the line" for someone you love. Great commercial.

    I don't have cable or any channels, so I don't know what new commercials are out there. So I'll go with an oldie but a goodie: "Where's the beef?" ;-)

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  8. "Herding Cats" was a pretty good one--EDS did that a few years back. Anyway, this commercial--tells me there's no such thing as a straight line unless you're willing to trample on everyone as you go! But I did love the scene in which the dude slows behind the elderly couple to walk in their steps for awhile...don't know the meaning of it, but there ya go.

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  9. Twin! I LOVE this commercial (and it is most definitely the music that draws me in). My favorite commercials are the Mac commercials too. I just think they're so funny!

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  10. We don't have very long to hook our readers and get a message across. I think that's why we're so inspired when see something that can do that so well.

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  11. Good message, that walks across all barriers to get to what you love.

    Well, several-just about any Hallmark card around the holidays and the Budwieser ones with the Clydesdale horses. (Animal lover) That's all I can think of right now.

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  12. Love that commercial. Can't believe I've never seen it.

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  13. That was a great commercial - especially when the guy was walking patiently behind the elderly couple. That spoke volumes!

    Believe it or not, we've not had TV in the home for about 6 years now. (We put it in a closet for a party - and then forgot to get it back out! It's been in the closet ever since.) Thinking back, the commercials that really pulled the heartstrings were those Hallmark commercials. That they could move me to tears in such a short space of time was pretty powerful.

    P.S. I DO miss TV - and would especially like to watch American Idol! ;)

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  14. And thanks for the playlist on your blog! I've been listening to it all afternoon. Your blog is the perfect place to come and relax. <3

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  15. Marybeth, I love that you were feeling pressure. No, not really. I hope you weren't. Pepsi likes to bring the music.

    wandamelody, glad you stopped in to give your input. You seem to enjoy commercials as much as I do, that is unless we are muting them in this house.

    Cindy, I never made the connection to writing, but you have me thinking. Why did you have to go and get me thinking again? :D

    Tess, I swear I was just singing that exact same song to my doctor yesterday when she told me I had to be tired. :D

    Jeanette, I'm all over any commercial featuring a monkey with a cold. I mean, come on...can you beat that?

    T. Anne, thank you for your thoughtful words. You just nailed some of my deeper feelings about the commercial. We are on a wave. I also love at the end that the way they look at each other is more passionate than ending it w/ a kiss.

    Melissa, a close one to my heart considering that lovely fast food restaurant and I share something in common.

    Rick...your humor had me cracking up. Also refreshing to have a guy come in here and speak it straight. :D
    Did you notice he even walked in the same rhythm as the old man?

    Beth, twin, indeed. Kudos to Johnny Cash for the lyrics to this one--pure gold! I love the duet of it!

    Jody, great point. I liked how it didn't take long to tell a story.

    Karen, the horses are classic. Love, worth getting to.

    Heather, sneak back later and watch it again. It's just *that* good!

    Suzette, that was my favorite part. A close second, the way the two look at each other at the end. I love that the TV went in the closet for the party and hasn't seen the light of day since. Thanks for the mention about the playlist. It certainly relaxes me. Glad I could pass that along.

    Thanks for watching that moving short story. We all have dozens of chances to tell stories throughout our days. I hope you are telling stories, not just in what you say and write, but in how you live.

    Night. Could you leave the night light on? My kids have been watching the Wizard of Oz and I'm having bad flying monkey memories. :D

    Sleep well.
    ~ Wendy

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  16. *turns on nightlight*

    My favorites are those that take a funny, unexpected twist. :)

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  17. I remember that one! I'm drawing a total blank right now. I can't remember a single commercial...but I know there have been some that I've loved. :)

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  18. I love it! It truly does nail it, especially at the end, with the Levi's Straight Jeans logo...

    I like the Geico Caveman commercial, the one where the caveman sees the offense ad and pulls his hair out of the ponytail, takes his shirt off while he's running and looks like he's crying his eyes out... I ALWAYS laugh at that one... so clever :D

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  19. Oh yeah, I remember seeing this one! I always liked it. Can't think of any commercials I really love, though the caveman one always made me laugh. :-)

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  20. This commercial says to me what is important in life and what is not. People and relationship is important. Everything else that clutters our lives is really not that important in the bigger picture.

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