Review and Rating of the Chicago White Sox Baseball Club Commercial

Today, my review is on a commercial for the Chicago White Sox Baseball Club. This commercial was broadcast on Tuesday April 8, 2010 by a local TV station in Chicago. It is very simple, yet relays the message very clearly and directly. The commercial shows a pitcher and a catcher. The pitcher pitches a ball and the catcher catches it. The catching part is shown from a close angle – the glove is shown at the moment when it catches the ball. This is also accompanied by some dust released just as the glove catches the ball, which perhaps indicates that the play is tough and of a serious matter. The act is repeated for a couple of times. Then the two players reveal their identities and greet each other. The entire commercial is in black and white. The commercial ends by saying something like this: “The White Sox team work, it is black and white.” This commercial is very cleverly made. It is simple, yet it gets your attention very quickly, especially if you are a baseball fan. Now here is my rating. Please remember that this blog is not indented to endorse any product – just rating commercials. This is my review number 11.

Commercial theme: Two Chicago White Sox players in action
Product: Chicago White Sox baseball games
Type: TV Commercial (local, Chicago)
My opinion: Very simple, attracts your attention quickly
Rating: This commercial gets a “JM” rating of 9.5 out of 10

Review and Rating of “Walter E. Smithe” Furniture Stores Commercial

My critic for today is about the Walter E Smithe commercials. This outfit is a furniture store in the Chicago area. The company has been running commercials locally featuring three owners (allegedly the Smithe brothers). They often have a short skit pretending to be funny. Their most recent commercial has a 2010 Winter Olympics tone. As in their other commercials, the skit in this one is totally unrelated to what the store is all about and what merchandise it sells. The announcer often introduces a sale or other promotions as the commercial wraps up. I found this, as well as other similar commercials by the Smithe brothers, totally uninformative. Their skits are neither amusing nor funny. I believe the basic message of the commercial is lost when the focus is on an unrelated funny act. I think the time has come for someone to tell the brothers: “Guys, you are not funny; it is time for a different type of commercial for your company, a more traditional one, which better suits a furniture store!”

Now here is my rating. Please remember that this blog is not intended to endorse any products – just rating commercials. This is my Review #10.

Commercial theme: Smithe Brothers acting funny with Winter Olympics as a theme
Product: Walter E. Smithe Furniture StoresType: TV commercial (local, Chicago)
My opinion: There is no main message delivered – a “funny” act is tried, which is unrelated to merchandise sold in a furniture store
Rating: This commercial gets a “JM” rating of 2 out of 10

Review and Rating of AT&T Commercial for TV Service

The specific AT&T commercial I am writing about today starts by showing a man, in a living room, trying to use a remote control to change the channel on TV. A woman (his wife) immediately confronts him by showing her remote control. She dares the husband to change the channel. A boy in the family is the third person showing his remote control. He, in turn, wants to have the control of the channel also. Finally, a girl in the family does the same by showing her remote control. While these four, pointing their remote controls to one another, argue over the control of the channel, another woman (grandmother) enters the living room. Seeing the four in a serious fight over control of the TV channel, she simply gives up and leaves the room. The announcer then introduces a special feature of the AT&T service by saying that up to four channels can be recorded at the same time – indirectly saying that there is no need to fight over the control of the channel, if you have the AT&T service. The four family members with remote control in their hands pointing to one another bring back memories in old western movies and gunmen about to fight with each other. I am not sure how to interpret the scene in this commercial. I found it to be neither informative nor entertaining. The feature of the service introduced in this commercial is not a very major decisive factor for a viewer in selecting this service over another. Now here is my rating. Please remember that this blog is not indented to endorse any product – just rating commercials. This is my review #9.

Commercial theme: Four family members pointing remote controls at one another fighting over control of their favorite TV channels.
Product: AT&T service for TV
Type: TV commercial (national)
My opinion: It is not the type of commercial to attract your attention
Rating: This commercial gets a “JM” rating of 4.5 out of 10

Review and Rating of "Lamar Advertising Company" Commercial

Ironically, my today’s commercial review is about a company that does advertising – Lamar Advertising Company. If you are not familiar with Lamar, this is a company that does outdoor advertising, especially using boards around highways. The specific commercial I am reviewing today is in fact displayed on an advertising board; and I saw it in Chicago. The board shows an elephant and a peanut (in its shell). At the bottom it reads: “Big results, costs peanuts.” This statement is then followed by the word Lamar using the company’s logo. What caught my eyes was that the peanut is shown much larger than the elephant. The commercial displayed on the board is very vivid and quickly sets in your mind. I knew about Lamar, but for a moment I could not remember what it was. It finally came to me what Lamar Advertising Company does. If you like simplicity, you will like this commercial. It is very creative. Even though, I believe, not too many people will recognize the company, for those involved in advertising, the commercial will relay a quick and clear message. Using the advertising board appears to be a very right medium for this commercial. Now here is my rating. Please remember that this blog is not indented to endorse any product – just rating commercials. This is my review #8.

Commercial theme: Pictures of an elephant and peanut displayed (small elephant, large peanut)
Product: Lamar Advertising
Type: Highway advertising board
My opinion: Very simple, sets quickly in mind.
Rating: This commercial gets a “JM” rating of 9.0 out of 10

Review and Critic of Yoplait Light Commercial

Yoplait commercials, those broadcast in recent years, have all been fun to watch. They are entertaining yet relay a very clear message. Today’s critic is specifically on Yoplait Light yogurt. This commercial has been shown for quite sometimes now. The specific one I am writing about is showing a couple (a man and a woman) in a kitchen and a refrigerator full of Yoplait Light yogurt cups. The woman is on the phone talking about her diet to (perhaps) a friend and says that her diet includes apple turnovers, Boston cream pies,… She is of course referring to different flavors of Yoplait Light. However, the man in the commercial, taking that she is actually talking about real desserts, is looking hastily for these desserts in the refrigerator. This is one of those commercials that one enjoys watching them every time. It is very simple, yet entertaining. There is also a sequel to this commercial where the man is talking on the phone. Anyway, here is my rating. Please remember that this blog is not indented to endorse any product – just rating commercials. This is my review #7.

Commercial theme: Woman talking on the phone about her diet and different flavors of Yoplait Light yogurt
Product: Yoplait Light yogurt.
Type: TV Commercial (National)
My opinion: Very simple, funny and entertaining.
Rating: This commercial gets a “JM” rating of 9.0 out of 10

Review and Critic of Ooma Commercial

This is a repeat of what I wrote last month about a commercial on a phone service called Ooma. The commercial has been broadcast on the radio. I am not sure for how long it has been running; but I have listened to it at least five times in the past month. The announcer in this commercial starts out by introducing a second person called “the talker.” The talker has an accent – similar to those of people from India or Pakistan, even though I am not sure it is really an Indian or Pakistani accent. It may be that the talker wants just to be funny. The talker mixes Ooma with “Uma.” I assume he is talking about Uma Thurman, the actress; although no last name is mentioned and no indication is given whether he is actually talking about this actress. The entire commercial comprises of back and forth talks between the announcer and the talker; even though the two are not involved in any coherent or meaningful conversation. While the announcer describes Ooma – the phone service – the talker keeps on talking about Uma – the actress – and mixes up Ooma and Uma.

I am not sure how to interpret the role of the talker in this commercial. Even though the message of the commercial is somewhat clear, as described by the announcer; the talker’s repeated interjections and description of Uma (mixed up with Ooma) are not funny at all. Moreover, the talker’s statements do not add anything of importance to the commercial and are rather somewhat off-the-line. Please remember that this blog is not indented to endorse any product – just rating commercials.

5. Commercial theme: An announcer and a person (called the talker) talk about a phone service
Product: Ooma Phone Service
Type: Radio Commercial (National)
My opinion: Rather boring; not funny (as I assume it is supposed to be); the main part of the message about the phone service is overshadowed by continuous interjections by the talker and his “supposedly” confusion over Ooma versus Uma.
Rating: This commercial gets a “JM” rating of 3 out of 10

Review and Rating of m&m Commercial

My newest critic is on the m&m candy commercials. These commercials have been running for quite sometimes in different forms yet all with the same theme. Each commercial shows one or several enlarged m&m figures engaged in some funny acts or activities. During the Christmas holiday, one commercial shows an m&m figure meeting Santa Clause (supposedly the night before Christmas). Both the m&m figure and Santa Clause are surprised to find themselves meet face to face. Several other such commercials are run from time to time each featuring a particular funny plot. My specific review is about one showing a supermarket clerk scanning various purchased items at a checkout counter. As she keeps on scanning the purchased items, an m&m figure is shown running in the opposite direction of the moving belt, trying to avoid the scanner. Eventually he gives up and voluntarily goes through the scanner and ends up in a shopping bag where he meets another m&m figure in an adjacent bag. As in other m&m commercials with a similar theme, this commercial is also very entertaining and fun to watch. This is the type of commercial that one can watch over and over; and as new ones with different scenes are produced, they still will be refreshing without one getting bored watching them. In watching commercials with the same theme, yet with characters appearing in different acts and scenes, the main message may start shifting to a secondary one. What I mean is that with the m&m commercial, the figures appearing in enlarged forms, more like stuffed animals, create a secondary market for such figures. We have seen them becoming popular among children, especially. In the m&m commercial, whether or not the secondary message is the intention, an announcer delivers the main message at the end – very clever.

Now here is my rating. Please remember that this blog is not indented to endorse any product – just rating commercials.

6. Commercial theme: An m&m figure avoiding the scanner at a supermarket checkout counter
Product: m&m candies.
Type: TV Commercial (National)
My opinion: Amusing and entertaining, as the commercial is repeated with different scenes, a secondary message is developed; however, the announcer still brings the focus to the main message at the end of the commercial.
Rating: This commercial gets a “JM” rating of 9.5 out of 10