Now when I saw this commercial yesterday online, it didn’t really come across as all that appealing. However when vegging out in front of the tube, I could see the real beauty behind the commercial.

Like most e-retailers 1-800 Contacts relies on the Web to sell their products.  There are many products that can get away with the lack of personality of the Internet. Buying glasses and contacts is a personal transaction. You need these things to see so there has to be a level of trust to make the transaction.

This over-dramatization of the guy being special, the commercial brings a personality to the brand. It says hey, we care about you and hey – you’re special. It’s so cheesy that you can’t help but feel warm and fuzzy.

For a brand this is a good connotation, because at the end of the day, the vendor is being trusted with your sight. I don’t wear contacts and don’t plan on wearing them, but my wife orders from them so I generally have a good opinion of the company.

While the commercial gives me that good feeling, I also wonder if it tries too hard. It kind of seems like they are trying too hard. Does this over-compensation for being special hide something about the online contact vendor? Or is it just my cynical nature kicking in?

Ahh finally back after having no home access to the computer due to a nasty little virus for a week. It was like the cat from that old schoolyard song…you know it came back the very next day.

Well what a week it’s been. I am sure by now everyone is done with their Super Bowl hangovers. Outside of Pittsburgh and Arizona, everyone tuned in for the commercials – and I’m sure some viewers in Arizona were wishing they saw the commercials.

It leads me to wonder who the big winner was. While Budweiser made a number of big splashes with their Clydesdales and humorous Bud Light spots, I would not categorize them as the winner.

I know you’re thinking the creepy eTrade baby may have been numero uno, but again wrong.

The 3-D dancing lizards with my man Ray Lewis? Maybe if Stop & Shop or Shaw’s had the glasses. Damn you “super stores.”

My favorite was perhaps the most realistic of all of the commercials from our friends at Bridgestone.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRofF_v6kk0]

Not only is the ad realistic comical, but it combines one of our favorite toys of yesteryear going through an experience that we all have, the nagging spouse. Now if only we could find a way to pop off her lips when we’re getting yelled at. I’ll take the eyes any day.

You can check out how Fox Sports ranked the ads, do you agree? Or do you have another one in mind?

Listening to the radio today I heard a commercial that made me think twice. An old lady who had won a pumpkin

Image courtesy of Frank's Red Hot

growing contest was asked what her secret was. Her only reply was, “Frank’s Red Hot, I Put that Sh@t (splat noised out) on everything.

At first I thought that I was just hearing things, and that it may have been one of those spoof commercials. However, after flipping the dial to another station I heard it again. It then set in that I had heard the greatest radio spot of all time.

Looking at the Frank’s Web site, the whole campaign that begins with an animated splat pattern.  There was also a full recepie book that offered a number of recepies from breakfast and popcorn to hot sauce staples chilli and buffalo wings.

While I see this as a purely brilliant campaign that appeals to the masses of potty-adolescent minded people of the world like me, there have been some who disagree with the bold verbiage. The most popular were over on Commercials I Hate Forum and Cayenne Lemonade.

Do you think the wording is too offensive?

UPDATE – Here is the commercial
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wVHPmq6JDc]