Confessions of a Dead Beat Blog Dad/Zooey Deschanel

As of late when it comes to Pop Culture Dish, I've been the proverbial neglectful parent. Due to various other interests which have taken up my time (including writing for a second blog, Diversity Ink), I've paid less and less attention to my first born over the past year and a half. I plan on making a conscious effort to change my ways by devoting more time here at PCD. Although I won't guarantee I'll be writing 4-5 posts a week as I did back in the day, my output here will at least get me off the "deadbeat blog dad" list.

A couple of Saturdays ago, while milling around my apartment, a Cotton commercial featuring Zooey Deschanel came on TV. When I heard her unmistakable singing voice, I quickly ran into the front room to check out the spot. I was like, "Cool, Zooey's in a brand new commercial!" When I looked it up, I was surprised to learn this commercial is from 2009! Where the hell have I been and what have I been doing?! Apparently, not watching channels which aired this spot. In case you've been in the commercial wilderness like me or just want to watch "She", here it is:



Speaking of Zooey, I'm looking forward to her upcoming Fox sitcom titled New Girl (in which she plays Jess Day). I just watched a preview of New Girl on Fox's site and it looks promising. It has similarities to the new ABC sitcom Happy Endings.  Both shows deal with someone picking up the pieces after an embarrassing break-up and are single-camera sitcoms without a laugh track. Even Jess's new apartment is reminiscent of one of the sets used on Happy Endings. Coincidentally, the pilot for New Girl features one of the stars of Happy Endings (Damon Wayans, Jr.). Since the latter has been picked up for a 2nd season, Damon's role on New Girl will be recast.

Any Zooey fans out there? Are you looking forward to her new sitcom?

Pop Culture Trivia: The "Please Stand By" Edition

The next 15 questions deal with commercials of the past and present.  If you are a Pop Culture Trivia virgin and are about to be touched for the very first time, please read all the rules before taking the quiz:

* Along with the Internet, the use of books, magazines, notes, data stored on a computer, etc. to help you come up with the answers is not allowed.

* Please read the questions carefully. For example, if you mistakenly give a performer's name instead of the movie/TV show, the answer will be marked as incorrect.

* If you give a final answer along the lines of "If it isn't McDonald's, it's Burger King", it will be marked as incorrect.

* Unless I ask for the correct spelling, you won't lose points for any misspellings as long as I can decipher your answer. If I have no idea what you mean, I'll email you for verification. If I don't hear from you, your answer will be marked as incorrect.

* It's best to provide the full name/title of an answer if you know it. However, for TV series, movies, people, etc. that are often referred to by a shortened name/abbreviation, that shortened name/abbreviation is acceptable (unless I specifically ask for the complete name/title). For example:

Coke is acceptable for Coca-Cola

* If you are the only player to get a particular question correct, you earn 5 bonus points. The first player to submit their final answers to me will earn 2 bonus points. 

* Please do not post your answers in the comments section. Instead, send them to ultfan@gmail.com no later than Friday, April 15th, at 11:59 PM EST.

* To make it easier for me to add up your score, please cut and paste the game into the body of an email and type your answers after the point value of each question. Although I will email the answers only to those who take the quiz, I will still post the names of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers here.

Have fun, bonne chance and don't let the smooth taste fool you!

1. While sitting down for breakfast, two siblings engage in a back and forth over which one of them will sample a nutritional cereal before getting their younger brother (who hates everything) to try it in an iconic early 1970s spot for what brand name product? 2 pts

2.  81-year old Clara Peller became a star during the 1980s after appearing in a series of commercials for Wendy's in which she asked what 3-word question?  2 pts

3. Originally created for a 1986 commercial on behalf of CALRAB, what highly successful marketing campaign spawned two TV specials, a Saturday morning cartoon series, four studio albums, and a Billboard Hot 100 single (a remake of a Motown standard)? 2 pts

4. In 2010, which one of the following Oscar-nominated actors became the voice for "Mr. Peanut" in commercials for Planters? 6 pts

a. Jude Law
b. Will Smith
c. James Franco
d. Robert Downey, Jr.

5. The woman in the photo is best known as the spokesperson for what line of household cleaning products? 5 pts

6. What are the names of the three monster-themed cereals which General Mills introduced in the early 1970s and are still produced to this day? 2 pts each

7. The screenshot below is from a State Farm commercial which features an appearance by what former game show host? 6 pts (the multiple choice options are below the screenshot)













a. Bob Barker
b. Wink Martindale
c. Monty Hall
d. Richard Dawson

8. What are the names of the six celebrities who appeared in the three "You're Not You When You're Hungry" commercials for Snickers (which first aired in 2010 and 2011)? 3 pts each

Just to be clear, the six celebs do not appear in all three commercials. The three commercials feature 2 celebs each. 

9. For 3 pts each:

a. What is the name of the advertising character in the photo below?
b. He was the advertising character for what product?

10. In 1987, "Revolution 1" became the first Beatles recording to be licensed for a television commercial when it was used by what company? 6 pts

a. Nike
b. Apple
c. Sony
d. Adidas

11. Below are sample lyrics from 5 popular advertising jingles.  You have to correctly identify the brand name product associated with them.  2 pts each

a. Plop, plop, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is
b. Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that...
c. What walks downstairs, alone or in pairs...
d. If you think it's butter, but it's not...
e. I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony...

12. Correctly solve the "Wheel of Fortune" puzzle below. 6 pts

 

13. The screenshot below is from a commercial for what product? 6 pts (the multiple choice options are below the screenshot).  For 1 pt each, what are the names of the two actresses in the screenshot?













a. Head & Shoulders
b. Pepsodent
c. Nice 'n Easy
d. Noxzema

14. "Piff! Paff! Poff!", "Knap! Knaetter! Knak!" and "Pim! Pum! Pam!" are the names used in various international markets for what trio of cereal mascots, who were originally designed as elderly gnomes with large noses and ears? 2 pts

15. The actors below are three of the men who've appeared in a long-running series of commercials for what company? 15 pts

CTFD: Lindsay Lohan vs. E-Trade

Don't mess with "The Lohan" unless you want to run the risk of getting slapped with a frivolous lawsuit. Multiple award-winning* actress Lindsay Lohan has filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming a TV ad for the Wall Street firm E-Trade is modeled after her and improperly invoked her “likeness, name, characterization, and personality” without permission, violating her right to privacy. In the commercial, talking babies have a conversation that refers to "milkaholic Lindsay." As everyone knows, Lohan has had her issues with alcohol.

Although Lohan's name was never mentioned, her lawyer argues that "Lindsay" is an equally recognizable moniker for her client — like that of Oprah or Madonna. In addition to the ca$hola, Lohan's legal team is also seeking an injunction to stop future airings.

For one thing, when I hear the name "Lindsay", I don't automatically think of Ms. Lohan ...

Sometimes Olympic Gold Medal skier Lindsey Vonn comes to mind.

At other times, I'm reminded of former "Bionic Woman" Lindsay Wagner.

Hell, sometimes I go into Mayberry mode and think of George "Goober" Lindsey.

Also, the claim that the ad improperly invoked Lohan's “likeness, name, characterization, and personality” is a joke. If the director of the commercial slapped a long, red wig on the infant actress, placed her face down on the floor, and scattered empty baby bottles all around her, Lohan might have a case. As it stands, all this lawsuit is doing is costing Lindsay legal fees and providing material for smart asses like me.

Unless her handlers are "fully loaded", they'd sit Ms. Lohan down, tell her to continue working on getting her shit together, and convince her to drop this silly lawsuit.

* Hey Razzies and Teen Choice Awards count!

Final Results of the Recent ManCrunch/Super Bowl Poll

With almost 2/3 of the vote, a majority of people said they did not disagree with CBS' decision to reject a commercial by the gay dating site ManCrunch during this year's Super Bowl. Although 4 people who disagreed with CBS shared their thoughts in the comments section, no one who sided with the "Eye network" chose to say why. I really wish that some of them had shared their thoughts because I'm interested to hear why they voted "Yes".

Here are the final results:

Poll question-

Do you agree with CBS' decision to reject a gay dating site's Super Bowl commercial?

No- 64%
Yes- 36%

The Super Bowl XLIV Rundown: Pop Culture Style

Here are my thoughts on this year's extravaganza:

The Super Bowl Ads:

This year's crop of commercials remind me of the ones for 2009. What I mean is that the commercials didn't seem to be trying to overshadow The Super Bowl. I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the economy and the reluctance of companies to shell out insane amounts of money for less than a minute of air time. Even with the seemingly scaled back strategy, there were some funny and memorable ads during the game:

The Cars.com commercial where the ultra knowledgeable Timothy Richman replaces the supremely confident David Abernathy from last year's spot.

The Snickers spot with gridiron greats Betty White & Abe Vigoda

The Doritos ad in which a kid smacks his mother's date

My two favorites were:

Teleflora.com commercial featuring the one and only Don Rickles as the talking flowers.

flowers - Valentine's Day flowers - flower delivery

and

The Megan Fox Motorola commercial:

Daltrey, Townshend, and company rock the Sun Life Stadium

When it was announced last year that The Who (or what's left of them) would be starring in the halftime show for Super Bowl XLIV, I wasn't exactly Happy Jack. It wasn't because I don't like The Who, because I do. However, selecting them was another safe and predictable choice for the halftime performance. Plus, I had read stories about Roger Daltrey's voice losing its edge. I was pleasantly surprised because Roger sounded just fine to me. Plus, it's always cool to see Mr. Townsend give his axe the windmill treatment. As the 65 yr old Roger ripped through such Who classics as Pinball Wizard and Won't Get Fooled Again, I said to myself, "How do you think he does it? (I don't know)". Here is part 2 of the halftime performance:

Oh wait, there was a game...

In the end, the most important thing about Super Bowl Sunday is the game itself and this year's battle between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints went down to the last minute. Because of my affinity for the underdog, I was hoping the Saints would prevail and they did with a 31-17 victory. My favorite moment of the post-game celebration is Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees holding his 1 year old son Baylen. As Capt. Louis Renault would say, I am a rank sentimentalist.


What are your thoughts on the game itself, the commercials, and/or the Who's halftime performance?

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current Super Bowl/ManCrunch Poll... Thank You

Late last month, CBS decided it would not air a commercial (see below) for the gay dating site Man Crunch during Super Bowl XLIV (which takes place on Sunday, February 7th). For more on the story, click here. As expected, CBS' decision is not without controversy. Regardless of whether you vote yes or no, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

The WIRE: Week In REview, #1

Because the world of pop culture won't slow down to accommodate my hectic schedule, I haven't been able to blog about many of the stories that have unfolded recently. As a result, I decided that doing weekly summaries would give me a chance to touch on stories from the previous week that I didn't get around to covering. Here are a few of them:

CTFD: The Sun-Maid Girl Controversy

Welcome to "Not So Extreme Makeover: Advertising Mascot Edition". Over the years, the Sun-Maid Girl has undergone occasional updates to keep up with the changing times. From 1970-2006, she looked like this:


But the digital makeover she received (see below) has recently generated controversy. I say "recently" because the makeover took place in 2006! Some feel the new Sun-Maid Girl is a bit too "enhanced".

Come on, what's the big deal? It's not like those responsible for the makeover put the Sun-Maid Girl in a thong and have her hawking raisins as she works the stripper pole. Now if they did, Chester Cheetah would be down; he'd make it rain like it was Seattle, WA!

Although one blogger commented that the makeover looks "as if Julia Roberts decided to don a red bonnet and start picking grapes," I think the new Sun-Maid Girl looks more like Bianca Kajlich from the sitcom Rules of Engagement.


For more details, click the link below:

Sun-Maid Girl Controversy

Don't just do something, stand there!

It's bad enough to get your ass whupped on your home court, but at least put forth some effort. In Saturday's home game against the Toronto Raptors, the Chicago Bulls got spanked 110-78. Not only that, but during the game, Raptors guard Jarrett Jack had the ball at the top of the key when he stopped... to tie his shoe! All the while, the Bulls stood around and did nothing! Sportsmanship is one thing, but if a player is going to hold the ball and stop to tie his shoe, I'm going for the steal! Personally, this Bulls' lull couldn't happen to a better franchise. As a longtime Detroit Pistons fan, I can hardly stand the Bulls!

SNL: Showing No Levelheadedness?

On the December 5th episode of Saturday Night Live, they did a skit that spoofed Tiger Woods' infidelities. The skit made light of domestic abuse by having Tiger (played by Kenan Thompson) suffer a variety of injuries at the hands of his wife Elin (played by guest host Blake Lively). I'll admit that I did find this skit funny. However, the timing of it was suspect... the musical guest on SNL that night was R&B singer Rihanna, who was the victim of a highly-publicized domestic abuse incident involving then-boyfriend Chris Brown. Tune in next week as SNL does a gut-busting sketch on incest in an episode hosted by MacKenzie Phillips!

Note to the SNL producers: A little more diversity in the cast would be a good thing. I'm tired of seeing Kenan Thompson nearly every time a skit calls for a black celebrity (male or female)!

Bridget Loves Bridget

During a December 2nd interview with Matt Lauer on Today, actress Meredith Baxter publicly announced that she is a lesbian. Speculation about Baxter's sexuality came about after she was spotted on a lesbian cruise with a female friend. Some are debating whether or not Baxter is a lesbian or bisexual, but I trust she knows who she is. I think this is a cool story because so many people go through life not knowing or being comfortable enough to admit who they are. By the way, click here if you are curious about the "Bridget Loves Bridget" reference.

Final Results of the Direct TV Ad Poll

Here are the final results of the poll in which I asked if the new Direct TV Ad with Chris Farley and David Spade is in poor taste:

Yes- 41%
I'm sitting on the fence- 32%
No- 25%

I wonder if the controversy will cause Direct TV to be reluctant to take the "dead celeb" route for future spots. Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll.

Below is a clip of The Young Turks giving their take on the controversy:

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Direct TV Ad Poll... Thank You

As you many of you know, Direct TV has made a series of commercials in which characters from popular movies and TV series break the fourth wall to promote the service's picture quality and HD availability. The latest spot features David Spade as Richard Hayden (his character in Tommy Boy) in new scenes shot specifically for the commercial and the late Chris Farley in footage from the movie.

When I first saw the spot, I was taken aback at seeing Spade tout the virtues of Direct TV in the midst of Farley's "fat guy in a little coat" scene from Tommy Boy. Although the use of dead celebrities in ads doesn't always bother me, I feel this spot delves into poor taste territory. I just find it a bit creepy to see the present-day Spade interacting with his deceased co-star.

Although I'm not outraged, I wonder what the rationale was (besides the obvious) for Direct TV doing the spot and for Spade agreeing to appear in it.

I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this topic.

Director of "Banned Sprite Ad" Sets the Record Straight

Film maker Max Isaacson is making a name for himself with a fake Sprite ad that he wrote, directed and produced. The fake spot connects the pleasures of oral sex with the thirst quenching taste of Sprite. A lot of people thought the banned "commercial" was real, which is understandable if you've seen some of the spots that do air in Europe. Isaacson has issued a press statement explaining that the Coca-Cola company (the makers of Sprite) is in no way connected to his fake commercial.

I think the "spot" is genius for a couple of reasons. It does a brilliant job of satirizing the sexualization of commercials and it also exposes people to the work of Isaacson. I fully expect that the fake ad will lead to more work for Max. Also, I think it's cool that Sprite hasn't threatened Max with any litigation over the fake ad.

The video player below contains the fake Sprite ad and interview with Max Isaacson on the internet series The Young Turks in which he explains why he made the "ad". If you are offended by overt sexuality, be forewarned. Of course you probably won't be able to resist clicking "play" now will you?

Retro Commercials: The Monkees Pimp For Kellogg's

For awhile now, I have been meaning to bring back a feature that I used to do regularly on my blog... the retro commercial. Since I haven't done this feature since last fall, I thought I'd return with a vengeance and bring you not one commercial, but six!!

The commercials below were all spots The Monkees did for Kellogg's, one of the sponsors of their TV show. I discovered these when I bought the season one DVD set to The Monkees (they are included as special features). Luckily, someone (Hannah4Monkees) combined them all into one You Tube clip. Not only does watching these spots make me hungry for a Jethro Bodine-sized bowl of Rice Krispies (with a heaping help of sugar), but they also put me in the mood to hear some of those cardboard records of Monkee tunes that Kellogg's would sometimes include on the back of cereal boxes.

The World of "The Most Interesting Man In the World"

Although I don't drink Dos Equis beer, I may start thanks to a series of commercials featuring a gent known only as "The Most Interesting Man In the World". When (or if) I grow up, I wanna be just like this guy! If you've seen these spots, you know that the man is more than worthy of the title. How can you deny a man who lives vicariously... through himself?! I wouldn't be surprised if Chuck Norris came to him for guidance.

Another thing that puts "The Most Interesting Man In the World" in a special category of awesomeness is that he is willing to share his breadth of knowledge with the world. If you click on the Dos Equis link, you can learn not only how to prevent getting a shiv to your ribs in Istanbul, but also why the homing pigeon is The Most Interesting Man in the World's preferred method of dispatch. An approved time waster A good use of your time is a section of the website that tests your skills in such areas as dedication, accuracy, patience and recall. I crossed out the beginning of the last sentence because it is never a waste of time to learn from "The Most Interesting Man In the World".

If you don't think you are quite ready to study under "The Most Interesting Man In the World", but still want to get a glimpse of why he is who he is, you can watch the following spot:

Final Results of the Recent Progressive Poll

In the recent poll in which I asked if you felt the two men in the recent Progressive commercial were gay, a majority of you said yes. As I mentioned in the original poll, I was reluctant to do conduct this poll at first. However, I am glad that I did because everyone took it in the spirit it was intended. The poll also generated some thought-provoking responses from many of you. One question that was raised was whether or not I was referring to the actors playing the characters or the characters themselves (I was referring to the latter). Although I wish that I had been more clear in asking the question, I believe that everyone answered the question the way I intended.

As I stated in the comments section, I have been seeing the commercial more frequently since I posted the poll. This past Thursday night, I saw it while watching an NBA game between the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets. If John Amaechi was watching, I'd love to know what his thoughts were.

Here are the final results:

Yes- 61%
No- 38%

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current Progressive Insurance Commercial Poll, Thank You

Introduction: At first, I was reluctant to do this poll for a couple of reasons. One is because the intent is not to debate whether or not homosexuality is right or wrong. Also, I didn't want people to misconstrue why I was asking the question by responding with "so what if the two men in the commercial are gay?". My reason for asking the poll question is simple: I find the different ways in which people perceive things interesting. Thank you.

A few weeks ago while watching a local morning news program, a Progressive Insurance commercial aired that I had never seen. It depicted two men (one of whom was looking to buy car insurance) listening to Flo the cashier demonstrate how the man could save money by joining Progressive.

Although I felt it was done in an ambiguous manner, the way I read it is that the two men portrayed in the commercial are gay. While at work that day, I discussed the commercial with a co-worker. Since he hadn't seen it, I sent him the link. He also felt that the two men were gay. One thing he noticed that I missed was something that could be interpreted as a subtle representation of a symbol of gay pride (I won't say what it is because I want to see how many of you notice it). On other sites where the question regarding the intent of this commercial has been raised, there are those who don't see any gay subtext.

Last night (around midnight), I saw the commercial for the second time. Because the only time I've seen it is either early in the morning or late at night, this makes me think TV stations/networks are reluctant to air it during primetime and run the risk of possibly offending viewers. Maybe it is airing in primetime in other areas of the country, I don't know.

If the two men depicted in the commercial are gay, I applaud Progressive because in my opinion, the spot is devoid of gay stereotypes. The way I perceive the commercial, it shows that gays are trying to save money just like the rest of us.

You can watch the commercial below to judge for yourself:

Super Sunday Summary

Although it seemed to me that there was less buzz than normal leading up to the big game, Super Bowl XLIII turned out to be one of the best in the championship game's history. The team I was pulling for took home the Lombardi Trophy, so it's all good. Since you don't come here to get in-depth sports analysis, I will leave it to ESPN and their ilk to break the game down.

Luckily the game itself was a winner because most of the commercials weren't worthy of airing during the single biggest event in American sports. Here are some of the ones that stood out, for better or worse:

* I thought the Audi spot featuring action film star Jason Statham traveling through the decades was pretty cool.

* I got a laugh from the Bud Light commercial where the employee gets thrown out of a window for jokingly suggesting that they cut costs by not ordering the potent potable for every meeting.

* e Trade- I was immediately turned off during last year's Super Bowl as soon as the talking baby spit up food at the end of the spot. It's pretty much been all downhill since then. Whenever those commercials come on, I can't get to the remote fast enough. That rugrat needs to go away... NOW!!

* Maybe it's because I'm a fan of Hulu and Alec Baldwin, but I really enjoyed the commercial he did for the web streaming service.

As for the halftime show starring Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, it ranks right up there with Prince's performance from 2007. If people say that the Boss and his gang surpassed His Royal Badness, they won't get an argument from me. Even though I have never seen a Springsteen concert in person, I've seen enough footage to know that he's a master at putting on a live show. I loved the way he talked to the millions of viewers telling us to step away from the guacamole dip and to put down the chicken fingers down for the next 12 minutes. Those who listened to him were smart because Bruce and company were solid throughout. Some might say that the "referee" coming onstage to throw a flag near the end of the performance was corny theatrics, but I thought it was good old fashioned show biz.

What are your thoughts on the Super Bowl commercials and Bruce's halftime performance?

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current Fast Food TV Ad Poll... Thank You

According to a new study, a ban on fast food TV commercials could reduce childhood obesity by 18%. If you'd like to read the story on the study, click here. Although most of us will agree that childhood obesity is a problem, I don't feel that banning fast food ads is the solution. These days, it's too easy for kids to lead a sedentary lifestyle. If we can get kids to put down the remote control/video game control pads and get them involved in physical activity, that would be a step in the right direction.

As always, feel free to provide feedback in the comments section after voting.

Retro Commercial: Blip

Do the weirdest things from years ago ever pop into your mind for no reason? That's what happened to me when I was fixing a turkey burger sandwich yesterday evening. While getting all my condiments (Miracle Whip, lettuce, and tomatoes) lined up as my turkey burger was being heated, I started to think about the portable electronic game from the late 1970s called Blip. Very similar to the even more primitive Pong, Blip involved an LED (light emitting diode) that bounced back and forth across the screen... all you had to do was press the right button to send it back. Watching this commercial makes me laugh at how easy we were entertained back in the day. Hell, Blip became dated once the "state-of-art" Atari 5200 hit the market in 1982!

Even though it's been over 30 years, this is one of those commercials that never seeped out of my cranium. Probably because it not only played constantly, but the theme song was annoyingly catchy too (Blip blip blip blip blip blip blip blip blip blip blip blip blip blip....). After watching this commercial just once, you may wish you had the actual game Blip. Not to actually play it, but to smash it to pieces in frustration because you can't get that damn song out of your head!

Retro Commercial: Carlton Jams With the Jacksons

Since I was fairly busy during the end of last week, Michael Jackson's 50th birthday crept up on me like that panther in his "Black or White" video. This, combined with the fact that it's been awhile since I've done a Retro Commercial post led me to dig up this Pepsi spot from 1984. Making its debut on the Grammy telecast that year, this commercial featured The Jacksons and also introduced most of us to a young Alfonso Ribiero. Even after almost 25 years, this spot still kicks major ass!

Note: the link to the clip says 1988, but the commercial was actually made four years earlier.

Michael Jackson / Jackson Five - Pub Pepsi 1988
Uploaded by SW87LB

Retro Commercial: Faygo Pop

As a kid, I have fond memories of roller skating, playing tag, and Frisbee. To quench my thirst, the beverage of choice was often Michigan-based Faygo Pop. It sometimes felt as if I drank enough of the liquid confection to fill Lake Superior. If a cop had ever given me a Breathalizer, my blood Faygo content probably would have read .25%.

Since we are fast approaching the 4th of July weekend, I thought that this classic 1970s commercial for Faygo Pop would be retro perfection. Featuring Harold Peary (The Great Gildersleeve) leading a boatload of passengers in a nostalgic sing-a-long, this commercial was a staple of Michigan television during the decade of bell bottoms, Benji, and Barry White. Even if you've never seen this commercial, it's bound to conjure up childhood memories and take you back to a time when your biggest worry was having to explain to your mother how you ripped a hole in your brand new pair of Toughskins. For more information on Faygo, please click here.

Retro Commercial: Gap Commercial- Khakis Swing

In one of my recent polls, I asked how people felt about the use of pop/rock songs in commercials. The Rock Chick (writer of the blog Life Is RANTastic!) mentioned in the comments section that she likes the Old Navy commercials. Her remarks made me think of the ad campaign that The Gap did back in the 1990s. The 1998 spot below features dancers swinging to the tune "Jump, Jive, and Wail" (recorded in 1956 by Louis Prima & Keely Smith along w/ Sam Butera and the Witnesses). This commercial was pretty influential because it was the first time that many of us saw the "bullet time" effect (a computer enhanced simulation of variable speed). This visual effect became even more popular through its use in such films as the 1999 box-office smash "The Matrix".