advert of the century

This may be the best TV advert ever. Maybe. It's from local TV in the USA, and this is the two minute extended version.

I guess that in all seriousness I should talk about how it cost about 35p to make and yet has been seen by over 800,000 people on YouTube. Isn't it an amazing example of what can be done with some excellent content and zzzzzzzzzz........

Dull. I would much rather concentrate on the fact that it's just like a mini-mall.

Comments

[Colman]

Weird - it is just like a mini-mall.

[Seb]

Always have wondered what MC Hammer is doing nowadays. He has become, well, voluminous. And "hammertime" is less impressive. But that's life - it's just like a mini-mall.

[Simon]

Think it's a perfect example of how great writing can make a mediocre idea work.

[Asi]

you and 800k Americans own me 2min of my time....

sucks ass

It looks like there's a growing trend these days to get a say-nothing-do-nothing hits...

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0711,harvilla,76021,22.html

;-)

A.

[dan at innocent]

How can you not like it Asi? It's got a big man, great suits, and it's just like a mini-mall.

[John Grant]

Class

Isnt there a tradition of amazing local proprietor scripted and performed ads in the US? I doubt this is by any means unusual on local cable.

I think cataloging such commercials might make a fun five year dissertation research project, probably never quite completed as you would end up living on a trailor park having gone totally native. It would certainly req staying with local people, so you could see the ads in a realistic environment and understand the cultural context.

I could quite fancy becoming the Carlos Casteneda of the nether fringes of advertising

I'll add this to my list of potential escape plans

:J

[dan at innocent]

I'll come and visit you in Tallahassee or wherever it is you end up John. I've never pictured you in a trailer park, but now you come to mention it, I think it could quite suit you.

[John Grant]

Yep, some of the funniest stuff on YouTube is indeed local US commercials (there goes another half hour's book drafting) eg check out Sony's number one dealer in Oregon...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RJpToL2Rx8