Visi-who?

Capital One has introduced the Visigoth back into modern times.  The Visigoths are a Germanic tribe very similar to Vikings.  According to the Britannica online Encyclopedia the Visigoth is a member of a division of the Goths . One of the most important of the Germanic peoples, the Visigoths separated from the Ostrogoths in the 4th century ad, raided Roman territories repeatedly, and established great kingdoms in Gaul and Spain.

In these Capital One commercials, viewers see the Viking-like trade characters, the Visigoths, using their Capital One Venture cards to earn Double Miles so they can earn vacations faster.
These commercials then show the Visigoths vacationing in various places, while encountering familiar vacation mishaps or truly conquering the places they're visiting. Perhaps not every viewer has experienced needing to itch their back on a cactus, or toppling a sand castle on the beach but the purchases the Visigoths make to repair things they have broken while on vacation still earns them double miles.


Ski Vacation:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw267Zw2A20&p=2BAD0E652D6BD7D3&index=12&playnext=2
Grand Canyon Vacation:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xzIOeD3kTA&feature=channel
LA Vacation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcVXnZyRj8A&feature=channel
Beach Vacation:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKXCVWTE3TM&feature=channel

Over the Limit?

The commercials "Over the Limit, Under Arrest" have huge visual impact on me.  There are no celebrities in them, and they are very sobering to watch.  The cars and motorcycle portrayed are nondescript, they could belong to anyone you know.  The vehicles are full of liquid, and as they swerve down the road, the voice-over says, "If you drive drunk, we will find you."

When the officers pull these cars over they ask, "Sir, have you been drinking tonight," and the driver opens their door or window and all of that liquid comes pouring out.  It is a visual representation of the alcohol they've been drinking.  The voice-over goes on to say, "Make no mistake, you will get caught and you will be arrested."

These commercials seem to reassure the viewer that the police will find drunk drivers even though they try to hide. 

These ads are on Youtube.com and I have seen them on TV.  The end of the ads show them being paid for by the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTEJawOTU-A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcbKSJIYXZA&NR=1    (the motorcycle ad)

Geico's humorous approach to insurance.

The adage from chapter 3, "Laugh with them, not at them," is prevalent in most Geico commercials.

I like the Geico commercials in which the announcer asks if Geico will really save you money.  There are many different versions of this 2 part commercial.  He then asks the viewer another question with the answer being presumably "yes."    In one, the scene cuts to an antiques dealer telling a lady that her bird in the hand is indeed worth two in the bush. Another shows Ed "Too Tall" Jones being to tall for a medical exam because he really is too tall.  My personal favorite is when the announcer asks if the little piggy cried "Wee wee wee!!" all the way home.  Yes indeed, he does cry "Wee" the whole ride home, much to the disapproval of the mom who is driving.

Do woodchucks chuck wood?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjGwusHrOtk
Does Charlie Daniels play a mean fiddle? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aZLw_KBdqc
Little Piggy:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F_G2zp-opg
Bird in Hand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdfeW2h8Qo4&feature=channel

Kidzilla

Nissan's new commercial for the Altima made me laugh.  A young boy is playing with his toy cars. At first, it seems almost cute that this little boy is "Vroom-vrooming" his cars. Elvis Presley is singing "You look like an angel, walk like an angel..."

Then you realize that he is playing really rough with his cars.  He's using a plastic bat to hit them and dropping them in the toilet and trying to flush them among other things.  He throws them to the dog, drives them in the sand and even stomps on them, Godzilla style.    The music continues, "You're the devil in disguise.."

Next the camera pans across his bedroom floor.  The only car that is intact and hasn't lost it's wheels or become crushed is the Altima.  The voiceover says that "The Altima is put through over 5,000 quality tests, so it will stand up to just about anything."

This presents the Altima in an unusual light.  People may not think of what kinds of daily wear and tear your car experiences.  The ad uses intelligence to allude that the punishment that this kid is putting the Altima through is what your car goes through on a daily basis.

I wasn't allowed to play with my cars like that but I can connect with this commercial because I have seen this type of play in many other kids.  This approach makes it believable to me.


<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in60bGJEzUk>