This is why I will never go to Carl's Jr. I know when I'm not wanted.

Unless you're advertising a veterans charity I am a firm believer that humor sells almost as much as sex. I love a funny advert. And, though you may assume by my witty repartee that I confine myself to more cerebral comedy I am always up for some toilet humor. I draw your attention to this, which made me laugh for about 10 minutes:

And some days I long for just one car dealership or hair dye company to bite the bullet and buck the trend of facile nonsense. Ugh.

But, none of this should interfere with the main purpose of the ad - to make me buy your product or service. Arby's - big BIG props to you for acknowledging Jon Stewart's 16 year assault on the quality of your product and embracing the free publicity. Seriously, jolly well done.

Not so well executed are the adverts that opt for funny over competency. 

One would assume that making your employees look like incompetent bellends would also be a no-no in the Big Book of Advertising. Join me as we enjoy this, or indeed any, offering from Drivetime.com:

Wow. I don't think I'd trust you to wipe your own bum, let alone finance my car? I'm kinda impressed you ladies managed to get out of the house this morning without hurting yourself? Please untie me from this gurney, I would rather get the bus home, if its all the same to you...

Maybe I just don't have enough of a sense of humor, but its like the ad executives just gave up?

What's even worse than this, though, is the smug commercial. Two things that do not make me want to engage - me thinking your employees are incompetent idiots, and you blatantly disrespecting your existing clients. To actually make these the fundamentals of your advertising campaign smacks of incredible arrogance. 

Lets move on to the Lotto advert. Nice and short - it should pretty much sell itself. 

"Play the lottery and you could win $x". 

But then it continues, with an unnecessary amount of incredulity, "You're still sitting there? Maybe you didn't hear?" 

Excuuuuuuuuse me? Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? Perhaps I'm being too sensitive, but, if you want me to engage, how about we dial down the arrogance a smidgen?

Next we have the match.com adverts where Mr Random McRandom stops women in the street and asks if they have any experience with match.com. Responses from the general public vary, but the sarcastic response of Señor McRandom can be paraphrased into "duuuuuuuuuuuh, do you even HEAR yourself?" 

His response to "No, I would rather meet someone in a bar" is "and how's THAT working out for you?" Um, rude. You can check that fucking tone at the door, sunshine.  Or his response to "Actually  my sister found her husband on match.com"; "Riiiight, you don't think you might want to try it then?" If its populated with sarcastic, smug arseholes like you, then I'll pass. 

ssophoo.tumblr.com

Its one thing to have confidence in your product, quite another to produce the advertising equivalent of stuffing your tongue into your bottom lip, making a "duh" noise. 

I appreciate that I'm not the target audience for this nonsense (I am clearly NOT welcome at Carl's Jr unless I am 23 and wearing a bikini?) but I don't really understand who these are aimed at? People with so little self-respect or sense as to be influenced by a smug git verbally tossing off in their face? Nice.