Criticism: Incredibly Awful & Insulting Infomercial for 'Presto'

While watching some Current on TiVo (see this post for full review of Current), I was stopped in my tracks by the worst commercial I have seen in quite some time.

The spot was for Presto, which lets you "send email and photos to people who don't have a computer". I haven't been able to find it on YouTube yet, but the 'view demo' link on the Presto site provides a good approximation for it.

The net message is 'Do you have a weak, feeble minded, lazy moron that you know couldn't possibly understand something as complicated as a computer? Would you like to send pictures to that moron every now and then? Of course you would. Lucky for you that we are selling this ugly grey box for only $150 plus $10/month for 'service'. Nevermind that you could FedEx pictures to your moron twice a month for the same amount of money, Presto is a great deal."

Here are some key frames from the online 'dramatization' of the commercial:

Frame 1: Mom is an easily flustered dullard



Frame 2: Mom is such a moron it would be a crazy time suck to have to try and teach her how to use a computer



Frame 3: Everything could be so much better if Mom had a magic photo box in her parlor



Frame 4: Mom almost has a heart attack because the magic machine from the future is trying to show her something



Frame 5: Mom and Dad chuckle together in relief once they realize the magic box is friendly and doesn't mean them any harm

Appreciation for Capital One's Commercials

I am not certain if both of these are from the same agency. They are both for Capital One, but for different lines of business. I suppose I could investigate, but that's one step further than I am willing to go right now.

Neither of these is the exact execution I recall seeing on air, but they are close enough to get the gist of them.

First one is below -- a timely spot given what is going on in the mortgage market. I saw this the same day I heard about their closing of a wholesale mortgage unit, but apparently the division that was closed wasn't the one advertised in this spot.



I just think the spot does an excellent job of tangibly representing the concerns about and ramifications of financial contracts that can backfire on you. I actually think it's a better conceit than what Capital One has been doing with their credit card commercials, like the tooth fairy, or the visigoths. However, among those, I do have a soft spot for the dragon slayer spot below, if only because the line "...and not just a big lizard" is brilliant.

These People Are Horrible: SalesGenie.com

Full disclosure: I work in advertising and fully believe in democratic capitalism, so I absolutely support the right of shallow, cynical hacks to develop and run corrupting, crap ads. But that doesn't mean I'm not disgusted when I see something so grossly manipulating and exploitative as the garbage that Sales Genie is currently airing. These haven't made YouTube yet, but if you are interested, click the "Watch our National TV Commercial" link on their site and judge for yourself. This is just one of a series of just despicable spots using 'adorable toddlers' who deliver lines like the following in a Cindi Brady-like lisp for extra smaltz effect:

"My daddy is a salesman. How much money he makes depends upon how much he sells. Last year he worked WEALLY hard. But he didn't make a lot of money."

I also believe in the karmic principle that those who "sow evil shall reap evil", and the asshats behind the current SaleGenie dreck can't have enough blight befall them for uncorking upon us such a purely rotten ad campaign.

Update: 8/3/07 - I just learned through AdHole that the offending Salesgenie commercial is on YouTube. Or, see it below.

You Have to Love the Holiday Inn Express Commercials

I don't think I'll ever stay at a Holiday Inn Express as my life just never takes me in that direction where it's an option. But if the choice ever did come down between HEI and a La Quinta or a Residence Inn or whatever else you might find in the smaller cities of America, these commercials would definitely tip the scales. The lead guy is freaking brilliant.



"A little stock car humor there"


"I'm getting that sound in my head again ... every time you argue with me"


"So, in the end, it wasn't a half bad trip"


"She's crowing about her accomplishments on the World Wide Net Web"