Stories

Joker Mag’s TV Commercial Reviews

Published

January 23, 2018

Credit-Youtube/GEICO

Commercials are everywhere these days. Television. YouTube. Spotify. In the sidebar while NFL teams are in the huddle. Frankly, they can get pretty annoying. I mean, how many more “Dilly Dilly’s” can one person take?

Obviously, some commercials are more successful than others. So, why not make the best of a bad situation? Let’s take a look at some of the most popular commercials out there today.

GEICO – Washington Crossing the Delaware

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH9yvMGeHfo&ab_channel=GEICOInsurance

Let me preface this by saying that Geico makes some excellent commercials. Their tagline is well-known in American households and they really have a feel for what makes people laugh.

Here we see Washington standing in his famous pose, with his men laboring to push him across the turnpike. A driver lays on his horn and Washington yells at him in a fit of road rage reminiscent of George Costanza. The look on the driver’s face is just priceless.

In the end, Geico manages to tie in this ridiculous scene with their message. Great execution.

The Verdict: 9.2/10

Progressive Insurance – Group Session

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=YV5002PiP88&ab_channel=ProgressiveInsurance

Here, Progressive abandons their regular salesperson character, Flo, and her typical white uniform in favor of an attempt at humor. They try to get laughs with a “Dad Support Group” for people turning into their father.

While they play on the typical American, suburban dad stereotypes, they do it in a dull way. The lighting is dim and piano elevator music plays in the background. They just don’t pull it off.

Good idea with a lot of potential. Poor execution.

The Verdict: 5.6/10

DIRECTV – Soda with $200 Gift Card

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIXehQ60u-8&ab_channel=DIRECTV

DIRECTV is still pitting itself against cable, despite the fact that many have already moved on from it. However, this commercial still works. Similar to Geico, they contrast their message against comical situations.

The part with the guy on the airplane always gets me. Next time you see this commercial, don’t look at the guy in the seat. Focus on the kid doing the kicking. You can see the intense focus on his face. He is fully committed to giving this man the worst flight experience of his life.

DIRECTV pulls it off. This commercial is hilarious.

The Verdict: 9.2/10

In this article:Commercial, DIRECTV, GEICO, Progressive, Review, television, TV, TV Commercial Reviews

Written By Tyler O'Shea

Division III baseball alum (McDaniel College), founder of Joker Mag, and author of The Underdog Mentality: Sports Stories That Will Change How You See the Game (And Yourself). Since launching in November 2017, my stories have been featured on platforms such as FOX Sports, SB Nation, and The Sporting News, reaching over 1.5 million readers worldwide. The seed was planted way back in 7th grade when I got cut from the baseball team. Instead of giving up, I found hope and inspiration in stories of undersized athletes who defied expectations. I ultimately played baseball through college, earning Honorable Mention on the All-Centennial Conference team in my senior season. Today, my mission is simple: To share stories that give people the same feeling I felt when I was that undersized ballplayer searching for hope, inspiration, and evidence that my dream was possible. Like my mom always told me, you can do anything you set your mind to. Sometimes we just need a little extra push. And that’s why I’m so passionate about sharing these stories with the world.