Which car company has the worst commercials right now?

"brjklein" (brjklein) 11/30/2014 at 17:59 • Filed to: commercial

1

32

As someone in the advertising business, I tend to take a closer look at commercials than others, then I proceed to critique the hell out of them. Especially automotive ads.

One can learn a lot about car manufacturers from their TV commercials. Like how !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Or how !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . But some are better at convincing me than others.

So this begs the question–who's doing the worst job of telling their story through their ads? I humbly nominate two:

Nominee #1–Nissan:
Nissan, the design of your commercials is awful. Red cars, white-washed everything else. Including the two main characters in this spot. Because your !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

This level of dumb isn't new for Nissan, though. Cf: Nissan's Ride of your Life, in which aluminum foil and the lack of a cage definitely fools people that Altima 3.5 SLs are becauseracecars .

Or their new holiday spot, where please-god-let-these-jumping-Sentras-attract-Millennial-buyers happens.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Nominee #2–Acura:
Really, Acura? Really? Anyone who drives a TLX will have sphincter-puckering thrills every time they drive the car with the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! of all luxury compact sedans? The one with which Jalopnik declared Acura is committing suicide? Okay.

These are my nominees, so who are yours?

Brian Silvestro > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:02

3

Came here to say Nissan. They're so bad.

brjklein > Brian Silvestro 11/30/2014 at 18:03

1

Right? I just read the by-line from the Nissan holiday bonus cash spot:

This holiday season, shop from the most innovative line-up ever.

Wat??

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:04

5

Amazon Fire Phone with the annoying hipster kids. Yes, they're so annoying and the commercials are so terrible that they win in even the worst car commercial category too.

Brian Silvestro > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:04

1

INNOVATIVE

THE GT-R HASN'T CHANGED FOR 7 YEARS

PS9 > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:05

0

'Morricone' looks and sounds a bit like 'Maricon', which is a spanish word for...well, you don't say it in polite company.

PS9 > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:07

2

What's not innovative about a 4 door sports car (that is FWD and only available with a freaking CVT )?

brjklein > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 11/30/2014 at 18:07

2

"I'll drink you under the table, dude. As long as it's PBR."

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:08

3

Nissan's are pretty bad.

No Prius Needed > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:09

2

Infiniti. I win.

Funktheduck > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:10

1

Those fake race car ones kill me. I've been I a race car. They're nothing like the commercial.

brjklein > No Prius Needed 11/30/2014 at 18:11

0

Infiniti's still making commercials cars?

Übel > PS9 11/30/2014 at 18:11

0

Well hey, nobody else is doing it

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:12

1

I just cringed. I've never smacked a child before but that kid may seriously make me reconsider that.

MultiplaOrgasms > Brian Silvestro 11/30/2014 at 18:12

1

It did. It only got worse.

Brian Silvestro > MultiplaOrgasms 11/30/2014 at 18:12

0

heh

MultiplaOrgasms > Brian Silvestro 11/30/2014 at 18:15

1

Fact.

E92M3 > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:18

1

Acura should take the top spot. They are so lost it's pathetic.

mazda616 > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:19

1

Toyota's new Camry commercials are laughable. They focus on everything but the car. It's almost as if they admit that the Camry is too boring to discuss and they've moved on to other topics, like antique stores and B.B. King...

Steve in Manhattan > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:27

2

The GM ads where someone has been shopping on Black Friday - "saved hundreds!" Smug person gestures to car in driveway - "I saved thousands." WHAT DOES ONE THING HAVE TO DO WITH THE OTHER!?" One is buying Christmas gifts. The other has bought/leased a car BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Just. Stop.

Rico > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:31

2

You hit it right on the nose with the Nissan and Acura ads, add to that:

- The FRS commercial with the background exploding

- The IS-250/350/F commercials about what F stands for

- Infiniti with it's absent minded driver

- Lincoln ever since South Park roasted Mcconaughey

- Audi's "break away from the script" commercials are lame.

Commercials I like:

- Subaru's have been good in the past months.

- Audi's commercial in which the driver misses the huge puddle at the bus stop but the BMW driver splashes everyone.

- BMW's commercial showing the i8 features that are in the other cars in the line up.

- Jaguar has been on a role with their British Villains theme.

No Prius Needed > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 18:35

1

I'm surprised too.

brjklein > Rico 11/30/2014 at 18:50

1

Oh man, don't get me started on the awful editing of the Audi A8 future commercial. There is no reason he should be saying "what do you think?" in a smug voice in response to "I haven't slowed down a bit, have I?"

And yes, the Epic FRS commercial is awful too.

And yeah, the Infiniti SUV one where it's clear that person has no idea how to back out of the driveway.

Ferrero1911 > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 19:00

1

I can't believe no one has said Mazda. Their "Game Changers" ad campaign is the worst. Really Mazda? Someone invented a new way to high jump and that has something to do with you? Tow surfing? Electric guitars? Bruce Lee? Mobile phones?

Mazda had nothing to do with any of these things and they look stupid comparing their current line up with any of these innovations. They're even worse than "America's Import" which is saying a lot.

citizennick > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 19:23

1

I absolutely hate that Altima commercial. becauseracecars have moonroofs, leather seats and a CVT. They of course got the total opposite of car-people.

80CobraKid > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 19:32

2

Mercedes' christmas ad with 'santa and reindeer'. IT'S THE SAME FUCKING AD FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS

Steve in Manhattan > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 20:02

0

1-877-Kars4Kids ... it haunts me. Don't know if it's outside of NYC, but it's horrible. Kids are fine, just pitch me straight.

brjklein > Ferrero1911 11/30/2014 at 20:03

0

It was on my short list, but Nissan's are garbage compared to Mazda's.

brjklein > citizennick 11/30/2014 at 20:03

0

Who likely wouldn't care that their car has "race" heritage.

Rico > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 20:06

0

That Inifiniti commercial is bad but I'm talking about the one where the guy is driving through the city oblivious to his surroundings while they show off their blind spot tech and emergency brake assist and the whole time he's all like "Did I lock the house door? Did I remember to eat? Should I shave my head?" No you should sever it for being the worst driver.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > No Prius Needed 11/30/2014 at 20:13

0

YES! The ad about how the guy is a shitty driver and the "safety features" that will allow him to continue to be a shitty driver......

Vicente Esteve > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 20:39

0

Fiat Ads showing EVERYTHING that sucks about modern teenagers.

Its so infuriating to see.

ranwhenparked > brjklein 11/30/2014 at 23:03

0

When it comes to radio commercials, Subaru, hands-down. On TV, probably Nissan, although that Honda ad with Gumby that sounds even more annoying than the "real" Gumby voice is pretty irritating.