Audi Certified Pre-Owned TV Commercial is well written, edited, acted, directed, and produced, but Alex LOGIC thinks something does not add up.

Watch these two audi pre-owned commercials and see if you agree that they are well made, entertaining and memorable commercials.

Several years ago I had two experiences within the same week in which I thought I was notifying the driver about a possible car defect. Both times I was told they did not care because they were returning the car in the very near future.

Just who is the person in real life who is watching over the shoulder of the first Audi Driver to make sure the car is returned in great shape?

If we are to believe pre-owned Audi Cars receive a magical make-over before they are re-sold, then why not show that in the commercial instead?

The original owner will never meet the future owner, and therefore won't have that friendly "nudge" from the future owner to do the right thing when it comes to car maintenance.

The pre-owned commercials that Audi made probably tested well with market research audiences, but what is portrayed in both pre-owned Audi commercials actually has NOTHING to do with reality.

Some people may just giggle at how engaging and fun these two Audi pre-owned commercials are. Maybe Audi car owners who watch these commercials may even feel more compelled to take good care of their own Audi because of these commercials, and that is a good thing.

However, these two Audi Commercials are quite adept at taking fantasy (the meeting of the future owner with the first owner) and making it seem plausible. Deceiving future Audi pre-owned car owners into believing that somehow there is a magic force out there that makes the original Audi owner more responsible is somewhat pretentious. 


Maybe selling fake sizzle may make these commercials a success, but not in AlexLOGIC's book.

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What is behind the axing of decent television sit com shows like Paul Reiser?

I generally don't like sit coms. I don't like that sit coms are supposed to generate a laugh every 10 to 15 seconds. I don't like too much canned laughter. I don't like witty, dim-witted one liners that if said in real life would end a friendship, yet occur every minute on a sit com.

And yet, I prefer sit coms to shows that care more about how people were murdered, then when that person was alive. I also prefer sit coms to shows that have guns, or car chases. I also like sit coms more than news because the news purposely avoids issues that would energize those in the middle politically.

I don't like reality television because it gives way too much self importance to people who are being paid not to work while fretting over the most trivial issues.

There is something going on with sitcoms that I find intriguing. I think there have been a lot of decent cancelled sit coms in the past few years that have been summarily cancelled due to low ratings, and more importantly, panic and desperation from the networks.

Did you know the two greatest sit coms of all time, Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond, were both almost cancelled due to low ratings after their first season? Paul Reiser's new sit com was recently cancelled AFTER TWO EPISODES!

It seems that shows with less violent, good guy types get the quick axe from the Networks. Paul Reiser, Gary Unmarried, Outsourced, probably had the nicest casts, were fun to watch, and were summarily axed well before their time.

I think the cable networks have spent so much time trying to compete with the networks that they are missing an excellent opportunity to raid cancelled network shows.

Apparently, sit coms with nice guy middle aged white men as leads or co leads just don't click with the twitter crowd, and that apparently is what is driving the networks'

decision making.

Which makes me wonder about payroll for the actors. I'm guessing that Paul Reiser must have been pulling down a million dollars an episode. If Reiser's ratings were so low that the show had to be pulled after two episodes, was Reiser's salary a factor in dumping the show so soon?

If I were Reiser, and NBC offered me a sit com with a guarantee of 13 episodes, and 100,000 dollar salary per episode, or a one million dollar a show salary, and no guarantee, I would take the 100,000 dollars an episode and try to build my show.

Really poor ratings means the networks have to charge less money to their advertisers, and so even saving 900,000 dollars per episode may not make a dent versus what the networks could charge per episode if the shows ratings were higher.

But there is a bigger issue here. Maybe it's ok to have a low rated television show that has potential to pick up steam specifically because that show could be used to offer advertisers "make goods", and to possibly lure new advertisers who can't afford to be on a hit show, but could afford to be on a lower rated show.

I'd rather have a show with low ratings and potential, and use those early on lower ratings to pull in new advertisers and appease unhappy ones as well, then simply focus on the ultra highest ratings for each and every show. At some point, if the show is pleasant and entertaining to watch, it will eventually find an audience.

Otherwise, expect more reality tv shows with trashy people gaining more traction as the networks continue their addiction to the worst demographic for knowing good programming when they see it, and ironically, who also have the least spendable cash.

But then again, it's not the amount of cash that youth spend that interests the networks, it's the debt they can create within our youth so that our banking interests can feed off of our youth's debt for the rest of their lives.

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World's most famous extra, Jesse Heiman, featured in Metro PCS commercial as Billy the Intern.

(Updated Feb. 06, 2013, Congratulations to Jesse Heiman, who appeared in a Go Daddy Super Bowl ad sloppy kissing Bar Refaeli, and who I've seen on a couple more commercials in just the past few days. 
Maybe in some meandering way this AlexLOGIC.com article from May 19th, 2011 helped in some ever so small way, end of update.)

Props to Jesse Heiman, the reigning "most famous extra on the planet". After being noticed for being in a lot of movies as a background extra and then some, a "fan" put together a demo reel of Jesse's exploits and put it on youtube. Jesse became a celebrity as a result of that demo video.

Most recently Jesse appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Jesse's fame has grown and now he's a featured extra on the "Billy the Intern" Metro PCS commercial. In this commercial, Billy is the one who ends up upside down. I hope they paid you well, Jesse.

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Cutest 2011 commercial on television, Susie's lemonade Stand Small Business Verizon Commercial.

Alex LOGIC commends the makers of Verizon's small business commercial, Susie's Lemoade Stand, for getting ALL of the video technical aspects perfect. The editing, sound mix, sound clarity of voice within the sound mix, the acting / directing, the casting, cinematography, all perfect.

The only thing I partially disagree with in the ad is the ending slogan, "The small business with the best technology, rules".

Maybe Verizon should make a one minute version of this ad and intercut "Jack's lemonade stand". Jack does everything that Susie does, but does not have the same success as Susie because his product is awful. (picture the three executives spitting out his drink).

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2012 Honda Civic Zombie commercial, kind of bad timing considering the nuclear reactor meltdowns, no?

Sometimes I wonder if my previous article will contain my last good consulting idea. but then the 2012 Honda Civic Zombie commercial comes along and I realize that after 150 Alex LOGIC consulting articles, the skies the limit when it comes to those who can still benefit from my consulting ideas.

The Honda Zombie commercial seems inappropriately timed to me. When I see Honda Zombies luxuriating in their Honda cars, I easily connect those zombies to the Japanese nuclear power plant meltdowns.

Nuclear plant meltdowns that are still being problem solved at this very moment.

I question the wisdom of Honda using zombies in their commercials when The Zombie Handbook for Dummies clearly states that zombies can be spawned from the aftermath of nuclear energy radioactive spills.

If Honda wanted to use zombies so badly, maybe the zombies should have been driving the competition's car, and not Honda's car.

Or, maybe it's just not the right time for zombies and Japanese cars, no matter what car the zombie is driving.

Although now that I think about it, the zombies punch dubbing each other might make a real funny volkswagen commercial.

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Hyundai Assurance Commercial, a good idea that is well written and beautifully voiced over by Jeff Bridges.

Awesome win by Hyundai with their new Assurance Commercial starring Jeff Bridges. It's well written, a great idea, and Jeff Bridges does a fantastic job with the voice over, hitting all the nuances so softly they have even more impact.

The consumer advocate in me does have one question however. Hyundai promises a certain value on a Hyundai trade in, but to get that trade in value, one must buy another Hyundai, no? Will Hyundai actually pay an assured amount in cash back if no new Hyundai car is purchased? (Alex LOGIC Alert, below is the type of ingenuity you can expect from Alex LOGIC consulting services)

Imagine the power of Jeff Bridge's voice saying in his laid back and ultra effective manner, ..."Cash back when you trade in your used Hyundai car even if you don't purchase another Hyundai". (the cash back amount does not have to be as much as the assurance value given on a trade in for a new Hyundai and the cash back could be limited to a certain age range for Hyundai cars, or not.)

And then there is the possible issue of Hyundai not offering as much of a price discount on a new Hyundai to a customer trading in a used Hyundai with the assurance trade in value, versus a first time Hyundai car buyer. Just sayin.

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MTV CEO NOT FIRED for airing Audrina, Made, and Mobster's Wives after historically devastating Tornados, but for disliking a show about all girl band!

Is it a good thing when ONE nine year old girl can raise more money than two well known television channels?

On April 28th, 2011, I wrote on my Wall Street Change blog that I found it pathetic that MTV continued to air their standard programming even after reports of the worst tornados in the United States in several decades, (later it was stated as the past 80 years).

How dare a station like MTV claim to be about more than music and reality tv programming, how dare MTV do stories about global responsibilities while MTV ignores tornados in america's heartland so severe that over 300 people died (and others are still missing). So when I read that the CEO of recently MTV resigned, I initially presumed it had something to with MTV's unwillingness to devote any of their daytime programming slots to the victims of the worst tornados in the past 80 years.

I was wrong. MTV kept broadcasting episodes of Audrina, Mobster's Wives, and Made right after the heartland of America had been devastated by dozens of killer tornados, yet this is not what made MTV CEO Judy McGrath resign her position.

McGrath resigned because she didn't like a new reality tv show about an all girl rock band that Sumner Redstone had pushed through. wow. Is not this the perfect example of unhinged narcissism courtesy of MTV, McGrath, and Redstone?

The CEO does not resign over lack of coverage of killer tornados that literally wiped rural cities off of the U.S. map, but CEO of MTV does resign over objections to a new reality television show.

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Free Screening of The Homeless Movies of Emmett Deemus in Venice, Calfornia, May 5th, 2011 starring Larry Hankin of Seinfeld and Friends Fame.

CLICK HERE TO ENLARGE EMMETT DEEMUS POSTER AND SCREENING INFORMATION.

Larry Hankin has appeared in both Friends and Seinfeld in roles that everybody remembers.

On Seinfeld, Hankin played the actor who was auditioning for the role of Kramer for the TV Pilot of the show that Jerry and George were writing for NBC, and who then stole George Costanza's raisins.

On Friends, Hankin played the irrascible neighbor, Mr. Heckles. In between acting gigs, Larry Hankin Produces and acts in his own films.

If you live in the Venice California area and are a Larry Hankin fan, you can see the premiere of The Homeless Movies of Emmett Deemus for free, May 5th, 2011, at the Talking Stick Coffee Lounge, 1411 Lincoln Blvd, Venice California, 8 pm.

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AT&T ski lift commercial one of the funniest all time commercials

(Updated January 24, 2018 to add 2 new links.)

Link to AT & T Ski Lift Commercial.

Is it fair to say that the AT&T ski lift commercial is one of the top ten funniest commercials of all time? The commercial is well written, edited and directed, and the sound quality is tremendous. The voice and acting of the bearded, forlorn boyfriend is excellent. Here is a short interview with Derek Reckley.

I don't know who the bearded actor is, but he reminds me of a combination John Belushi / Jack Black, but with a better voice. Even the barely heard off camera "Whaaaat" when his ex girlfriend begins sending his buddy rapid fire text messages is hilarious.

I really wouldn't change a thing about the commercial.

And yet, if I were hired as a video consultant for this commercial, there is a suggestion I would make that I think the agency and AT & T would love.

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2011 Genesis Awards to air on Animal Planet, Friday, April 30 at 7PM ET/PT and Saturday, May 01, 8am ET/PT.

The 25th Anniversary Genesis Awards TV Special will air on Animal Planet on April 30 at 7:00pm ET/PT and on May 1, at 8:00am ET/PT.

Click here to see a Video of the first 25 years of the Genesis Awards.

For more info about the Genesis Awards please click here.

You can facebook the 25th Genesis Awards here.

The Humane Society of the United States adopted the Genesis Awards a few years ago to ensure it's ongoing recognition to those who spotlight cruelty to animals and those who show animals in an empathetic light. The Genesis Award was founded by Gretchen Wyler.

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Clorox "Do it, Do it" commercial is kind of misguided.

The Clorox "Do it, Do it" commercial is a head scratcher to say the least. Many times the commercials that probably should never have made it to television, cannot be found on youtube.

Normally, youtube publicity for any commercial is good publicity, unless the commercial is obnoxious beyond belief, really really bad, or "misguided", in which case not being on Youtube is probably a good thing.

So it doesn't surprise me that Clorox's "Do it, Do it" Stain Remover, Color Improver commercial isn't on youtube. You can only find it here, so at some point, it might even disappear from the Clorox Media Center.

I can see the motivation for this commercial idea from the ad creators, "Lets just go for it, let the mom be the instigator, have the kid let it all hang out"!

And yet, seeing the kid slide down a grassy mountain just seems wrong to me. All it takes is for one sharp rock to gut the kid, and I guess then we'll really see how well clorox can get rid of stains, blood stains.

Mom's gyrations looks like they came out of a Dr. Seuss book and I felt like I was about to enter a dark Tim Burton movie. I think the commercial is a litigious time bomb waiting to go off, but I understand the desire to try and take a product like clorox and think outside of the box, I just don't think the "Do it, Do it" commercial was a wise path to take.

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AlexLOGIC coins the term "Elegant Advertising", possibly the next wave in internet advertising.

I read an article on Techland about GIF photo animations that gently animate actual portions of a photo image. The link above and example link given within that Techland article are very impressive. (hopefully Techland will keep the article active for a long long time).

So I think we are now one step away from "elegant advertising".

Start with an elegant photo displayed with GIF animations. The viewer can either admire the photo as is, or, AlexLOGIC suggest the next step would be the viewer has the option to scroll over the image and various advertising offers pop-up that relate to the images within the photo.

Elegance is choice, the viewer can simply enjoy the picture and subtle animation as is, or, if something within the picture draws their attention, they can scroll over it and find out more about it, such as where it can be purchased from and how much. While the scroll over an image technique probably already exists in many forms, combining it within a photo GIF animation creates an elegant advertising alternative to what presently exists.

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How the NCAA can help their own student athletes not violate the rules that lead to ugly suspensions, fines, and other sanctions against their school.

One of the biggest problems I have with the NCAA punishing schools for their athletes mistakes is many times it is other athletes who did nothing wrong that get punished years after the infraction actually happened.

While the counter argument to this point may be "But innocent athletes from other programs were punished as well because they may have lost to a team because players who should not have been playing, were playing". I find that argument somewhat weak, and irrelevant to finding a solution on how to reduce overall infractions.

The solution for the NCAA to reduce the possibility of an athlete violating their rules almost pains me to suggest here on my AlexLOGIC blog when I should have been paid a million dollars for this idea.

Here is the idea, and if the NCAA implements this idea, I want my million dollar consulting fee.

All NCAA athletes are assigned a pre-paid debit card and can only make their purchases with that card.

There are no doubt hundreds of nuances and situations that may arise where the above idea would need to have exceptions, but the basic concept is solid. If a student can only make a purchase through an NCAA sanctioned pre-paid debit card, all financial transactions can be monitored, and purchases considered outside of NCAA sanctions can simply be rejected, saving the athlete from making an incorrect or uninformed decision.

While the invasion of privacy these athletes will endure should be of concern to civil rights groups, protecting the athletes from making a dumb mistake that then adversely affects the lives of a great many others is the mirror that too often is overlooked.

Additionally, this could finally allow college athletes to actually receive REASONABLE stipends for their day to day living expenses.

I think there is a broad enough line that can be painted in which college athletes can receive a stipend for living expenses that allows them to spend more time studying for their classes and working out for the sports team that has already granted them some type of scholarship to begin with.

Many Parents are struggling nowadays and how painful it might be to find out their son or daughter may lose a scholarship because they accepted a T-shirt for an autograph, or a free meal in exchange for having their picture taken eating the free meal. How painful might it be for the parents to lose a 50,000 dollar scholarship because they cannot come up with 5,000 dollars for their athletes day to day expenses. An NCAA pre-paid debit card can solve these types of problems.

What I also like about the pre-paid credit card idea is that it will create jobs. It will take hundreds of people, maybe thousands of people, to effectively create the guidelines and then monitor a program like this. Isn't it time we start spending money creating jobs that help young athletes live within reasonable means before those athletes resort to doing something rather petty just to make a few bucks or get a simple perk like food or a tattoo?

I presume that the NCAA takes in BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS of dollars on an annual basis, isn't it time they not squeeze the very athletes and the athletes family that they owe their riches to?

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Most Annoying Commercial of 2011, Totino's Pizza Rolls, "Kids In America", and it's not the girls' fault either.

I think it's relatively safe to say that this is one of the worst commercials ever made, but please don't blame the girls, it's really not their fault.

I haven't checked the back of the box for the nutritional information label for Totino's pizza rolls food product, but I have noticed that some of these types of frozen pizza's have really high salt content. Was this possibly a purposely made bad commercial to keep kids away from another salty food product?

Are the creators of this really bad Totino's commercial secret heroes warning us about a really salty food product?

Or is it just a bad food commercial?

I would have made one simple suggestion that might have saved this commercial. However, this is one of those instances where I would only suggest the "fix" to the actual manufacturer and agency as a consultant.


Check out AlexLOGIC's best and worst commercials of 2011.

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Techland with the conundrum of the Day, would you pay $20.00 per month for Google's Web-Only Laptop?

Techland with the conundrum of the Day, would you pay $20.00 per month for Google's Web-Only Laptop? Many times it's more important to just repeat an excellent article question posed by others, that's actually called "curation", and the internet tends to be a vast wasteland of non curation right now when it comes to non political curation.

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