I was going to write about these two ads separately but it seems my feelings for the Powerade ads matches the mixed reviews for the Liberty Mutual ads. Before we get into it, here are both commercials.
Powerade. When I first saw one of these ads (because there are a series of ads in the campaign), I was immediately confused. Why, you ask? As you see in the ad above, a purchaser of the drink is advised to buy the bottle with your number on it. The message: this drink gives the wearer of that number power to win. But the commercials I watched on TV had a completely different message. Those ads recommended buying drinks with the number of your opponent on it. The message: This drink gives you the power to overcome the wearer of that number.
It’s odd that I can’t find any of those ads, did they take them down? Now the only ads I can find online promote the message of buying the bottle that has your number on it. Mixed messages make for a messy ad campaign, Powerade.
Is this series of ads too specific? What if a middle-aged woman, with no jersey number, wants to buy a Powerade simply because she likes the flavor? Or a dad wants to buy one with his child’s number on it but that number isn’t in supermarket cooler?
Liberty Mutual. Liberty has a series of ads at this location, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Some are funny. Most are just outright hilarious, and that seems to be a trend with insurance ads these days. Just take a look at any ad from GEICO or Progressive. This “wet teddy bear” ad leans more towards odd and outrageous which some people will appreciate. Others, though, not so much. Is there a punchline? No. The humor is meant to be in the random use of teddy bears doused with water.
Did you laugh at this one? Or just think it was an attempt at humor that missed the mark? More importantly, would you buy a wet teddy bear if you were hungry enough?
Thanks for stopping by!
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 
UNLIKE GILLETTES PUBIC HAIR RAZOR TV AD (JUST PLAIN DISGUSTING)LIBERTY INSURANCE HAS A CLEANER WAY OF GETTING THEIR POINT ACROSS, I ENJOY SEEING CLEAN COMMERCIALS BECAUSE AMERICA HAS ENOUGH RAUNCHY TV ADDS !!!!!
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I’ve never seen any Powerade commercials, but I don’t get the one in your article. Seems like the standard “Buy our terrible, unhealthy, useless product, because our commercials our loud & full of action, color, & big name celebrities” type. I have no idea why some people buy into that type of crap.
But I love the “wet Teddy bear” commercial. I don’t care about the company, just the commercial. The concept, in & of itself, isn’t funny. It’s really just stupid. But, I love it, & could watch it a hundred times in a row, without getting sick of it. What makes it work for me is Ludwig Manukian’s performance as the vendor. He’s hilarious. I bet he could play any part well. If I did casting, I’d hire him for just about anything.
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Yes he is funny…and I think he is the same one who does the ad by the food stand and says, “I just said that.” It’s funny.
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