The 2025 John Lewis Christmas Commercial – A 1990s Song Reimagined

I’ll listen to a Christmas song no matter what time of year it is. That’s probably why I have no problem with stores setting up Christmas decor in October. It’s why I’m a little more cheery when I start seeing holiday commercials on TV. And to be technically accurate, I haven’t ever seen this John Lewis ad on TV because I live in the United States and we don’t have John Lewis stores here. Anyone know what these stores are like? The best I can find is a summary from AI… There is no single direct equivalent for John Lewis in the USA, but a combination of retailers like Nordstrom or Macy’s for high-end department store offerings, and Target for a broader mix of home goods, clothing, and a limited grocery section.

I don’t know what it’s like to shop at John Lewis, but I can still appreciate a good commercial when I see one. Check out their new holiday ad then scroll down for more…

The Song. The ad orbits around a song called “Where the Love Lives” by Alison Limerick, released in 1990. But it’s not just her original version in the commercial. Here’s the full track, and then the updated cover by a well-known current artist…

He said, “To think a boy like me from east london hackney, who grew up watching this iconic advert would one day reimagine a classic and compose a piece of music for John Lewis’s forward thinking direction is a big deal for me.” Here’s the reimagined version of the song by Labrinth.

How soon is it OK to put up Christmas lights? Are you a before-Thanksgiving person? Or nothing is appropriate until the day after? Either way… Happy holidays from the United States!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Progressive AI Commercial – Flo is a Llama Now?

Sometimes I catch myself saying that something is cheap when I really mean it’s inexpensive. One difference is that the word cheap has a connotation: low quality. It’s like saying someone is nice when what you actually mean is that they’re kind. There’s a difference. Progressive is known for funny commercials with a cast of characters like Flo and Dr. Rick. In a sideways move that has viewers bewildered, Progressive has now entered the growing brands who use Artificial Intelligence for animation. Here’s their recent ad featuring the familiar voice of Flo but she’s not Flo. She’s a talking llama. Because why not? 😵‍💫

There’s nothing artificial about the comments directed at the ad. People are just plain not having it. The phrase AI slop is being thrown around. Other descriptors like soul less, terrible, garbage, the beginning of the end. One person commented how bad the animal effects are, reminding readers that animation was better decades ago. These fans are simply pointing out the adage Dr. Rick might tell people trying to not become their parents: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to.

AI has come a long way in a short time and I suppose this was Progressive’s attempt to put something together worthy of being on TV without the usual high price tag. They might have checked one box: inexpensive. Unfortunately, the ad also looks cheap.

-Out of the Wilderness

The NFL Six Seven Commercial – But Still No Clarification!

At this point most of us should know what six seven means, right? ……….RIGHT??? Then why doesn’t anyone know what it means? Maybe we can just chalk it up to “something kids do for no apparent reason.” The NFL is now in on it, too. Of course, this commercial does nothing to clarify what it means or how it caught on.

Someone somewhere likes this commercial not in spite of the six seven theme, but BECAUSE of it. And to that person, I say you’re special. And if that person is reading this post, comment below with what it all means. Someone somewhere (not me) is dying to know! The odd phrase must be nearing an end because parents are saying it, TV news people say it, now the NFL is using it. It’s 15 minutes are almost up… hopefully.

-Out of the Wilderness

Coke is back with another AI Christmas commercial

Coca-Cola, the gift that keeps on giving. Last year Coke unveiled a brand new Artificial Intelligence commercial that left viewers bewildered, upset, and NOT full of holiday cheer. You might think they’d sift out what didn’t work and design it better for the 2025 holiday season. But you’d be wrong. Here’s the new gift no one asked for…

Just in the last few months (with companies like OpenAI and their Sora 2 program), AI has wildly improved. And yet somehow I think last year’s Coke Christmas commercial iss better than this year’s. Bizarre (possibly tone-deaf) stuff coming from Coca-Cola, that’s for sure. But in an attempt to endear themselves to us even more this holiday season, Coke recently released a behind-the-scenes “making of the ad” and it’s just making things worse, a feat no one thought possible.

The best part about the ad is the music. Actually, that’s the only good part about the ad. I thought about mentioning the cute wildlife but then I thought about it for half a second more. Why are they all smiling at semi tractor-trailers that have probably killed someone they know? Yes, I’m looking at you squirrels. You just know there are dozens of squirrels that are ILJD* because of those trucks driving by. You’re not alone, squirrel friends. Everyone who watches this ad is lit just decomposing in real time about the lack of social awareness coming from Coke.

*ILJD= I Lit Just Decomposed ☠️

-Out of the Wilderness

I have a DUPR rating! But what does that even mean?

If you would’ve asked me just a few months ago what a DUPR rating is, I would’ve probably tried to be inventive. It’s the hurricane strength level of a house. The probability of an online dating profile getting a date. How brown a banana is. Nope, none of those. It’s a pickleball player’s rank in the world of, well, pickleball! And now I have one. I played a doubles tournament with my sister who is a super DUPR (I made that up, although it might be real, I have no idea), and we got a lot of points, some that lead to winning games.

DUPR stands for Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating. It’s based on opponents rating, wins/losses, and points scored. Even though my sister and I lost more games than we won, in all but one game we had at least 10 points (in games up to 11). So we had a great time and she, her husband (my brother-in-law), and I are starting to check out which tournaments we can sign up for in the north Florida area.

This is not going to take the place of triathlons for me but it’s definitely something fun to compete in. The paddle I used for the first time (Bison Paddles) is great. It came with edge guard and weight stickers, both helping to customize my paddle to my liking.

What’s your pickleball experience? Comment below with your DUPR score and what you enjoy most about pickleball.

-Out of the Wilderness