Freshpet Two Men and a Dog – The Commercial

Earlier in 2023, Freshpet had a great commercial where a couple was about to enjoy dinner together until the woman dared to call the dog food, dog food. It’s not dog food, woman! It’s food the dog eats! Get it right. Here’s a recap of that commercial. In their next ad, Freshpet takes a look at two bros hanging out. Take a look to find out if the friend suffers the same fate as the red-headed woman…

First thought, nice man cave! Sure, it’s a garage but it’s got a fridge, a motorcycle, a dog, dumbbells, a TV. What else do men really want, ya know? I’m a little confused why the dog food Freshpet is in the garage refrigerator but I suppose it’s not worth fighting that fight. It’s a commercial and we’re not supposed to look too far into it. But if he’s feeding this dog twice, it’s very inconvenient to have to go out to the garage every time to get the food. And if this guy is in the garage enough to feed the dog there every meal, what’s going on in the house? Every time I rewatch the ad, it just leads to more questions.

Why are they in the garage?

Are they watching college or NFL?

If the friend is bad luck, why invite him over at all?

Why is the white guy always the dumb one in commercials?

What kind of motorcycle is that?

They’re drinking canned drinks, so why did he has for a refill?

Why is the guy smiling after his team made a bad play? Note to advertisers: too much smiling is creepy. (See: this Publix commercial)

With all that being said, I like this commercial. Anyone who downplays the important of dogs and how awesome they are, they can kick rocks! Plus, the editing at the end is something I appreciate.

What do you think about the commercial? Is there anything you would’ve done different?

-Out of the Wilderness

Peloton Show Up Show Out Commercial – The Music and the Irritating Platitudes

Hello there and because you’re reading this, you must be just like me and cringe every time a Peloton commercial comes on. Like, seriously being annoyed by just a 30-second or minute-long commercial. The good news is that this time, they don’t show anyone twerking and they aren’t being sexist towards women (remember the commercial where a husband bought his wife a Peloton bike for Christmas and the internet went berserk?)… but instead, Peloton’s mashed together a bunch of annoying platitudes like they tend to do. Take a look then scroll down for more…

Shots, Shots, Shots. If this was a drinking game and you had to take a shot every time they said some stupid phrase, you’d be drunk before the next commercial started. Guess what Peloton, I don’t need a motivational instructor to help me through a workout, I need one to help me make it through your commercials.

The Music. The track in this ad is called “Tambourine” by Eve. Here’s the full song from 2008…

One Is the Loneliest Number. Am I alone here? What is it that bothers us (or just me) about these generic, impersonal platitudes? Honestly, I prefer a bicycle I can ride outdoors (like my new Trek) but I totally get it in winter or when it’s snowing/cold/rainy/dark/unsafe that a stationary bike is really beneficial. Ok, Ok, It’s almost holiday season and I want to be on Santa’s nice list so if I had to find something positive to say about the Peloton ads… at least they’re not longer than a minute. Does that sound mean? Well, fine then, I’m naughty and I’ll never be what Coca-Cola wants me to be.

Bah humbug.

-Out of the Wilderness

The Amazon Grandmas Sledding Commercial – The Music, the Butt Pillows, and More

Amazon is no stranger to holiday advertising. One of last year’s best Christmas commercials came from Amazon, in fact. Do you remember this one featuring a dad, a daughter, and a snow globe? For 2023, they’ve kept the spirit of joy alive in a heartwarming commercial showing the playfulness of 3 older women. Check it out then scroll down for more info…

The Music. It would be hard to know this just by listening but the song is “In My Life” by The Beatles. Of course, it’s a piano instrumental cover and I learned that it was performed by Spanish neo-classical artist Nico Casal. Campaign Asia-Pacific has quite a bit of good info about the ad and the ideas behind it, check out their article here. Meanwhile, here’s the Beatles performing the song from back in 1965.

The Equipment. The adventurous ladies take part in the sledding, and I fully support that, no matter your age! Speaking of support, the women have some products to make their ride a little more safe and a little less uncomfortable, an idea I also fully endorse. How many times have you had a little pain in the tush from sitting too long or just sitting in a chair that’s not comfortable at all? Check out this butt pillow on Amazon.

Of course, you’re not going to get far down a snowy slope without a toboggan. Amazon has those, too.

Lastly, you gotta protect your noggin on the toboggan! These ladies are wise to put on helmets before their great descent. There are plenty of snowboard style helmets on Amazon, find the one you like here.

I think Amazon sleds into the top spot with this commercial. It’s sentimental, funny, and the actresses knocked it out of the park with style. I’m thinking of the woman’s head nod after giving the tush cushions to her friends. She’s got an idea, and the head nod says it all. I also love the kids watching as the ladies sled down the hill. It’s a look of awe, respect, and disbelief. 🤪

I can’t help but root for these sweet women. The moment they start going down the hill is a great reminder that joy can be found at any age. That’s probably why Amazon titled the ad, “Joy Ride.” Just be careful, don’t want any broken bones from too much joy! 😉

-Out of the Wilderness

Republican Debate – The One Where Ramaswamy Never Takes His Foot Off the Gas

Vivek Ramaswamy lit into the Republican Party and national media in his opening statement for the 3rd Republican debate this week. In other words, he started out in 5th gear and never took his foot off the gas. If he didn’t have your attention before last night’s debate, I bet he does now. I particularly like most of his stances on national matters and very much appreciate his forthrightness. Is he probably still a little too young for the presidency? I think so. But he might be the disruption conservatives need to get their head in the freakin’ game.

I think all the folks on stage did fine in the debate last night. Chris Christie has done well to change my opinion of him. I used to not like him a whole lot. Nikki Haley clearly let Vivek rattle her, even saying under her breath, “You’re just scum,” when Vivek brought up TikTok matters. DeSantis was strong, as expected. He won’t be anyone’s vice president. Tim Scott is so genuine and I like him, except for his national abortion ban stance. He’s not going to win over any new voters with a strict government mandate. People are sick of that (see: Covid mask mandates).

The winner of the debate was clearly Ramaswamy and I think he’d make a great VP for Trump because let’s face it, this is just a tryout for vice president. Although, Trump might not pick anyone from these potential candidates, which means these debates are just a huge waste of time. The next one is December 6th in Alabama.

-Out of the Wilderness

Apple Watch Series 9 Commercial – The Music and the Dumb Double Tap

Apple has released the Apple Watch Series 9 and along with it, a commercial or two showing off its features. Hello, I’m Ben. I love my Apple MacBook Pro. Beyond that, anything Apple related is a hard “no” for me.

Apple has definitely gained a reputation of being hip, cool, chic. That’s probably why I resist being part of their universe as much as possible. Their latest commercial for the watch pushes me further away than I even thought possible. Take a look at the ad…

The Music. The song playing throughout this commercial is “Ya Ya Power” by KingupingU. Here’s the full track as released in 2021…

Think Again. If Apple wants me to walk around double tapping my fingers to end phone calls or set alarms, the joke’s on them, I don’t do phone calls. I don’t do alarms, either. OK, fine, the technology is cool (if it works). But I will not be seen pinching my fingers together like an idiot.

I’ll be happily sticking with my Garmin watches, which are much better suited for my lifestyle. I have the VívoActive HR and the Forerunner 245 Music and I love them both. And to be totally honest, I love my MacBook Pro, too. I do so much work on it and can’t imagine trying any other laptop. But if I can steal a line from a great 90s rap song…

We’re not against rap Apple products. We’re not against rappers Apple. But we are against those thugs the entitled Apple fanbase.

-Out of the Wilderness