That Is So You – The Buick Commercials

You’re reading my blog posts every day at 1pm central? That is so you. There’s a blog that fits your life because at the heart of every post is… interesting information? OK, I’m reaching here… and totally stealing lines from this Buick commercial. Watch it, then scroll down for more thoughts…

In fact, I DO post every day at 1pm central and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write about these Buick “So You” commercials. At first, they sort of just came and went and I didn’t think much of them. But now every time I see or hear them, I cringe. I think it’s the soccer guy and how he says, “That is SO you” that ticks me right off. It’s icky, as the kids say. The way each person in the made-up situations says “that’s so you” bugs the heck out of me. Not to mention, each scenario presents personality flaws of the drivers. The first driver is such a bad driver, he can’t even parallel park. The next guy can’t get anywhere without help from navigation, and his woman adores him for it. The last driver is not just late, she’s pulling up to the soccer game as the starting whistle is blown! Talk about blowing it. That soccer team has no chance of winning.

With that said, I do like the “head-up” display. Does that make me as lame as this commercial? Am I being too critical of the commercial script, or does the dialogue bother you, too?

You’re about to let me know your thoughts in the comments? That’s so you!

-Out of the Wilderness

Budweiser Folds of Honor Commercial Rings Hollow

I caught this commercial yesterday and couldn’t help but notice how empty it felt. Take a look at a new commercial from Budweiser celebrating scholarships for families trying to get a higher education.

If there was no Dylan Mulvaney blunder, this ad would be heartwarming, but as it is now, every single Budweiser/Bud Light ad seems desperate. If Bud Light were a person, I feel sorry for them but since it’s a company and company’s don’t have feelings, it’s just plain comedy at this point. Gone are the days where Budweiser puts ads out like the one below and it actually has a positive effect.

Budweiser seems to be unwilling to try the most simplest of things to get their name in good standing again with the customers they once had: apologize.

-Out of the Wilderness

The amazing Cloudland Canyon State Park – part 1

I’ve heard good things about Providence Canyon State Park in central Georgia but guess what? RV camping isn’t offered there so as much as I’d love to spend a few days exploring, I had to look elsewhere for part of my trip heading north from Florida to Nashville. I’m so glad I found Cloudland Canyon State Park on the northern border of Georgia, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Chattanooga, TN. Folks, it’s a not-so-hidden gem!

The views alone are worth checking this park out but along with that there are waterfalls, great hiking (and by great, I should instead say steep, rooty, and rocky!), and *ahem* it has trailer campsites.

As I was hiking around the West Rim Loop, I was so impressed with how well the hiking path is set up and marked. I thought about the men and women who must have put in a million hours to make the park easy for visitors to navigate. They’ve got trail markers, signs, and hundreds of steps (down to… or up from?… the pretty waterfalls) that are just so impressive. Thank you to all those people who put in such effort to make this a top notch park. Here’s a sneak peak at a few pictures I took while camping… to see more check out my portfolio of images here. I’ll be posting again tomorrow with a few more pics because one post just doesn’t do the park justice!

If you have the chance, definitely visit Cloudland State Park, you won’t be disappointed. See you all tomorrow and if you’re itching for more camping stories, take a look at my Camping Stories for everything from hiking in Texas to snorkeling in the Florida keys.

-Out of the Wilderness

The Heineken Viking Commercial – I Think I’ve Had Enough

Hello all of you commercial watchers! I guess you’re here because you’ve seen the funny Heineken Viking commercial featuring a viking dad, his daughter, and his daughters boyfriend. You might have thought to yourself as the commercial plays, “I feel like I’ve seen this before.” It’s like deja vú all over again, right? Well, you’re not wrong… the commercial is airing A LOT. Either it’s airing too often or I’m watching too much TV but I’ve just about had enough of the commercial. For using the slogan “No Bitter Endings,” they’re sure starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth with how much the commercial pops up on TV.

I definitely laughed the first few times I watched the commercial. How quickly the viking dad goes from tough, bitter guy to letting by-gone’s be by-gone’s is funny. But as much as I love repetition as a form of humor, this ad airing over and over and over is a classic case of overkill, as explained in this post. Heineken came up with a clever idea. I’m sure we all agree on that. But too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Now I get annoyed when the ad comes on, much like viewers felt when Amazon was airing their woman with a mustache commercial too frequently.

On a totally unrelated note, the viking dad reminds me a lot of Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Great movie that, in my opinion, doesn’t air nearly enough on TV, unlike the Heineken commercial. 🙃

RIP Mr. Rickman! The Heineken ad would be total gold if you were the bitter father. How do you viewers feel about the frequency of the commercial? Has it run its course, and if so, why is it still airing? Let me know in the comments!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Hyundai Tucson Lion King Commercial – Cats, Canyons, and a King

Hakuna Matata means “no worries,” and that’s the idea behind Hyundai’s new commercial for the 2023 Tucson. Also, the song’s going to be stuck in your head for the rest of your days, my bad. Here’s the commercial, then scroll down for more…

The Music. Obviously the song is from The Lion King, one of Disney’s best animated movies. If the song isn’t already playing on repeat in your mind, here’s the full track. Hey, at least it’s not “Let It Go,” right?

Disney Again. Perhaps the Tucson ad featuring the Disney song is setting the stage for another big reveal from Hyundai. Apparently they’re introducing a new SUV named after a Lion King character… it’s the Hyundai Mufasa (which means “king” in Disney language).

Will the SUV survive or go plunging off a cliff for an early discontinuation? Time will tell but for now, be on the lookout for the king to make its grand entrance while you go out and test drive the 2023 Tucson. Evidently it’s a problem-free SUV.

The Canyons. The final clip in the ad shows the family driving their Tucson through beautiful canyons so I’ll leave you with some photos of my own from camping in top-notch Cloudland State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia.

-Out of the Wilderness