Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
We’re not overlooking Thanksgiving, right? Riiiiiight!? But in Zales’ defense, Thanksgiving isn’t a big jewelry swapping holiday so I guess they get a pass on their latest ad debuting in the second week of November. Also, it’s probably a good idea to give guys a lot of time to pick up something for their significant other. Aww who are we kidding, *stereotype forthcoming* they should just air the commercial December 24th so husbands and boyfriends can rush out last minute like every other year.
Men on Christmas Eve
Do you recognize the song from a commercial airing during the holidays last year? If you guessed the Amazon llama commercial you would be correct! Watch the Zales holiday ad then scroll down for more…
The Song. You might be surprised that this song isn’t called “Mamacita” …although that’s the part that’ll get stuck in your head all day. It’s by a young singer named Augie Rios and the title is “Dónde Está Santa Claus.” Here’s the full track from 1958.
Winner? Comment below with who used the song better, Amazon or Zales. I don’t want to influence your decision but dancing llamas, come on! I’m not sure anything beats groovy wildlife. But if you like beautiful people modeling expensive jewelry, go ahead and pick the Zales ad, it’s fine… you’re just dead to me.
A friend of mine asked me if I knew of any Thanksgiving movies. He brought up Planes, Trains, and Automobiles but neither of us could think of any others. Thanksgiving is often overshadowed by Christmas– just go to your local Walmart and I betcha there are Christmas decorations up already. Soon enough there will be Boy Scouts selling Christmas trees, Hallmark Channel movies every night, and lights up on your neighbor’s house (if they ever even took them down???). Thankfully, brands don’t skip past Thanksgiving when they’re putting commercials together, though. This season Hobby Lobby is airing a really sweet commercial featuring a daughter mimicking her father in the kitchen. Take a look…
People are noticing the wholesomeness of the ad. There’s a dad. There’s a mom. There’s a daughter. All three are the same race. It’s so old-fashioned and traditional especially when a lot of what we see is every race, gender, and age packed into a 30 second commercial.
I’m just a childless dog guy but I’ve noticed with my nieces and nephews (and kids, in general) that children like to imitate their parents doing chores and tasks adults do– like my nephew with his toy lawn mower as my brother mowed their yard. Or growing up, my sister had a calculator with a printer and she’d pretend to be a cashier at a grocery store. This Hobby Lobby commercial shines a spotlight on that innocent joy. Great commercial and I hope you’re able to be with people you love this holiday (Thanksgiving) season!
Amazon’s done it again. In 2023 they had a heartwarming commercial featuring adventurous grandmothers. This year they went with one of my secret dreams… to be a good singer. The short story is this: A theater janitor has a past where he performed as a singer. But that was a lifetime ago. We catch up with him now cleaning a beautiful theater, still softly singing as he does his duties. A few coworkers hear his unexpected talent and decide to put the spotlight on him as a surprise… with the help of Amazon, of course. Take a look then scroll down for more about the ad and those who appear in it.
The Singing Janitor. The actor’s name is Dimiter Marinov (Instagram @dimiter_d_marinov). Check out his website where the first line of his bio is already impressive… Dimiter Marinov is a Bulgarian-American actor, acting coach and a classical violinist. He resides in the US since 1990. So Amazon shows a great singer getting his next moment AND the actor is a talented violinist? They’re just kicking dirt in my face, aren’t they? How did they know I was almost a world-renowned classical violinist but in 4th grade, I decided to play the trumpet instead? Toot toot.
But seriously, congrats to Mr. Marinov for the starring role and kudos on an impressive job acting where the only words spoken were through body language and song. That can’t be easy. His credits on IMDb are too long to list so obviously he’s got a good thing going.
The Cast. Dimiter’s not the only one to make this ad a success, though. Appearing in an Amazon commercial is an admirable achievement because of the quality of the ads, the viewer engagement, and to just say it simply, the ads are almost always great cinema and storytelling. This one included a handful of talented actors playing key roles, one of which was performed by actor Jamal Akakpo (@JamalAkakpo). He played the part of theater staffer overlooking the janitor in the stairwell and then the climactic moment which began when he and his coworker lifted the tuxedo coat out of the Amazon box.
Jamal had this to say about his experience:
…it was a great set to be a part of. Amazon was great, they had a phenomenal creative idea and we were just lucky to help them bring it to life. I thought the message was amazing. It’s what we need right now in the world.
Amen, brother!
Haven’t we all had that sweet coworker who just seems to know what to do at the right time? In this case it’s a clever woman who ordered the tuxedo jacket and put together the private performance for theater staff. That employee (pictured above, on the right) was played by actress Terry Dexter (@TerryDexter). She describes herself as a singer/songwriter, actor/story teller, and an animal loving cat rescuer. Check her out on Spotify below. Apparently she had a great time on set working with cast and crew, this from her Instagram: I’m super honored to be a part. My heart is overflowing with love and gratitude.
She goes on to thank the folks she worked with so click here for a list of the other talented people who helped make this commercial so memorable. And give them all a follow on Instagram while you’re at it!
But Wait, There’s More! It all starts with a song and this one is from the mid-1960s. “What The World Needs Now Is Love” was originally performed by Jackie DeShannon with lyrics by Hal David and music composed by Burt Bacharach.
The ad was directed by Wayne McClammy (who’s also the genius behind this GEICO horror/comedy commercial). Companies put a lot of effort into holiday commercials, Christmas especially, and I think this commercial is airing at the right time in world, and American, history.
Can’t we all use a little more love, kindness, and free returns?
Remember when California ran out of Uhauls? It’s about to be like that times a thousand. I found this clip of an employee over at Two Men and a Truck clocking in this morning.
Here’s the team at Mayflower once Pennsylvania was called for Trump.
So many celebrities promised to move out of the country (or were they just being manipulative… like a spouse who constantly threatens their partner if they don’t get their way?). Such a healthy relationship we have with Hollywood, huh? Well, as it turns out… Americans have had…
“If you’re gonna leave, just do it!” Which is what anyone in an unhealthy relationship SHOULD say. Donald Trump will be the next President (again) and now we get to see if these toxic celebrities will put their money where their mouth is. We know they won’t, but it’s fun to pretend. Thanks to @TrumpVVon for this list of immature famous people…
Alec Baldwin Whoopi Goldberg John Legend Chrissy Teigen Rob Reiner Barbara Streisand Cher Nancy Pelosi Hillary Clinton Megan Rapinoe Tom Hanks Amy Schumer AOC Lady Gaga Taylor Swift Bill Gates Jane Fonda Madonna Mark Ruffalo Kim Kardashian Bruce Springsteen George Clooney Hunter Biden Oprah Robert De Niro Samuel L Jackson Miley Cyrus Travis Kelce Bobbi Althoff Rashida Talib Stormy Daniels Dr. Anthony Fauci George Soros Diddy Eminem Ellen DeGeneres Sean Penn Sharon Stone Ashley Judd Tommy Lee Bryan Cranston Billie Joe Armstrong
Ta-ta! Let us know where you end up. Or you know, don’t.
Target throws their stocking into the holidays with a new ad featuring a new take on an old song. Can you guess where the original is from? Check out the commercial then scroll down for more…
The Song. This is a song called “Pure Imagination” and it’s performed by Griff (Instagram @wiffygriffy). Griff is a musician from Britain and has two albums under her belt, even at the age of 23. Awesome! Here’s a longer version of what you heard in the ad.
The OG. The original version of this song was performed by Gene Wilder for the movie Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. Here’s the song from 1971.
How does this ad make you feel? Are you someone who buys all their Christmas gifts early or do you wait till December 24th, rushing over the Walgreens for whatever they have on the shelves?
Out of the Wilderness 