I’m sure there was a relatively recent UK product that had an ad with the concept “Yes, the name sucks, but the product is good”, but I can’t remember what it was.
You have to wonder if these things are mini-rebellions by the ad agency, who want to make it clear that they didn’t choose the name.
“With a name like Smuckers, it HAS to be good.” ? Still my favorite jam. Here in the Great White North they only changed the label to remove that within the past year or so. Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe it.
(I’m having complete comment board fail here, I have no idea where this comment is coming out in the thread of comments.)
I’ll be wondering about this all day if I don’t ask … casimir, what is the obscure cultural reference? Just the existence of Zagnuts (which does not seem obscure to me) or something more I’m completely missing?
BRGR, does the commercial get extra points for trying to blame the name of a product from the 1930s on a computer?
Tryin to blame a computer in such a ridiculous and transparent fashion is what I take umbrage with most.
“Electronic brains” have been the bad guys in human fiction ever since The Golem of Prague (or Minsk). Things like these just propagate unrealistic perceptions of how computers work and what we actually do.
Computers are fundamentally not human, unless programmed to be so. Computers are fundamentally logical, but not necessarily in the way humans colloquially refer to as logic. In matters of creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, computers are just now beginning to catch up to humans. (Although rigirous analysis of data often yields results that are surprising and sometimes unimaginable to humans. Hence the term “magic” for simple engineering in medieval times.)
Hey, it’s Bill Idelson from The Dick Van Dyke Show and Frank Nelson from, well, every movie, radio program and TV show from the 1930s through the 1960s. I never saw the ad, but the actors bring back memories.
The voice over at the end was by Stan Freberg. He did voice over work for Warner Brothers cartoons, most famously Pete Puma. He went on to do novelty records for radio, and eventually fell into advertising. He was known for screwball, sarcastic, self-depreciating ads. The best example is a series of ads he on pitted prunes for Sunsweet with the tag line “Today, the pits; tomorrow, the wrinkles. Sunsweet marches on!”‘
As soon as the commercial started, I thought, “This seems like a Freberg ad.” It just had his sense of comedy.
He also had one of the last commercial network radio comedy series made. His series was picked to replace… the Jack Benny show? I’d have to look it up. Anyway, it didn’t last long because they never got a sponsor. Instead, they had mock ads (much like Garrison Keillor’s Powdered Milk ads on his NPR show, but funny). Now that I think about it, his sense of humor in his fake ads may have had something to do with never getting a sponsor…
You’re right, of course. I taught broadcasting history at the University of Kansas, and part of my curriculum included early heroes like Stan Freberg. I can’t believe I didn’t know this ad.
What with the references in Beetlejuice and Narbonic, it never occurred to me before today that there was anything unusual or obscure about Zagnut bars.
… Come to think of it, it’s also never occurred to me (until now) to notice that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Zagnut bar in real life, much less eaten one. I should fix that.
Okay, admit it, this entire storyline is one big excuse to give a bunch of characters we haven’t seen for a bit more screen time. Not that I’m complaining.
Sorry about that guys, but it’s me, Robert Nowall, and I haven’t been able to post since Saturday. I told Jeff about this. Looks like whatever’s cutting me off is somehow associated with my info; I just changed it to see if it worked.
Since I was shut out yesterday, and since I *did* write a song parody, and since there’s always a chance someone’s interested, here it is:
Who can wear a costume,
Purple-orange, too,
Buckle gold and belt a shade of brilliant cobalt-blue?
The Funky Man!
Oh, yeah, the Funky Man can!
The Funky Man can ‘cause his own irradiator means a job so good.
Who knows there’s a contest,
Down at Annex One,
Stoned out of his gourd and thinking everything is fun?
The Funky Man!
Oh, yeah, the Funky Man can!
The Funky Man can ‘cause his own irradiator means a job so good.
The Funky Man’s place finding he must face
Opposition so ambitious
Hard of heart and so malicious
You might even say they’re vicious.
Who will face mad science,
Though there’s hell to pay,
All so Palo Alto job will never take his girl away?
The Funky Man!
Oh, yeah, the Funky Man can!
The Funky Man can ‘cause his own irradiator means a job so good.
Funky Man! Yeah! The Funky Man!
—from “The Candy Man,” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” but more from Sammy Davis Jr.’s version.
Obscure cultural references! Yay!
Huh…that never happened before.
That is, wihtout a doubt, the most stupid commercial I have ever seen.
And they actually put serifs on the logo font. Eeeevil…
They must have gone for maximum irony. Heap enough bad idea on top of one another, and you get Springtime for Hitler.
I think it is insulting and also demeaning.
No Markov-chain generator in the world would compute
“`clark*(toasted coconut)/chocolate“` =: zagnut
I should know.
I’m sure there was a relatively recent UK product that had an ad with the concept “Yes, the name sucks, but the product is good”, but I can’t remember what it was.
You have to wonder if these things are mini-rebellions by the ad agency, who want to make it clear that they didn’t choose the name.
Remember “With a name like Smuckers, it HAS to be good.” ?
“With a name like Smuckers, it HAS to be good.” ? Still my favorite jam. Here in the Great White North they only changed the label to remove that within the past year or so. Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe it.
(I’m having complete comment board fail here, I have no idea where this comment is coming out in the thread of comments.)
I’ll be wondering about this all day if I don’t ask … casimir, what is the obscure cultural reference? Just the existence of Zagnuts (which does not seem obscure to me) or something more I’m completely missing?
BRGR, does the commercial get extra points for trying to blame the name of a product from the 1930s on a computer?
Obscurity is in the mind of the beholder. Your knowledge base is probably much broader than mine, but that’s really not too hard to achieve.
Tryin to blame a computer in such a ridiculous and transparent fashion is what I take umbrage with most.
“Electronic brains” have been the bad guys in human fiction ever since The Golem of Prague (or Minsk). Things like these just propagate unrealistic perceptions of how computers work and what we actually do.
Computers are fundamentally not human, unless programmed to be so. Computers are fundamentally logical, but not necessarily in the way humans colloquially refer to as logic. In matters of creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, computers are just now beginning to catch up to humans. (Although rigirous analysis of data often yields results that are surprising and sometimes unimaginable to humans. Hence the term “magic” for simple engineering in medieval times.)
Hey, it’s Bill Idelson from The Dick Van Dyke Show and Frank Nelson from, well, every movie, radio program and TV show from the 1930s through the 1960s. I never saw the ad, but the actors bring back memories.
The voice over at the end was by Stan Freberg. He did voice over work for Warner Brothers cartoons, most famously Pete Puma. He went on to do novelty records for radio, and eventually fell into advertising. He was known for screwball, sarcastic, self-depreciating ads. The best example is a series of ads he on pitted prunes for Sunsweet with the tag line “Today, the pits; tomorrow, the wrinkles. Sunsweet marches on!”‘
As soon as the commercial started, I thought, “This seems like a Freberg ad.” It just had his sense of comedy.
He also had one of the last commercial network radio comedy series made. His series was picked to replace… the Jack Benny show? I’d have to look it up. Anyway, it didn’t last long because they never got a sponsor. Instead, they had mock ads (much like Garrison Keillor’s Powdered Milk ads on his NPR show, but funny). Now that I think about it, his sense of humor in his fake ads may have had something to do with never getting a sponsor…
You’re right, of course. I taught broadcasting history at the University of Kansas, and part of my curriculum included early heroes like Stan Freberg. I can’t believe I didn’t know this ad.
Zagnut, as everyone knows, is the EEEEVILIST of all candy bars. This is an appropriate reference.
Zagnut bars. Ah, that takes me back. (Who gave Helen a Zagnut bar all those years ago?)
Dr McBloodhunter.
Who is literally my only reference for the candy existing at all. 😛
Yet more Baron Mistycorn, I see. He really was the Mickey Mouse to Whimsy’s Disney, wasn’t he?
It’s a zombie candy bar!
Will our two intrepid heroes be the only ones prepared for a battle of Funk?
Chrisn: Probably. The bird didn’t actually suggest anything about the form the battle was intended to take.
Some of them may have thought it was the usual “try to kill your fellows” thing from the awards bit of Narbonic.
Zagnut ain’t funky! says exactly one opinion. Colt .45 – That’s where the funky lies.
NOOOOOO … don’t accept an offered Zagnut from a Necropolis dweller. If we learned nothing else from Beetlejuice we learned that.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwV90NvsmAI&w=560&h=315%5D
Thank you, yes! I’m delighted someone else knew that reference, too.
What with the references in Beetlejuice and Narbonic, it never occurred to me before today that there was anything unusual or obscure about Zagnut bars.
… Come to think of it, it’s also never occurred to me (until now) to notice that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Zagnut bar in real life, much less eaten one. I should fix that.
I’m shocked that she seems cheerful! Presumably something strange(r than usual) is happening. (Also, I really want that Baron Mistycorn bag.)
Okay, admit it, this entire storyline is one big excuse to give a bunch of characters we haven’t seen for a bit more screen time. Not that I’m complaining.
I really like that ad – it has more of a sense of the absurd than my ignorant mind thinks would be in ads of that time.
Sku.
Sorry about that guys, but it’s me, Robert Nowall, and I haven’t been able to post since Saturday. I told Jeff about this. Looks like whatever’s cutting me off is somehow associated with my info; I just changed it to see if it worked.
Now I’ve got to figure out why. Sorry, again.
Another try.
Appears to be associated with my website in some way. Will try posting without it.
So it’s not entirely devoid of use…yes, Stan Freberg directed the commercial; it says so on the Wikipedia entry on Zagnut bars.
Since I was shut out yesterday, and since I *did* write a song parody, and since there’s always a chance someone’s interested, here it is:
Who can wear a costume,
Purple-orange, too,
Buckle gold and belt a shade of brilliant cobalt-blue?
The Funky Man!
Oh, yeah, the Funky Man can!
The Funky Man can ‘cause his own irradiator means a job so good.
Who knows there’s a contest,
Down at Annex One,
Stoned out of his gourd and thinking everything is fun?
The Funky Man!
Oh, yeah, the Funky Man can!
The Funky Man can ‘cause his own irradiator means a job so good.
The Funky Man’s place finding he must face
Opposition so ambitious
Hard of heart and so malicious
You might even say they’re vicious.
Who will face mad science,
Though there’s hell to pay,
All so Palo Alto job will never take his girl away?
The Funky Man!
Oh, yeah, the Funky Man can!
The Funky Man can ‘cause his own irradiator means a job so good.
Funky Man! Yeah! The Funky Man!
—from “The Candy Man,” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” but more from Sammy Davis Jr.’s version.
Okay, this is getting weird . . . er than expected, I mean. What would zombies want with an irradiator? Do brains taste better if they glow green?
I assume that some of them are healed by radiation.
I always did like Zagnut bars. After seeing that commercial I’m glad I did and still do.