Commercial Characters you love or hate

[roadman65]

When I listen to some commercials or watch them on the tube, I find some, as most of us do, entertaining or some are just nerds and we cannot wait to either click the remote or hit another dial preset on the car radio.

Here are some of my favorites:
Flo on Progressive (TV)
The "Now I Know Guy" for Geico (Radio)
Bruser and Bouser for Safe Touch (Both radio and TV)

Old commercials that are now historic include:
James Garner and Marriete Hartley for Poloroid Cameras (TV)  not specific characters though, but played out well on camera)
Josephine the plumber for Comet (retro TV back in the early 70's)
The Doughnut Man for Dunkin Donuts (TV)
Sam Breakstone for Breakstone Cottage Cheese (Retro TV with the Doughnut Guy before he got hired by Dunkin). 

The Bad Ones:

I really do not know as I usually turn them off.

Who are your most favorite characters in commercial on either radio or TV or even internet?

[roadman]

Although not referenced as such in the commercials, Dunkin Donut's character was named "Fred the Baker."  His tag line was "Time to make the donuts."

[spooky]

Although not referenced as such in the commercials, Dunkin Donut's character was named "Fred the Baker."  His tag line was "Time to make the donuts."

I believe he had a name tag on, which is why we know his name was Fred.

[PHLBOS]

Although not referenced as such in the commercials, Dunkin Donut's character was named "Fred the Baker."  His tag line was "Time to make the donuts."

The original 1983 commercial that started it all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3V-c95urS8

[cpzilliacus]

The "Mr. Dirt" character in the commercials for Mobil gasolines was great.

[jeffandnicole]

Al Harrington at Al Harrington's Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tubeman Emporium and Warehouse

[PHLBOS]

The Geico rhetorical questions guy:

Compilation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtp_mq2fO24

My personal favorite that wasn't in the above-compilation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU3JH6jE7GY

One commerical character near & dear to me was 9 Lives' Morris the cat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqYGnte2y_w

[Henry]

The Empire Man, as seen in commercials that have the "(800)588-2300" jingle. I remember him well because I grew up watching his then-local advertisements in Chicago.

[roadman]

Although not referenced as such in the commercials, Dunkin Donut's character was named "Fred the Baker."  His tag line was "Time to make the donuts."

I believe he had a name tag on, which is why we know his name was Fred.

I know his name is Fred because he appeared at the opening of the then-new Dunkin's in my office building.  I didn't meet him, but flyers announcing the event stated "Come meet Fred the Baker."

[1995hoo]

I always liked "Ancient Chinese Secret Guy"; the customer's reaction was also good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzixL7Ef-bI


The Wendy's "Where's the Beef" lady was entertaining. However, I think what made that slogan classic was when Walter Mondale borrowed it in a debate with Gary Hart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjw8m7GmIa4


The original post also mentions commercial characters you hate. GEICO's pig is near the top of my list, as is Flo in the Progressive ads.

The one I think is my all-time least favorite was the annoying Luna "Free Floorin'" ad that used to air during baseball games. I loaded this to get the URL and hit "PAUSE" immediately so I wouldn't have to hear it because I hated this ad so much. I hated everything about this ad–the characters (especially the hideous wife), the dialogue, the annoying jingle at the end–and it used to air during almost every single commercial break during ballgames. (Luna ads have become ubiquitous but have more or less faded into background annoyance by now. However, it's a sad fact of modern life that while I have never done business with them nor contacted them, I could rattle off their phone number without thinking about it due to all their ads, yet I couldn't tell you my own wife's office phone number without looking it up.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P_L-KyRYCI

[bandit957]

Anyone remember the Gum Fighter from the commercials for Hubba Bubba bubble gum? He was cool.

The Gum Fighter (played by Don Collier) was this big, tough cowboy in an Old West town who would always exhibit Hubba Bubba's amazing capabilities. Hubba Bubba's big selling point back then was that it didn't stick to your face when you blew bubbles, and the Gum Fighter would always blow a huge bubble to demonstrate this. Then he turned to the camera and declared, "Big bubbles, no troubles!"

This was one of the most creative advertising campaigns in the history of advertising campaigns.

[bandit957]

I remember one commercial character who everyone agreed was annoying.

In the early '80s, there was a TV commercial for pasta sauce or something, and the woman in the ad said something about "little green chunks and things." Everyone I knew was so annoyed by that statement, and made fun of her for years afterward.

[bandit957]

Anyone else remember "Nnnnn! It's a great feeling!"?

[vdeane]

The Aflac duck

Asthma Man (this PSA really was used by the Will Rogers Institute): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuvgKBo9lHA

This supervillian in a forclosure prevention PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U18DX2z4qJc

Erin Esurance

As for annoying... Flo.

[Big John]

liked - Budweiser frogs

hated - Billy Mays

[GaryV]

Like:  I like Flo, and her family that appears in recent ads.

Hate:  Anyone who yells like the now-departed OxyClean guy.

On a side note, I've noticed one actress who appears in several commercials lately.  In one she's the wife of a guy calling his insurance agent in the middle of the night.  She's also seen being tempted by a teddy bear cake, and another one or two I can't remember right now.  Every new commercial I think, "There she is again."

[Pete from Boston]

I write Cavity Creeps fan fiction.  There, I said it.

[cjk374]

I think Flo is hot...can't help it.

Like:  I like Flo, and her family that appears in recent ads.

Hate:  Anyone who yells like the now-departed OxyClean guy.

On a side note, I've noticed one actress who appears in several commercials lately.  In one she's the wife of a guy calling his insurance agent in the middle of the night.  She's also seen being tempted by a teddy bear cake, and another one or two I can't remember right now.  Every new commercial I think, "There she is again."

That wife is on the "Jake from State Farm" ad.  I have heard only 1 other ad on the radio involving the couple from this TV ad talking to a marriage counselor.  Sounds like the same woman.

The most annoying ads are from Ink's Firestone in Monroe, LA. When this guy was younger, he was even more annoying than this.:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHy1Xb-AKBo

[OracleUsr]

Like:

The Geico commercial with the man who left his lover for the great beyond and gets knocked off his horse by the on-screen words "THE END"
Flo is cute, I admit


Dislike:

Those two morons in the Sonic commercials
(Radio commercial) CRAZYYYYYYYYYY KEVINNNNNNNNNNNN POWELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Those inane AT&T commercials

[SSOWorld]

Although not referenced as such in the commercials, Dunkin Donut's character was named "Fred the Baker."  His tag line was "Time to make the donuts."

I Made the donuts!

[cjk374]

The Capt. Obvious commercials for hotels.com...those are hilarious!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW1d4jCbrsY

[Stephane Dumas]

I liked Kid and Sue from the Cherrios ads. In this one Sue menaged to kick as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AKw5lV9VW4

[roadman]

liked - Budweiser frogs

The best Budweiser frogs ad I saw was in an episode of The Simpsons.  The frogs do their Bud - Wis - Er routine, then are immediately eaten by an alligator who then burps "Coors!"

The first few times I saw ads with Flo, I thought she was cute.  Now she's just obnoxious (same with the Geico lizard and pig).

[1995hoo]

My favorite of the Budweiser frogs series of ads was a local radio commercial for Jerry's Subs and Pizza. They were known for having celebrity impersonators on their ads (for example, an ad pitching the "Big Bubba" and "Big W" cheesesteaks had Clinton and Bush impersonators–every time bacon is mentioned, Clinton interrupts to say he loves bacon, whereas Bush doesn't know what country Swiss cheese is from). You recall how the Budweiser frog ads eventually added those lizards and the ferret. The radio ad had the lizards talking about the cheesesteaks. At the end, the ferret said something incomprehensible and the one lizard wanted to know what he said; the other replied, "He said, 'Wazzzzupppppppp!'" and the other lizard joined in.

I don't know if they still have funny radio ads because I seldom listen to FM anymore except for the all-news station. I can't find any of their old ads online, unfortunately.

[bandit957]

Anyone remember the yodeling Cheerios commercials of the '70s? It was a cartoon of a youngster (just white lines on a black background) who opened a box of Cheerios, and the box yodeled, "Cheerio-o-o-os!"

When I was in grade school, one of my favorite things to do was stand at the top of the street and yodel, "Cheerio-o-o-os!"