Consumerist.com today announced the nominees for its second annual Worst Ad in America Awards. This year, more than 40 ads garnered nods including AT&T’s nasty wife putting her husband down for his unlimited plan and Luvs’ “Poop! There it is” commercial. Flo, the Progressive Insurance lady, didn’t fare to well, either. The online voting period ends on 10/16 at 5 p.m. The winners will be announced on 10/17.
Last year, more than 100,000 online votes were tallied in the Consumerist.com first annual Worst Ad in America Awards. Staples’ “Wow! That’s a Low Price!” ad claimed the top honor of “Absolute Worst Ad in America.” Of the five commercials that were nominated for the top honor last year, the only campaign that has not since been pulled from the airwaves is Progressive’s “Flo the insurance adjuster.”
“For the second year in a row, our readers have spoken and have nominated even more Worst Ads than last year,” said Meghann Marco, executive editor of Consumerist.com. “There are even a few repeat offenders like Progressive Insurance with their “Flo the insurance adjuster” commercials and Dannon Activia with their Jamie Lee Curtis ads. Both were previous Worst Ad nominees.”
All nominations were based on readers’ submissions and the ads had to have aired in 2011. There are nine categories.
The Nominees:
ABSOLUTE WORST AD IN AMERICA
AT&T – Wife berates husband for unlimited plan
Geico – Using smart phones for dumb things
Samsung – Infuse 4G “spider”
Luvs – Poop! There it is!
Summer’s Eve – Hail to the V
MOST GRATING PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN
Progressive – Flo, the insurance lady
State Farm – “Thanks for buying me a falcon” guy
AT&T – The flash mob dancer
Metamucil – The multitasker
MOST IRRITATING ANIMATED ACTOR
Blue Tax – Blue Tax Max
Orkin – The “blind date termite”
Aflac – The “major medical” pigeon
CARFAX – The fox
GROUP THAT OUGHT TO GO ITS SEPARATE WAYS
Esurance – The Esurance Staff
Consumer Cellular – The McCann Twins
Trojan – The “Triphoria” Ladies
Miller Lite – The “Man Up” Guys
WORST ABUSE OF AN EXISTING SONG
Old Navy – “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger
Tommy Hilfiger – “Holiday” by Vampire Weekend
Swiffer – “What About Love” by Heart
Value City Furniture – “I Want it All” by Queen
ORIGINAL JINGLE THAT SHOULD BE JUNKED
Education Connection
Farmers Insurance – “We Are Farmers”
Truvia
Arby’s – “Good Mood Food”
CELEBRITY WHO COULD PROBABLY USE A GOOD MANAGER RIGHT NOW
Dannon Activia – Jamie Lee Curtis
Money Mutual – Montel Williams
Latisse – Claire Danes
Rent-A-Center – Troy Aikman & Hulk Hogan
CREEPIEST COMMERCIAL
Arby’s – Cravin’ chicken
Pos-T-Vac – Penis Vacuum
Jello – Pudding smile
Target – Denim-obsessed music teacher
TRENDS THAT NEED TO STOP BEING TRENDS
Asian stereotypes are hilarious: (as seen in ads for DirecTV and Vonage)
Old Spice Copycats: (as seen in ads for Dairy Queen, Edge Shave Gel, and now Old Spice appears to be ripping off its own ads)
Men are lunkheads who somehow manage to put up with their harpy wives and girlfriends: (as seen in ads for AT&T, McDonald’s and Klondike)
Playing hidden-camera tricks on “surprised” real people: (as seen in ads for Ford, Febreze and Windows)
RBR-TVBR observation: We’re a little surprised the Nationwide Insurance guy with the 70’s phones didn’t make the list!
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