After These Messages Podcast
by Andrew Walsh & Genevieve Haas
Hosts Andrew and Vieves talk TV commercials with their listeners, the Ad Council, in this weekly podcast. As the slogan says, they've got "hot takes on commercial breaks." Find them at [email protected]
Episodes
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#572 Scare Trade
With spooky season in full swing, Andrew and Vieves look at commercials that get their hearts racing in the name of selling everything from plumbers to pirated IP. Plus, if a Beastmode sells a betting app, but no one is there to recognize it, does it make a sale? Here are links to the ads we…
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#571 Punk Cost Fallacy
Andrew and Vieves consider ads that rely on the anti-establishment aesthetic of punk to sell everything from light beer to cookies to, incredibly, 80’s New Wave hits. Plus, a guy who lives in a bank gets interrogated by the best. BASF - Wedding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J12b0CICyeo Pioneer...
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#570 Plush Hour
Andrew and Vieves get stuffy in a discussion of ads featuring an assortment of teddybears and other inanimate plushies that nevertheless manage to pull on consumer heartstrings. Plus, a forgotten Spice Girl still has moves, and John Oliver picks a fight with an ATM favorite. Here a links to the…
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#569 There's No Business Like Low Business
It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you know a guy with a low-rider, you must ask to borrow it for your local commercial. Plus, Andrew and Vieves are seeing double, and the God-fearing citizens of Greenfield, Wisconsin must contend with a possible interloper from Madison. Here are…
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#568 Hero Worship
An ad featuring a giant sandwich has Andrew and Vieves thinking about the marketing power of comedically-large heroes, grinders and submersibles. Plus, a chorus of Ad Councilors prove their superior hearing, and Andrew’s light internet stalking pays off. Here are links to the ads we talked about…
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#567 Danny Get Your Guns
An extended Andy’s Corner leads to a discussion about a tiny steampunk pizza innovator and how to properly refer to Danny Devito on second reference. Plus, an Ad Councilor delivers a hip-hop classic, and a travel website plays to our worst instincts. Here are links to the ads we talked about in...
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#566 Snark Attack
A collection of ads featuring teens with varying degrees of attitude has famous non-parents Andrew and Vieves considering what level of teenage sass is acceptable and what level is grounds for punishment. Plus, Andrew is vindicated as an ATM mystery is solved at last! Here are links to the ads we...
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#565 Bad Influence
A spate of recent commercials have Andrew and Vieves doling out some coveted Adcollades and a few dreaded Admonishments. Plus, a charming liquor commercial has a surprising personal connection. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: NFL Kickoff Promo “Hump Day”...
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#564 Young Money
Thanks to capitalism, it’s never too early for kids to start doing BUSINESS, as Andrew and Vieves discover in a show about kids and money. Plus, a fast man goes slow for the benefit of Big Pharma. Here are links to the ads that we talked about in this week’s show: Miele Dishwashers - The...
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#563 Chef Comedy Jam
Andrew challenges Vieves to a mouthwatering quiz about cooking in commercials. Plus, a mustard’s claim to fame is hilarious in hindsight, and Andrew contrives to ruin the most wholesome jingle imaginable. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Meijer Grocery Store…
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#562 Bar Association
For once, Andrew and Vieves reflect on commercials about something they’re actually experts in: bars and the colorful characters who fill them. Plus, a puppeteer gets his big break. Here are links to the ads we talked about on this week’s show: Wendy’s Pub Cheeseburger - Pub on a bun...
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#561 Past Judgment
A new batch of early nineties artifacts from Andrew’s VHS archiving has him and Vieves talking about an era when moms were rapping about cheese and every granny had a secret. Plus, a listener jingle brings up memories of New England. Here are links to the ads we talked about on this week’s show:...
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#560 Chauffeur Me The Money
Andrew and Vieves look at ads that use the modern experience of taking a rideshare to sell a surprising array of products, from a simple diet soda to needlessly-confusing non-lethal weaponry. Plus, Big Pharma is getting sparkly. Here are links to the ads we talked about on this week’s show:...
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#559 Civil Biberties
It’s nothing but fun for Andrew and Vieves as they revel in meme culture, TikTok trends and a fuzzy puppet that might just be the unlikely hero that an insurance giant has been waiting for. Plus, an old PSA feels newly relevant. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Pick...
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#558 The Claudes Must Be Crazy
A frustratingly close-but-no-cigar campaign for crackers gets Andrew and Vieves talking about commercials that hinge on short term memory jokes for their pitch. Plus, a divisive ad for an AI giant has everyone -- possibly including the robots -- talking. Here are the commercials we talked about...
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#557 Sterling Cooper
An all-Ad Council show yields a discussion of a Geico ad with a confusing premise, the origin story of one of the all-time greats, and a reassuring behind-the-scenes report on the Godfather of Shock Rock. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: GEICO - Shopping Cart...
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#556 Potty Mouth
A chance encounter with a plumbing company mascot inspires Andrew to investigate other plumbing tools that are doing double-duty as spokesfixtures. It’s all a bit draining. Bob Oates Plumbing - Big Dumper & Friends https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZcl-Wyf0Xk Bob Oates Plumbing - Big Dumper and...
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#555 Insurance Quotes
A long overdue quiz episode pits Vieves against a series of quotes that are either progressive or Progressive. Plus, Andrew must atone for mispronouncing Canada’s sauciest-sounding city. These are the commercials we talked about this week Progressive: Bike Obsession...
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#554 Pocket Watch
A Vieves Takeover leads to a discussion about a cheeky new campaign for pet sitting and a bid by an insurance giant to put more suburbanites onto the open road. Plus, a tiny new device can be tolerated by all kinds of idiots, and a defunct Canadian theme restaurant lives on through its jingle.…
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#553 Cast Party
Evidently, there’s nothing that a man in a full body cast can’t sell if this week’s show is any indication. From batteries to Band-Aids, these broken men can still pitch their hearts out. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Charter Spectrum...
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#552 I, Object
Inanimate objects do all the heavy lifting this week, selling everything from AI to email marketing. Plus, a brand apologizes so hard that Andrew is embarrassed for ever liking it, and we all say farewell to one of the greats from commercial history. Here are links to the ads we talked about in...
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#551 Pencil Pushers
Andrew and Vieves consider the commercials that feature classic office supplies to sell everything from paper towels to Pepsi. But first they totally derail themselves with a chaotic debate about the surveillance state. Here are links to the ads we talked about on this week’s show: Unicenter...
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#550 Let Your Luddite Shine
It’s a high-concept show with an old-school message: who needs all this new-fangled technology! From photography to phone sex, Andrew and Vieves are doing it the old fashioned way. Plus, the Ad Council is for sure turning into their parents. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this…
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#549 Scat's Entertainment
With feedback coming in from all sides, Andrew and Vieves look at a grab bag of ads, from a scatting ice cream man to a mouthpiece for America’s ambulance chasers. Plus, Dr. Rick is staying busy. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Hotels.Com: Catfish...
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#548 Blimp My Ride
An important centennial prompts Andrew and Vieves expend a lot of hot air looking at ads featuring blimps. Plus, a rapping commercial divides the house of ATM, and an internet jingle is able to win Andrew over. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Sportscenter: Blimp...
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#547 A Moving Experience
A collection of commercials about moving day turns out to contain a surprising amount of pathos for ads about coffee and internet service. Plus, Subaru walks the knife edge between safety consciousness and fear-mongering with mixed results. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s...
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#546 Existential Tread
As metaphors go, the going-nowhere-fast quality of a treadmill would seem like a bleak option for marketers, so Andrew and Vieves were surprised by the wit and range of treadmills in ads for everything from car tires to contact lenses. Plus, a jingle opens up new dimensions of cream cheese. Here...
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#545 Dream Scenarios
A long overdue exploration of dreams as depicted in commercials has Vieves and Andrew looking at ads for everything from flooring to fried chicken. Plus, Andy’s Corner is back with a campaign that won Andrew over despite a poor start. Here are links to the ads we talked about on this week’s show:...
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#544 Heavenly Features
If heaven really is a place on earth, it must be a place where they sell everything from milk to mouse poison, if the ads that Vieves and Andrew discuss are any indication. Plus, a Canadian PSA pays off unexpectedly, and a comedy favorite was taking on daddy-daughter tropes before it was cool.…
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#543 Postal Elites
A collection of commercial odds and ends results in a grab-bag’s worth of ads that have Andrew and Vieves waxing philosophical about hacky daddy-daughter tropes and the role stealth bombers play in snack time. Plus, Andrew tests Genevieve’s ability to recognize the new celebrity voice of a…
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#542 The Medium Is The Message
A spooky (and sticky) sleepover game inspires a show about the occult arts as a means to sell everything from sneakers to stock picks. Plus, a denim ad turns out to be a window into classic cinema. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Brawny - Sleepover...
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#541 Council Culture
Before the Ad Council can have their say with an influx of ads for sleazy attorneys, frangible timepieces and DIY beer kegs, Vieves insists on a takeover with the ads she can’t get enough of. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Chewy - Monkey...
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#540 What Does The FOX Say?
Andrew’s latest obsession -- watching the World Baseball Classic -- has him uncharacteristically immersed in the FOX-Newsiverse, and he’s seeing a lot of mind-blowing ads as a result. Listen to this one if you want to stay prayed up! Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show:...
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#539 Animal Yakkers
Andrew and Vieves consider the talking animals pressed into service as spokescritters, from a humiliated gopher to a truly upsetting zebra. Plus, an Ad Coucil submission offers a spicy take, and caffeine is a powerful drug. Here are links to the ads we talked about on this week’s show: Rover - To...
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#538 Casting Impressions
Friend of the show Justin Morissette joins Andrew and Vieves with an update on his burgeoning acting career, pulling back the curtain on the sometimes thankless, but often hilarious world of commercial acting auditions. Plus, we all learn what a “tickle trunk” is, for better or for worse. Here…
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#537 Sub Culture
In the wake of the Super Bowl ad-pocalypse, Vieves unveils a few commercial gems that deserve their day in the sun. Plus, an Ad Councilor bestows a sandwich-based bounty for the ages on ATM. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Principal Financial - “June”...
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#536 Why, Robot
It’s the Ad Council’s turn to weigh in on this year’s Super Bowl commercials, with hot takes on everything from the subtle song cues that Andrew and Vieves overlooked to a star turn by a local bird celebrity. Plus, a podcast favorite gets the royal treatment. Here are links to the ads we talked...
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#535 The Bowlies VI: Bottom Dollars
For the 6th annual Bowlie Awards, Andrew and Vieves display a heroic level of discipline as they turn in a sub-four-hour show on this year’s crop of Super Bowl ads, which featured a surprising amount of ass --and that’s not even counting the one with Shane Gillis. Uber Eats...
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#534 Tease Nuts
With the 6th annual Bowlie Awards just around the corner, Andrew and Vieves look at the teaser ads and early releases for this year’s Super Bowl. From arty auteurs to self-deprecating celebs, it’s anyone’s guess who will take home the Bowlie MVC. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this...
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#533 Ready, Willing, And Cable
Andrew and Vieves unpack a trove of 90s ads from Andrew’s VHS digitization project. It was a simpler time, as America learned about basic cable, how to go “online” and microwaving potato chips, all within in a Seinfeldesque miasma. Plus, the Ad Council weighs in on the sexy snack debate. Here are...
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#532 Dirty Danson
A long-promised show made up of all Ad Council submissions delivers a multitude of spots that feature a range of spokescritters, spokesfruits and spokes-Dansons. Plus, Andrew gets the Holy Grail of podcasting: a listener apology. Here are links to the ads we talked about on this week’s show:...
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#531 Run for the Money
Andrew and Vieves look at all the ways amateur runners are used represent grit, determination and a desire for everything from soy milk to Snickers bars. Plus, an Ad Councilor spots a university that is truly doing something differently, and Andrew must reckon with accusations that he got fooled…
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#530 Gym Shorts
Andrew and Vieves consider the archetypal gym teachers who have been put to work selling everything from bubble gum to breakfast shakes. Plus, an Ad Councilor spots a true gem in the wild. Here are links to the ads we talked about on this week’s show: Fifth-Third Bank...
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#529 Quiz The Season
As has become the tradition, Andrew quizzes Vieves on some of the highlights from the last year of shows as they both repeatedly pat themselves on the back for their past hilariousness. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Draft Kings - Big Fantasy Baby...
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#528 Pain Points
Andrew and Vieves consider the visual representation of pain in pharmaceutical ads, and they look at some recent commercial sthat they’re seeing in the wild. Plus, a classic Christmas carol ad sparks a discussion of some very USA-forward advertising, and a Medicare spot is cranked up way past...
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#527 Scraping the Bottom of the Carol
With the holiday shopping season in full swing, advertisers are finding all sorts of appalling ways to jury-rig classic Christmas carols in order to sell everything from Audis to underwear. Plus, an Ad Councilor spots a gem in the wild, and a jingle harkens back to the halcyon days of…
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#526 I Rave At The Office
The grand tradition of office party mishaps gets put into service to sell, yes, plenty of beer, but also fried chicken, candy and credit cards. Plus, the Ad Council has insight into an insurance company’s creative solution to the changing times. Here are links to the ads we talked about on this...
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#525 If I Said You Had An Ice Body, Would You Hold It Against Me?
Andrew puts Vieves on the spot when he asks her to judge the relative sexiness of snowmen who are selling everything from soda to car insurance. Plus, an American icon continues to cash in on his legendary career. Here are links to the ads we talked about in this week’s show: Coors Light - Beer...
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#524 Let’s Hear It For The Toys
Andrew and Vieves post the rare delayed show in order to welcome KCAL pal Vanessa for a discussion of early-90s ads that Andrew culled from a Rocky and Bullwinkle marathon. From unsettling baby dolls to competitive bikini babes, the 90s was a weird time. Plus, Brian Cox is (unsurprisingly) a bad...
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#523 Zoo & Improved
Andrew and Vieves have a whale of a time looking at ads based on animal idioms. Plus, a coffee brand provides some truly amazing delayed gratification, and what counts as a blanket when it comes to a pig? Here are links to the ads that we talked about in this week’s show: Geico- Elephant in the...
About this show
Hosts Andrew and Vieves talk TV commercials with their listeners, the Ad Council, in this weekly podcast. As the slogan says, they've got "hot takes on commercial breaks." Find them at [email protected]
Hosted by
Andrew Walsh & Genevieve Haas