The ridiculousness of car commercials, especially ones aired here in the United States, seems to be at an all-time high. And in addition to being totally ludicrous, some car-related ads simply don’t understand how cars work.
The current gold standard for annoying advertising has to be Chevrolet’s “Real People, Not Actors” commercial campaign. Despite public criticism, not to mention pretty hilarious parodies, Chevy continues to pump out these commercials at a rapid-fire rate.
Yet as tiresome as Chevy’s ads certainly can be, plenty of other TV ads are just as off-putting.
We came up with a list of recent car-related ads that failed to understand their audience, not to mention the vehicles themselves.
Chevrolet Malibu “UnBadged”
We’re not knocking the Chevy Malibu, as it’s actually a pretty nice car. But highlighting keyless entry in 2016 is like specifying a new TV is capable of high definition. Just about every vehicle nowadays features keyless entry, even in their base models.
Liberty Mutual: “New Car Replacement”
Replacing a totaled vehicle is great and all, but Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP) coverage is something every insurance company offers. Despite this, Liberty insists offering the coverage makes it a unique provider.
You sir, are incorrect. You did pick the wrong plan.
Ford F-150: “Boom”
The “boom” probably refers to the collective mind of the commercial’s audience exploding when trying to figure out what “military-grade aluminum-alloy body” actually means. Most F-150 owners probably aren’t going to be driving their new pickup through a war zone anytime soon.
Dodge Ram 1500: “Interior”
First of all, we’ve all seen real-wood interior accents before, especially in Buicks. Most importantly, though, how many people get heavy-duty pickups with “real wood” styling in mind?
Range Rover Sport: “Inferno Downhill Challenge”
This commercial is just one example of a car ad focusing on a completely ridiculous situation. Few people are ever going to drive a Range Rover, or any vehicle for that matter, down a steep mountainside at high speeds. Furthermore, if someone were in a situation similar to the one seen in this ad, they’d probably park the car and just catch a ride with the nearby helicopter.
Lexus GS 350: “In The Desert”
This ad’s narrator highlights the GS 350’s powertrain, but the visuals have very little to do with that. Furthermore, most people in the market for a new Lexus probably aren’t concerned with a hand-brake turn.
Xfiniti QX50: “Coupe-like handling”
What does “coupe-like handling” even mean? If the vehicle handled like a coupe, it would be a coupe. End of story.
Lexus Hybrid: “Current”
We understand car commercials tend to be a little hyperbolic at times, but why would an electrical current be running through an internal combustion chamber?
