It's Not New Years Day or Christmas Day, It's Better. It's MLB Opening Day!

In honor of the 2011 MLB season starting this Thursday afternoon. I have decided to start it early with ESPN's latest MLB opening day commercial. Take a look.  



If you haven't figured it out already, this spot was narrated by the one and only "Field of Dreams" Kevin Costner.

Also, in honor of the start to the 2011 MLB season, I have updated the Unemployed Ad Man's home page banner to commemorate this occasion. Enjoy!

What Would You Send Back?

Have you ever regretted buying something online that you later wished you could send back. This is the exact scenario that a family is forced to face in a TV spot for the United States Postal Service's Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes ad campaign.



While not everybody owns a weird possessed clown doll, what item have you purchased online recently, that you would like to send back. Let the Unemployed Ad Man know.

In Case You Missed It: Do Dogs Really Chase Cats?

For those of you who have wondered if dogs really chase cats, GEICO has come to your rescue. In their latest TV spot, GEICO shows why dogs chase cats. This ad features it staple spokesman (Mike McGlone) asking the question "Could switching to Geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance?" It is then followed by a comical "70s Starsky and Hutch-like" car chase with your new favorite GEICO stars. Take a look:    



The only thing that this commercial is missing is a dog or cat dressed like Snoop Dogg's character, Huggy Bear, from the Starsky and Hutch remake! Please take note of this GEICO.

The First Sign of Spring: Grilling Season!

Now that spring has finally arrived, according to the calendar, you know what that means..... Oh wait, you don't, well here it is:

We can finally get our charcoal or gas grills out and start grilling, without freezing our butts off.

In honor of this occasion, I have embedded below, the latest Kingsford Charcoal TV spot, for you to enjoy.

The New Late Night Snack

In case you missed it, Ben & Jerry's came out with a new ice cream flavor. Apparently, Ben & Jerry got their inspiration for this new flavor from late night television. Step aside Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, the host of  Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, has now joined the ranks of late night hosts who have inspired new flavors of Ben & Jerry's. Jimmy Fallon's Late Night Snack is a gooey confection of "vanilla bean ice cream with a salty caramel swirl & fudge covered potato chip clusters." Doesn't that sound tasty!

This new ice cream flavor which came about through a deal between NBC's consumer products division and Ben & Jerry's, apparently started hitting stores two week ago. Ben & Jerry's had already been mulling a potato chip mix-in when Fallon and his house band, the Roots, played an original song about Ben & Jerry's treats as the fictional group Ladysmith Snack Mambazo. From this in-show song sprang a piece of licensed swag for Jimmy Fallon, NBC and Ben & Jerry's. Late Night Snack joins Colbert's Americone Dream as the only other flavor to be based on a late night talk show.

Here is a clip from the unveiling of Late Night Snack on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon:

Nothing Says Sun Tan Like a Nuclear Crisis

As, many of you know and all media buyers have been taught, it is imperative that you confirm your ad placement before it goes to press, when it is positioned next to editorial content, especially when that content is emotionally charged. Apparently somebody forgot this step in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal. On Wednesday, Hilton ran a half page, 4-color ad promoting their "Hilton Honors" program, with the headline, "Work, work, work on your tan." What was the problem with this ad and its placement, you ask? Well I will let you take a look and see:

Nothing says sun tan, like the coverage about Japan's nuclear crisis. Call it insensitive or unfortunate. Somebody made a mistake. And if the publication is at fault, I have a feeling that Hilton will be getting an apology and possibly some free or severely discounted space in the WSJ. I guess we will have to wait and see.   

Time to pick the Brackets!

For college basketball fans (like myself), this is the time of the year that we have been waiting for. Its Bracket time! If you are like most of the country, you are probably already in the process of filling out at least one of your brackets this year, if not more.

Every year, someone comes up with a new and creative way to make their tournament picks. This year, ESPN decided to document it in their latest TV spot for their Tournament Challenge bracket game. Take a look:



This year I think I'm going to try the Plinko method for my brackets! What about you?