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The 31 Most Powerful Promo Seconds You'll See This Afternoon: Gizmodo: The Gadget Testers, The Commercial

Rich Juzwiak · 03/18/13 01:45PM

Tech makes you giddy. Tech makes you fly. Tech makes you sumo wrestle. These are just a few of the things I learned in the whiplash-inducing commercial for the BBC America show Gizmodo: The Gadget Testers, which premieres tonight. (Full disclosure: Gizmodo is owned by Gawker Media and that is 100 percent of the reason why I am reviewing a commercial.) Apparently featuring at least one person (Joel Johnson) that I hear I work within feet of but cannot be sure of because there are too many crappy TV shows to watch and Mariah Carey gifs to make for me to swivel around and survey the Gizmodo area of the Gawker office, Gizmodo: The Gadget Testers none the less seems like it's full of swell, fun-loving people whose gizmos make them say, "Yeah!" "Whoo!" and "Holy crap!" Spoiler alert: It's pretty clear that the gizmos passed their tests. It's pretty clear that the show does, too: The breathlessly frenetic 31 seconds of this ad spot just fly by. It's an exquisitely paced commercial.

The Calorie-Burning Underwear of Japan

Maureen O'Connor · 11/14/11 02:22PM

Today's entry in the mesmerizing Asian infomercial arms race: Calorie Shaper, a special Japanese underwear built with a "honeycomb spring" that supposedly helps the wearer burn calories while performing everyday tasks, like walking to the bus stop and performing choreographed dance routines in the office.

Justin Bieber Gets Googled

Adrian Chen · 06/30/11 02:02PM

Google loves Lady Gaga. But they're sharing the love with Justin Bieber, whose socially-networked rise to fame probably is an even better fit for a tech company. Google just released this Justin Bieber ad for its Chrome browser.

The Tortured Tale of How a YouTube Uploader Lost His Mind

Noah Garfinkel · 05/17/11 05:41PM

In May of 2008, a man by the username of Leftventricle did a rather noble thing. He uploaded a video of an old but memorable commercial to YouTube. The commercial was the first in the series that would become the long running "Got Milk?" campaign. It was the one with the guy in the museum who fails to win $10,000 on a radio trivia contest because he lacked the proper amount of milk to wash out from his mouth the peanut butter sandwich he had been so enthusiastically eating. You remember it...

How Did Ad Agencies Approach Their Work in 1965?

Christopher Han · 11/15/10 11:45AM

Meet the Cliche family. This is how you depict mom, dad, son, and daughter in commercials. Hard sells, soft sells, and all different techniques are covered in this short film. It was first put together as an in-house joke!

The Food Lift is a Product That Might as Well Exist

Mike Byhoff · 03/03/10 11:10AM

How has America made such big strides in science, technology, and medicine, but Americans still face the burden of eating with their hands? We put a man on the moon, but we still have to use a fork!? No more!

An Evil Demon Sheep is Running For Senate in California

Mike Byhoff · 02/04/10 03:04PM

At least that's what I think is going on in this video? A sheep with laser-eyes is running around, gunning down other sheep in order to win the California Republican primary on the platform to end California's sheep infestations. Right?

A Charlie Brown Chili

Daniel Barnum-Swett · 01/05/10 05:00PM

Though an American institution, the Peanuts crew is not exempt from inexplicable appearances in Japanese advertising. Here, Snoopy and the gang's girls hawk hot pepper sauce with a song catchier than anything Schroeder ever played.

Roadkill's Financial Revenge

Daniel Barnum-Swett · 12/28/09 04:30PM

New York City personal injury firm, Greenstein & Millbauer, attempts low-budget advertising recognition, substituting a well-known spokes-gecko for a poorly rendered and clumsily oblivious squirrel. If you or a loved squirrel has been injured in an accident, call today.

Fish Eggs: Worse than a Lump of Coal?

Daniel Barnum-Swett · 12/22/09 04:30PM

Commercials for Tarako, a roe product marketed with marching kewpie dolls and children's choirs, are always strange, in keeping with Japanese advertisement standards. In the full-length Christmas ad, children chant incessantly while visions of fish eggs dance on their heads.

Products We Can Get Behind: The Micro S'More

Whitney Jefferson · 12/16/09 04:06PM

Hey, lazy Americans! No fireplace nearby? Layer up your Micro S'More contraption, pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds and bam! S'More Heaven. This product gets points for efficiency but loses them for this overly cheesy commercial.