This Week In Terrifying Hybrids
1. NBC + Chuck + Every available surface on Earth = NBC's overwhelmingly aggressive advertising campaign for Chuck
First it was the the non-stop commercials, then the ubiquitous magazine ads, followed by the posters plastered everywhere, and now it's that inescapable web ad where Chuck (who you know is a nerd because he's wearing a pocket protector) pops up in the middle of your screen, says you need a better firewall, and then a ball of fire in the shape of the most hilarious joke ever explodes. Great job, guys! Why would anyone watch this show when they've been drowning in it for three weeks?
Your message has been recieved, NBC. There is a show on your network called Chuck. You don't need to assault me with goofy shrug after goofy shrug everywhere I turn in order to make me aware of this. At this point, the only places not saturated with Chuck ads are the backs of my eyelids, but I feel like even that is changing, because the image of that guy in the short-sleeved button-down is permanently tattooed on my retinas.
Seriously. Not even Desperate Housewives advertises this much.
2. Converse + "edginess" + advertising = Get Chucked
When "pushing the envelope" it's important not to push it directly into a sea of annoyingness. Unfortunately, that's what's happened here. If Converse is going to make the Chuck/fuck parallel, they should at least do it all the way and make the slogan "Chuck Off," or "Let's Chuck." As it stands, this is just confusing.
What does this even mean? And does the current influx of awful "Chuck" references–this ad, Good Luck Chuck, the inescapable NBC show–have any larger significance (besides, of course, overall lack of imagination and stupidity)?
3. Steve Carell + a romantic comedy – comedy = The poster for Dan In Real Life
Remember when all Steve Carell had to do was smile goofily over his shoulder and the movie poster was funny? Now some marketing person is making him slam his head into a pile of syrup-covered pancakes just to elicit a confused smile. Evidently, the slope isn't slippery–it's sticky.