Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with commercial

commercial where woman steals bite of friend's cookie?

cmp4Meta — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:13:03 -0800

What is that commercial that's currently running where a woman steals a bite of her friend's cookie? They are standing at a fence and she steals a bite. Her friend says, "You just bit my cookie!" And she replies with her mouth full: "No way!"

Class A, B, C real estate?

thewalrus — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:59:08 -0800

Real estate filter: Is it considered in any way derogatory or impolite to refer to non-prime commercial office space as "Class B" or "Class C"? My question is: I am contracting for a firm that is exploring the costs of running underground fiber-optic cable to unserved buildings in a major north american city. These buildings currently have some form of Internet access via ADSL2+, multiple T1s, or occasionally DOCSIS2 where the local cable TV company also happens to have service into the building.

Pretty much all of the "Class A" premium office towers in the city in question have had fiber for 8 to 10 years. We are going after exclusively what seems to be defined as "class B / C" buildings.

In discussions with commercial realtors and property managers, are the following grading systems really applicable? Is it rude or inconsiderate to accidentally refer to a building as "Class C" when the owners may actually think it is a "B"? To me it seems like a weird classification system, and certainly if referring to a manufactured product or other thing as "grade B" or "grade C" it is describing something that is noticeably substandard... For example an eBay "cosmetic grade C" refurbished laptop that is covered in scratches. Or a "B-grade" movie.

for reference:

link one.

link two.

link three.

Quoting wikipedia:

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) classifies office space into three categories: Class A, Class B, and Class C.[4] According to BOMA, Class A office buildings have the "most prestigious buildings competing for premier office users with rents above average for the area." BOMA states that Class A facilities have "high quality standard finishes, state of the art systems, exceptional accessibility and a definite market presence." BOMA describes Class B office buildings as those that compete "for a wide range of users with rents in the average range for the area." BOMA states that Class B buildings have "adequate systems" and finishes that "are fair to good for the area," but that the buildings do not compete with Class A buildings for the same prices. According to BOMA Class C buildings are aimed towards "tenants requiring functional space at rents below the average for the area."[5] The lack of specifics allows considerable room for "fudging" the boundaries of the categories.

Legal / Possible to rent empty commercial space in NYC for 1-2 nights?

NYC-BB — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:05:05 -0800

Does anyone know the legalities / possibilities of renting out empty storefronts / loft spaces / warehouses for only 1 or 2 nights in NYC? I want to rent the space, bring some simple food and drinks, throw a party, and sell some art. Is this legal or even possible? Note: I'm not throwing a rave or having any sort of illegal activity occurring.

TV Commerical Search: People Yell "LAYUP"

unceman — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:13:26 -0800

Trying to find a commercial from the mid 90s (?). There's a guy talking about a basketball legend. The way he describes this legend goes something like this: "One day he was raining 3s from the sky" "He would pull up from 25 feet and people on the sidelines would be yelling LAYUP" My Google Fu has failed me, since I don't know what product was being advertised. Ideally, I'm looking for a video link, but would settle with knowing what was being advertised.

Seeking Small Commericial Parking Lot

grammalvsu — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:46:06 -0800

I'm looking for a parking lot that can fit a few trucks in the DC / N VA area. Ideally it'd be fenced and relatively secure, ideally it'd be somewhat near a metro, and ideally there might even be a little bit of office and/or warehouse space; however, none of these are mandatory. I'm not turning up much in my searches on Craigslist or Loopnet that fits the bill. Mostly just finding huge warehouse or office properties rather than the dinky parking lot that we need. I feel like what I seek should be out there; when I scan google maps using satellite view, I see many empty sparse parking lots around, especially in some areas. Therefore I was thinking perhaps I could try to contact the owner of one of these properties, and ask if they had spare room for us in exchange for $1000 / month or so. Does this seem like a decent way to go about this, or is there a better way?

In either case, some guidance would be appreciated. If google maps lists the business on a particular parcel, I know I can just give them a call and see what I can find out. However, much of the time the parcel is not labeled. I know I could in theory search tax records online, but the search functions don't always seem terribly friendly, especially when I don't know the precise address; also, contact info doesn't seem to typically be listed. Any ideas?

thank you!

"Name that song in the commercial" question #5,684,273

lovableiago — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:02:56 -0800

Does anyone know the piano song in the Comedy Central commercial for the new season of "Workaholics"? Does anyone know the song in the commercial for the new season of "Workaholics"? It's the commercial where it's dubbed in French, I think, it's been running a bunch during the Daily Show and Colbert Report (but I can't even find the commercial online--at least I THINK it's Workaholics--I've been distracted with other tasks every time it's come on).

It's a lonely piano and sort of sounds melancholy and, well, French. I know I've heard it before, and it's bugging the heck out of me. I was able to plunk out the tune on a virtual piano and it said the notes were: E-41, G-44, F-42, E-41, B-36, A-34, B-36, C-37, G-32, E-29, E-29, E-29, E-29 (these last four notes are long and part of a chord) (if that helps at all). I can't Shazam it because they're talking over the music in the commercial.

Coke Is It!

davidmsc — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:49:10 -0800

Having no luck finding a video of a Coca-Cola commercial from the early to mid-80s - likely featured the lyrics, "Travelin' down a dusty road, goin' to meet a friend." I believe it only played in movie theatres before the movie started, not on TV. Any help?

What commercial was this?

holdenjordahl — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:21:09 -0800

this is driving me crazy. at least ten years ago, i remember a commercial for jeans. levis, lee, wrangler, i looked for them all on youtube, to no avail. it's about some white dude, t-shirt, jeans, picking up some african-american woman for a date at her family's home. it makes a big deal about how he's white and he's definitely seen by the neighboring dudes as an interloper. can anyone remember this and/or provide a link? thanks.

what commercial is this?

FireStyle — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:42:19 -0800

There was a really funny commercial about a year or two ago... a husband and wife are sitting at either end of a very long dinner table in a Victorian styled dining room. They were both waspy ... straight laced,prim and proper. After a moment the husband looks up to his wife and says in a monotone voice "happy.anniversay"if any one could link me to that YouTube video you will have fulfilled my Christmas wish!

Help me identify/fine a specific Honda Commercial

robverb — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:58:55 -0800

Help me find a specific Honda Commercial A friend at work was trying to tell me about a commercial she saw that she wants me to see. (not worth explaining why). I'm sure if I had a little more info I could find it online, but here's all she could give me: It's a guy talking to a salesman and (I think) the prospective buyer is talking about Honda features (e.g. warranty) and the salesman is trying to minimize them (i.e. Yeahh, warranties are no big deal or something like that). They have this conversation in kind of high pitched tone and it ends with the customer saying he'll go to the Honda dealer.

I've tried doing a search for Honda commercials, but I can't think of a way to narrow my search down. Hoping someone who has seen this spot can give me enough extra details (e.g. if it's for a specific model, or an exact quote from the spot) so that I can do a better search. Even better, if someone can point me to a link, that would be great.

Help me find the commercial for Federal IT services that includes a GLaDOS-like voice

gemmy — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 11:18:58 -0800

What is that radio commercial for Federal IT services that sounds like GLaDOS from Portal, and how can I find a copy of the ad? [Washington, D.C. area radio] Every so often while driving to work in the morning, I hear a commercial on the radio for a Federal IT services company. It plays on WTOP news in the Washington, D.C. area. The ad contains several instances of a synthesized female voice saying various things like I don't look fat in this network, do I? The ad started running after Portal 2 came out, and I'm pretty sure that it's riffing on the persona of GLaDOS in the game.

I would love to find a copy of this commercial, because it makes me laugh. But I can never remember what company they were advertising! It played on the radio again this morning for the first time in a while, but I couldn't find anything to write down the company with, and by the time I got to work I had forgotten. Now it's driving me crazy!

My questions are: 1. Which company are they advertising? 2. Is the ad available online somewhere? And I guess if possible 3. Was it intentional that it sounds like GLaDOS?

Long shot, I know. But thanks!

Looking for standard metadata definitions for commercial contracts

bottlebrushtree — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:11:08 -0800

Looking for standard metadata definitions for commercial contracts I'm working on a data interchange project that needs to store information about commercial contracts. We're looking for something like the Dublin Core but for contracts. Basically a set of standard terms / metadata like "expiration date" and "contract owner" that have already been hashed out by a committee.

Typical TVCs

dontjumplarry — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:27:37 -0800

What are some TV commercials of the past couple of years that showcase some of the cheesy tropes of American television advertising? I'm not looking for witty, award-winning Superbowl ads but rather the formulaic, middle-of-the-road, ubiquitous ones.

For example, Pantene Pro-V commercials with lustrous chestnut hair being penetrated by 3D molecules; or Olive Garden commercials with white suburban families laughing as forks plunge into steaming plates of alfredo pasta.

(I'm not in the US, hence why I'm asking).

What commercial things can I do with my artist loft?

ErikH2000 — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:16:38 -0800

How do I figure out what I can do with my weirdly zoned artist loft? I live in a leased "artist loft" which is in an area in Seattle zoned for industrial use. This particular building has been granted an exception to the zoning rules for residents that use the space for creative purposes. All of the paperwork I've dug up is on the ambiguous side. There is essentially an asterisk next to my building noting that it's a bit different.

I have a lot of different ideas on ways to use the space commercially, e.g. run a small theater inside it. In fact, I could tailor my ideas to the rules if I just knew what they were.

The person who would know a lot of answers to my questions is my landlord, since he's lived in and managed the building for decades, and made agreements with the city to get work/live units in the building. I'm reluctant to go to him for two reasons: 1. He might give answers that are more in line with his desired use of the building instead of what is available to me by law (city regulations, our signed lease) 2. It might cause him to increase my rent by more if he believes I'm more invested in the space. I'm not assuming I'll be in conflict with the guy, and I wouldn't start something important that relied on being kept a secret. I just suspect it is best to figure out what I can do first, before approaching the landlord.

Can you give me any advice here? Also, just advice on the type of professional I might want to contact is good too.

Come hang out behind the dairy twist with me and look at cars...or at least help me find the ad...

chiefthe — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:30:49 -0800

Looking for a 1999/2000 VW Jetta commercial where some dudes come up to a Jetta driver and ask him to join them to "look at cars" "behind the dairy twist". My Google and YouTube searching abilities are failing me.

Description of the ad as I remember it:

A guy stops to get gas at night for his Jetta. Two rather sketchy looking guys come up and say with a German (?) accent something like "nice car" then proceed to say "On Wednesdays we hang out behind the dairy twist and look at cars. Maybe you should come?" Awkward pause as the driver realizes his wallet and car aren't going to be stolen. He then responds "Sure"

My husband and I quote this ad all the time, and I want to show it to some European co-workers, but cannot find it anywhere. From what I could find on message boards, it looks to be around the 1999/2000 time-frame, but could be a little earlier. A little help?

Brain Probe Causing Actions, & Falsely Thinking It Was Free Will

Eiwalker — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:44:47 -0800

I'm looking for videos of people having their brain probed by a brain surgeon, causing them do or say things, but where they invent "reasons" for why they did or said those things, falsely believing they acted out of free will. Basically, I'm looking for a video like the KAYAK brain probing commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flov7Q6pQNk, except that I want the patient to be awake and think s/he was acting out of free will.

Lost Deep Space Nine Commercial or Fabricated Memory?

WasabiFlux — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:39:42 -0800

I have a memory of Captain Picard announcing personnel transfers to Deep Space Nine at what might've been a press conference. Was it a commercial? I've searched many times over the years, but I've never found any evidence of a commercial or segment like this: Captain Picard is standing at a podium in a large room, seemingly at a press conference or some other gathering, announcing crew transfers (particularly Miles O'Brien) to Deep Space Nine.

I want to say it was a commercial. If it was, it would've been aired in 1992 or 1993. I would have been only 7 at the time.

Was it a commercial? Was it a scene that I've somehow missed in more recent rewatches? Was it some other special segment?

help me head for the mountains

griseus — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:07:09 -0800

Anyone know where I can find a (preferably clean) mp3 of the audio old "Head for the Mountains of Busch"(youtube link) ad/song?

What is the song in this Volkswagen commercial?

zempf — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:17:49 -0800

There is a Volkswagen Passat commercial I keep seeing lately with a song that sounds vaguely like a Budos Band song in the background, though I don't believe that's actually what it is.. but what is it? I can't find the commercial online anywhere because it's a pretty boring commercial by VW standards -- nothing clever about it, just your typical "show a bunch of shots of the car" commercial and then some text about buying a Passat for the low price of $X/month. Anyway, the music is something with a bunch of horns, kinda sounds 70's-ish, like it might be in the soundtrack to a Steve McQueen movie (I know, this isn't particularly helpful, but...) and I'd love to find it.

Fluid Robot

Capa — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 19:18:12 -0800

Help IDing a TV commercial involving a clear robot run by blue liquid OK, so I'm remembering a commercial where they've got a fairly tight shot of a robot's head. The camera is panning around slowly, with some cut shots of closer details. The robot may be seated, or it might even be a bust. The thing I remember most vividly is that the robot's outer covering is clear, revealing the inner workings which appear to be run by some type of blue liquid.

The design was very minimal and quite beautiful. Does anyone know what I'm describing?

Light my way to this song, Blue-nosed Guitar Man.

ifjuly — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:53:10 -0800

Rochester, NYers, Christmas music-ID buffs, or anyone familiar with Armand Schaubroeck: what is the song in the background of the classic House of Guitars Christmas television commercial? I grew up seeing the goofy claymation commercials for House of Guitars on TV every Easter and Christmas. I always liked the song in the Christmas commercial and probably should recognize it (it feels like a classic) but I don't, and I can't make out enough lyrics to figure it out via Google. (And I was surprised how hard to find online it was; that was the best version I could find and they don't even have the "Hop! Hop!" ad at all.) I'd like to know what it is once and for all so I can add it to my holiday playlist. Help!

I don't want to cook the recipes, I just want to laugh at them.

jocelmeow — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:08:16 -0800

"Chicken Diane in only 30 minutes!" Please help me track down the name of this 1980s-90s quick-recipe card subscription service advertised on U.S. television. So I have a predilection for accumulating Gallery of Regrettable Food-esque vintage recipes. While going through a recent acquisition (a 1960s Better Homes & Gardens cheese-themed cookbook with particularly lurid orange-toned photo reproduction) I was reminded of a commercial for a quick recipe card subscription service that was on heavy rotation probably in the late 80s to early 90s in the mid-Atlantic states. This was one of those deals where they send you an initial pack of cards, then more on approval periodically.

The Chicken Diane quote above the fold is my main recollection, though I know that throughout the commercial, various dish names and their cooking times were part of the voice-over. Sadly, I have no recollection of the name of the series and copious Googling has raised neither the commercial nor the cards themselves. It's not the NY Times 60 Minute Gourmet series. Hive mind, does anybody else out there have a better memory about this than I?

Identify these armless armchairs

billtron — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:30:29 -0800

Help me identify the grey chairs that are being moved at 0:03 in this Home Depot commercial. I wants them.

I understand the irony of this question.

2bucksplus — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:18:12 -0800

Looking for the song from a recent Bing commercial (sigh). I'm usually so good at finding this on my own. I've seen the commercial often on both Hulu and Vimeo (or possibly another video host). It was also in front of the video on this article (though now it is a different Bing commercial).

The song features a high pitched female singer who is difficult to understand, saying something like:

Having trouble
saying what I need to say
to you

[then the chorus of female singers comes in]

Dum dum dum
Du-dum dum duuuuuuum
Dum dum dum

The song is pretty lush and features horns, possibly a saxophone.

Which hybrid car advertisement is this?

smangosbubbles — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:26:35 -0800

Help me find this hybrid car commercial. It's from the past five years, and features flowers that pop up as the car drives along. Things I know:
-It's not this 2010 Toyota Prius ad or this 2006 Honda Civic ad
-I don't remember the car manufacturer, though my mind keeps supplying Honda or various American manufacturers (and shying away from thinking it's a Prius ad)
-The flowers looked like they were made from paper, and emerged as the car drove along
-I don't think there were any people in the ad, and it seemed very charming
-I can completely eliminate 2011 as a year, because I haven't watched any TV commercials this year, and I've definitely seen it on TV (many, many times)

It's probably really obvious, but I still haven't found it after an hour of searching, so I'm turning to the hivemind.