After These Messages Podcast

A chilling new ad campaign from BetterHelp.com leads Andrew and Genevieve to explore mental health in TV commercials...from ads touting therapy services, to tire commercials that use the old "psychiatrist couch" gag.

For a creature that might not exist, Sasquatches fill a surprisingly large niche in the advertising ecosystem. Andrew and Vieves review the many, many commercials that rely on these elusive forest apes.

The pandemic has created a dividing line between the before times and the now times. Nowhere is that divide more apparent than in the pre-COVID-19 commercials that are blissfully unaware of the coming apocalypse. Andrew and Vieves look at the before and after, plus a catchy jingle gets one Ad Councilor out of a jam.

As the quarantine drags on, Genevieve discovers a small silver lining as the increased TV time reawakens her love of commercials. She shares her discoveries with Andrew and the ATM Ad Council.

Apropos of absolutely nothing at all, Genevieve and Andrew take a look back at some of the best (and worst) hand-washing PSAs of all time. Also, Andrew learns that he was actually right about something!

What would brands say about themselves if they had to tell the truth? What constitutes "fast casual dining"? What the heck is going on with Golden Corral? Andrew and Vieves try to answer these questions and more in this week's After These Messages.

When advertisers need an out-of-touch, self-important boss, they go to one actor: national treasure Gary Cole. If you could tune in this week, that would be greeeeaaat.

They say all is fair in love and cola war, which explains these spokespeople who turned their coats and went over to the competition. This week, Andrew and Vieves consider commercials that reek of betrayal.

Billionaire presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is spending so much money advertising his campaign, that by the time it's over, there may be an ad for every man, woman and dog in America. This week, Andrew and Vieves are joined by Slate correspondent Justin Peters (@justinstrevett) who voluntarily subjected himself to 185 Bloomberg ads...and ranked them all!

Noted rap experts Andrew and Vieves grade the commercial pitching skills of the giants of hip hop, from Dr. Dre to Cardi B. Plus, a canine miracle really pays off for an Ad Councilor's university.

Celebrities were stacked wide and deep in this year's crop of Super Bowl ads. But despite the often pointlessly long call sheets, Andrew and Vieves were surprised to find that they mostly enjoyed this year's commercials. With some vociferous exceptions, of course.

Genevieve and Andrew take a sneak peak at the upcoming Super Bowl commercials, including a surprising mascot death and an Old Town Road tie-in that has Andrew very excited.

Marketing goes splat! as Andrew and Vieves look at the advertising trend of throwing stuff at products to prove how tough they are. The watermelon budget is through the roof this week.

As Andrew and Vieves delve into their favorite ads of the new year, they stumble headfirst into their complete lack of knowledge about all things Karate Kid-related. Plus, Stevia's like, made from plants, man.

As in life, so in art. Andrew and Vieves are celebrating their own anniversary, prompting them to look at companies that used a milestone anniversary to move product, with predictably mixed results. Plus, an Ad Councilor shares a surprisingly good ad for coffee.

With so much data being collected by the products we use, it seems inevitable that at least a few marketers would see a pitch in all those numbers. This week, Andrew and Vieves look at commercials that use stats to tell the story. Plus, they get an eye-opening look at a famous Old Spice ad.

It's the end of the year and like all "content producers," Andrew and Vieves try to create a list that recaps the year in their chosen medium. But unlike even the laziest producers, they tap out with a list of just four items. Oh well. At least there's some great Dunkin' Donuts news!

For people of a certain age (the age of Genevieve and Andrew), the Muppets will always have a special place in our hearts and wallets. This week, they talk about the many products that the Muppets have shilled for over the years. Plus there is a legit commercial in the news to discuss. And a new Folgers commercial just blew Andrew's mind.

Everybody's talkin' at Andrew and Vieves about the plethora of Christmas commercials that are filling the airwaves (or whatever it is the internet travels on). Find out which commercials are naughty and which ones are nice.

Andrew and Vieves look at the ways companies try to rely on their employees to put a happy face on their brands. They're also excited to claim their bragging rights about an ad they were way ahead of the curve on.

Andrew and Vieves look at some of the ways marketers try to sell the impossible dream of regularly exercising. Plus, a listener jingle ignites a hunt for a lost commercial.

Andrew and Vieves discover that there's a new trend in town: Commercials that capitalize on the backlash against social media, selfie culture and whatever else irritates boomers. Plus, some listener jingles force Andrew and Vieves to reckon with the phenomenon of incest porn.

Andrew and Vieves surf the information superhighway in search of ads that take place inside the tubes of the internet. Plus, a Canadian company proves that John Hamm CAN be a lovable jerk who sells products. But will Canada accept him?

All the world's a stage, especially in a show that's all about TV commercials. Andrew and Vieves consider actors acting like actors this week, plus Andrew scratches a dramatic itch he didn't even know he had.

Anti-heroes are all over modern media, and commercials are no exception. Andrew and Vieves examine what it takes to be a true commercial anti-hero and consider why we love the bad boys of advertising. Plus, Domino's somehow embarrasses itself even further, and someone from the internet has put all the insurance spokespeople into a helpful rubric.