After These Messages Podcast

It’s the third annual Bowlie Awards, and while it’s an honor just to be nominated, some will go home happy and some will go home empty-handed (the losers, that’s who). It’s the star-studded, all-singing, all-dancing, puppy-bunny-electric-vehicle extravaganza that is the Super Bowl commercials ep.

It’s once again Bowlies season as Andrew and Vieves prepare for the onslaught of Super Bowl ads with a look at the most (and least) intriguing teasers. Plus, it’s a topsy-turvy world when a commercial mime is endearing and vacation photos are a creep-fest.

Vieves and Andrew look at commercials that try to sneak some swear words past the watchful eye of the FCC. Plus, a battery mascot must reckon with its international alterego, and a powdered drink mix makes a play for the throne.

A naked publicity grab by a candy giant inspires Andrew and Genevieve to take a tour of the foot fashions of America’s most iconic advertising mascots. Plus, some light internet stalking really pays off, and an Ad Councillor can’t help but obey her thirst with a classic jingle.

Andrew quizzes Vieves on some of the world’s lowest-quality ads for pain, stain, and debt relief. Plus, licensing deals for children’s products got wild in the 90s, and an Ad Councilor makes a big score.

Andrew and Vieves hand out a host of ad-collades and admonishments to a crop of new(ish) commercials. Plus, a YouTube commenter throws Andrew for a loop, and Amazon works their dark magic once again.

Andrew and Genevieve look back at the personal milestones in their life in 2022 as told through TV commercials. Plus, a long defunct corporate social responsibility gambit is weirdly troubling.

Andrew and Vieves consider commercials that have everything from bathtubs to bombastic chefs crashing through the ceiling in an orgy of broken plaster and water damage. Plus, it’s the return of Nordic Tracks with exciting new scores to liven up exercise equipment testimonials.

A commercial classic inspires Andrew to try his hand at musical scoring, and a host of newly dubbed ads is a reminder that the 90s were a weird time. Plus, a UK soccer legend is hellbent on getting potato chips.

Vieves and Andrew are visited by the ghosts of holiday disasters past (and possibly present) as they consider ads that put the mess in Christmess. Plus, it’s a nostalgia-soaked BT-Dubs, and TikTok makes its first incursion into ATM territory.

Andrew and Vieves consider the depiction of female friendship in commercials that are selling everything from beer to baseball tickets, posing the question: if two women never talk to each other, do they pass the Bechdel test? Plus, they get outsmarted by a pizza commercial, and an SNL parody addresses an uncomfortable truth about fast food.

Vieves delivers on her promise to test Andrew’s knowledge of Buick models through the ages. Plus, Andrew unleashes a flood of new BT-Dubs and reflects on a time when “everything had to be a flashdance.”

What is it about a man in a cockpit? Andrew and Vieves look at ads featuring pilots who are selling everything from pancakes to perfume dispensers. Plus, the Ad Council reveals some dazzling deets about commercial mobsters, and Clint Eastwood joins forces with Paul Allen to redefine "books."

A surprising discovery about a vintage TV show inspires Andrew and Vieves to look at commercials that are well-connected…TO THE MAFIA! Plus, a cool kid goes to the dentist. And could a Geico actor be ready for her star turn?

In celebration of what may be the nation’s last free and fair election, Andrew and Vieves look at brands that invite customers to cast their vote, mostly in service of creating bizarre flavor profiles. Plus, Steven Weber is the human embodiment of the 90s, and even in retirement, Gronk is still MVP.

A current ad that leans on the inherent comedy of the mullet inspires Vieves and Andrew to interrogate whether the hairstyle can still be considered shorthand for dirtbag. Plus, an electronics superstore of yesteryear has Andrew looking into time travel, and a motel chain gets its hooks in an Ad Councilor.

Andrew and Vieves take a sugar-fueled trip down memory lane as they recall the Halloween candies of their youth and the commercials that made them so irresistible. Plus, an up-and-comer makes a car commercial, and Arnold does Japan.

Andrew and Vieves look at ads that rely on the easily-understood trope of the sports team clubhouse. From the pep-talking coach to the post-game interview, these ad wizards use every part of the locker room. Plus, it takes a village to operate a turkeysaurus, and Steven Bochco gets scatalogical.

Andrew and Vieves consider ads that rely on the trope of island castaways, leading to a remedial lesson in the Tom Hanks classic "Cast Away" for Andrew and some predictable pearl clutching for Genevieve. Plus, empty nesters get museum-quality horny, and sasquatch abuse goes too far.

Andrew and Vieves are falling all over themselves this week as they look at commercials featuring stumbles, tumbles and dives. Plus, a Camaro ad from the vault creates confusion, and a furniture store might be trolling us with pronunciation.