I'm not talking about the local ads, I'm talking national campaigns.

There have been a few good ones - Mazda's original "zoom zoom" commercials from a few years ago comes to mind, and Kia's hamster ads work for the targeted audience - but for the most part they are just awful.

I think VW is the worst offender in the bunch. They haven't had a campaign that has worked since the 80s. The new Jaguar ads work - but only because the car is so gorgeous. The new Lincoln ads try, but fail, although i give kudos to the one showing an old Lincoln in profile and cutting to the new crossover that seems to she an identical profile. Basically the only ones that work do so because I already lust after the car - the Jag, the ATS, etc. None of them do what ads are supposed to do, which is to make me consider a car I hadn't considered before.