Seen this Town & Country commercial?

**MrJones** · October-28-10, 12:56 AM

It's played 20 times a day for a month. It looks like the meaning was reworked after they filmed it.
Three kids ask a smaller kid, Tyler, if he wants to race home. He takes off running ahead of them finally diving head-first into his Mom's open rear cargo door and it starts to lower itself like an inverted drawbridge. As mom backs out, little Tyler sticks his tongue out at his buddies.
It looks to me like he is escaping some bullies, but they had second thoughts and made the theme "I'll race ya home".
Anyone else noticed this? I know I've thought too much about it...

**gazhekwe** · October-28-10, 05:48 AM

I noticed it too. Strange.

**wolverine** · October-28-10, 08:22 AM

Initially, that was what I thought he was trying to do....get away from the bullies The car would be "safe."

Noticed on hulu the other day the commercial seemed like it had been edited to correct this impression.

**Crystal** · October-28-10, 08:30 AM

To be honest, I was always uncomfortable that the Mom did not know Tyler was in the vehicle until after she started to back up. Made me wish the vehicle had a collision warning sensor.

[[Isn't it funny the things people notice in an ad?)

**Leroy Hoard** · October-28-10, 08:31 AM

That's the problem with kids today. Instead of getting excercise and competing in a foot race, this lazy punk kid cheats by grabbing a ride home from his mommy.

**Corn.Bot** · October-28-10, 09:21 AM

My first impression of the "story" portrayed in this ad was also that the littler kid was being challenged by bullies; and basically he scored one over on them by escaping into his mom's vehicle. Story does lose something due to poor editing or perhaps last-minute re-working and comes across as disjointed. Plus I don't much like the tongue-sticking-out thing: IMO it's a unnecessary gesture of rudeness that is wasted since it seems like the bigger kids don't even realize he's in his mom's van until it's passing them. The little guy's nyah-nyah-neener-neener point would have been more obvious if he'd stuck his thumbs in his ears and wagged his fingers at his purported tormentors.

**jcole** · October-28-10, 10:18 AM

All I can think of when I see that commercial is, after the point when he sticks his tongue out at the other boys, 'They're still gonna beat your ass tomorrow, kid'

**jackie5275** · October-28-10, 10:29 AM

I thought the kid's name was Parker. I can't really understand how what's supposed to be happening in the commercial makes you want to buy the vehicle.

**Ray1936** · October-28-10, 10:41 AM

Most car commercials are thoughtless and aimless. I particularly hate the ones where the vehicles are driven in a reckless manner, such as doing donuts or skidding around a corner. Great fodder for young minds who see those commercials. And why do they always spray paint over the license plate?

I don't know who's fault it is....the auto companies or the ad agencies. But I guess they think infantile advertising works.

**OriginalG313** · October-28-10, 11:06 AM

I wonder why the van rear door was up prior to the little boy approaching.

**cman710** · October-28-10, 11:07 AM

I guess the fact that the ad generated a forum topic is one sign that it succeeded in getting people's attention. Whether it helps sell cars is another matter!

[[I also had the thought about the mom not knowing the kid got in the car until he was in there. What if she ran him over backing up?)

**old guy** · October-28-10, 11:34 AM

Actually, as the mother is backing out of the driveway, another car is driving down the street and she hits the breaks. It looks like they're trying to show that it does have a back-up sensor. Other than that, I agree, it's a weird ad. I have a hard time believing that kid, carrying a back pack the size of a German Shepherd can out run the other kids. I also wonder where the mother is waiting for him. Is it some random driveway or is it home. If she was taking him somewhere as soon as he got home, why didn't she just pick him up at school? Mostly, I can't believe I've spent so much time analyzing this ad or that other people have too. God help me. I need to shut the TV off.

**Parkguy** · October-28-10, 11:37 AM

My wife and I were talking about this commercial the other day. Does Mom always back out of the driveway with the back end open? Was the kid hoping to get a ride part of the way home to win the race, and just happened to see his Mom in someone's driveway with the back end open? Did she always wait for him at this spot so he could pull the smooth sliding jump into the back end with his backpack on? Did she have a standing arrangement with the owner of the driveway to wait for her kid there? What Mom lets a kid do that, then climb over the back seat to get his belt on? Is this where the phenomenon of the Soccer Mom eventually leads us?

Stosh · October-28-10, 12:56 PM

I saw this commercial when it first aired, it was originally about the kid was going to get his ass beat.

I supposed that change came about from complaints.

**Funaho** · October-28-10, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

I saw this commercial when it first aired, it was originally about the kid was going to get his ass beat.

I supposed that change came about from complaints.

Might have something to do with the It Gets Better project and the recent string of bullying-related teen suicides.

**wolverine** · October-28-10, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by cman710

I guess the fact that the ad generated a forum topic is one sign that it succeeded in getting people's attention. Whether it helps sell cars is another matter!

[[I also had the thought about the mom not knowing the kid got in the car until he was in there. What if she ran him over backing up?)

But it can also be telling about the company. Show's there's incompetence in getting a product marketed correctly. Hulu divides most shows with just one ad. It was this one, and I've seen it multiple times. Yet, I couldn't remember the car company until I saw this ad. I was so hung up with thinking, man someone really messed this one up. Usually I don't really notice these things or care, but it looks like plenty of people are on the same page here.