I'm sitting there, idly watching Paula Deen on the Food Network — hey, I like butter; don't judge me — and this State Farm commercial comes on. Almost as soon as Michael Jackson's angelic young voice starts belting out "I'll Be There," water starts leaking from my eyes. Here's the spot:
Now, I don't mind a well-made commercial, but the last thing I expect to do during a commercial break is try and hold back tears. I almost resent this kind of emotional sneak attack: I should get some kind of warning. Especially when it's not Olympic season, when I know that companies from McDonalds to Home Depot will concoct ads that zero in my sports sweet spot, like this Visa spot that left me a wreck:
Does it bother you when tearjerker ads pounce on you like a beast in the night, or does the surprise, momentary release come like a warm blanket?
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I admit it. I had seen the first commercial before, but the second one totally caught me offguard and had me bawling like a baby.
The worst are the dog commercials with Sara McLaughlin. I have to change the channel when those come on…
The worst are the dog commercials with Sara McLaughlin. I have to change the channel whenever those come on…
I’m so glad I’m not the only one cried a little when I saw that State Farm ad. It slowly gets you and then they show the lady in the wreakage of her burned home and that’s where I let a tear escape. The second and third time I saw it, I did better because I knew what to expect.
I agree … The dog commercials get me everytime. Anything with dogs bring the water works.
i love a good tearjerker in any format.
the worst (in a good way) are the purina ones with david duchovny – “I know I am a good dog. And I just want a home.” Lord!
The ad that used to always get me was the old Alzheimer’s Society one with the song “Stand By Me.” I don’t really like tearjerker commercials — it’s like a drive-by smack in the face that you aren’t ready for, and then you’re back to watching The Price Is Right. How the frak do you deal with that? I prefer tearjerker shows, which at least give you an hour to process.
The State Farm ad is a doozy. The one that always gets me though, are the ASPCA commercials with Sarah McLachlan. I can’t stop from crying when those come on.
Like a few of the other posters here, the Sarah McLaughlin ASPCA commercials choke me up. I feel like I’m watching the climatic scenes in ‘Terms of Endearment’ or ‘Steel Magnolias’ again. VERY effective….
the lexus commercials. “A moment to laugh, a moment to cry…”
the smattering of images always get at me.
that visa commercial is a tear jerker for sure.
It seems that everytime I watch a Yankees game, I am forced to endure endless anti-smoking ads filled with smokers and their nauseating deformities. There is, for example, this black woman whose had most of her fingers and toes amputated and seemingly is delighted to show off her repulsive, stump-ridden hands and feet. And what about that f%$ker with the hole in his throat that talks like a robot? F%$k him and the horse he rode in on.
the redmond commercial is one of my top 4 commercials of all time because i watched that moment live at the olympics. i’m sure a coke and anheusuer bush ad will score two of my other top spots because no one does it better than those guys. i’ll leave the last spot open for a wanderer.
… but no, i don’t mind a tearjerker commercial.
Noah Wyle’s ad to help save polar bears is insanely sad.
There was a Hallmark commercial with an elderly woman who went to the mailbox each day and never got any mail. Her neighbor across the street noticed, and sent her a card one day. Put me in tears every time I saw it.
I am a sucker for tearjerk commercials – I can’t get enough of them. Nearly every Hallmark commercial has made me weepy, so did a lot of the old Kodak film commercials. Baseball commercials hit me hard – my sister(RIP) spent a lot of time at games it was our thing. The first time I saw that Olympic one, I couldn’ t stop crying for 5 minutes.
The old coffee commercial when Peter surprises every one at Christmas is a classic crying one for me
I don’t remember what company or group the commercial is for but man the commercial is a prom scene and they are about to announce the prom queen. Cut to the winner and it’s a girl with down syndrome and everyone is clapping for her. Oh dear god I’m getting teary eyed just thinking about it.
Alot of people beat me to it but I fall apart inside and feel like bawling my eyes out when I see the ASPCA dog commercials with Sarah singing ” In the Arms of the Angels ” sad, sad, sad… I wish I could help them all.
I hate these types of commercials – they are completely artificial and manipulative. Cannot believe anyone actually falls for this crap.
The Hyundai spot with the kid at the Pinewood Derby race winning with the car he made himself beating “dad-made” cars. The look on his face always kills me.
Karen you think neglected dogs is artificial and made up? I bet you dont know how many are put down because they never get owners. Have some heart if your going to post about things like this. And they are trying to get a message across you stuck up witch.
The ASPCA commercials with Sarah McLachlan make me bawl every time.
both of these made me cry…
There’s only 1 commercial that has gotten to me. Maybe it’s because I served in the Army. The Budweiser Airport commercial. All the people in the airport start clapping when the soldiers pass by. Class commercial.
Does anyone else find it odd that Michael can’t find work in the US but they will sell the child he used to be over and over again? On the other hand, most people remember what the commercial was pushing which makes it more effective than some others that don’t make you cry.
The commercial that always sticks with me is the Budweiser Clydesdales commercial that they aired during the
Super Bowl after 9/11. They show the NYC skyline and the horses all kneel. Talk about emotional.
I will always tear up at this old Canadian Tire ad, “The Bicycle”. It’s iconic in Canada – so much so that when Canada Post issued stamps commemorating Canadian Tire’s 75th anniversary, they depicted this ad. Seriously, just watch it, especially the look on the kid’s face at 0:55 – it made me tear up watching it again just now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJlOoqCoYpk
Anytime they show that Derek Redmond moment with his father (news/sports stories) it leaves me in pieces.
As far as commercials go, this Nike one (made after the Red Sox broke ‘the curse’ and finally won the World Series in 2004) does it for me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2JbRYrmf74
And I’m not even a Red Sox fan (go Blue Jays)!
The KLEENEX “Let It Out” commercials from a few years back made me cry. At a movie theatre.
oh my god I cried every single time that visa commercial aired.
Sarah McLaughlin ASPCA commercials.
Or any SPCA commercials.