I can’t recall exactly how my roommate introduced to me the latest commercial to take advantage of my tendency to be over-emotional about television, but it might have been something along the lines of “Hey, want to cry?” To which I replied: “Duh, always.” Had she not been wielding a computer, I might have interpreted her query as a threat, but instead I knew I was in for the latest addition to my “Favorite commercials ever” playlist on YouTube.
Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) was clearly shooting for tears with this advertisement for iPhone 4‘s FaceTime, and thanks to the Louis Armstrong song, the soldier/wife video chatting, and the “I Love You” in sign-language, he landed somewhere between tissue-worthy and ugly cry.
In all, this commercial lands at No. 4 on my list of commercials that prove I’m not a droid. My top three are below. Share yours in the comments, PopWatchers!
No. 3 – This recent Kodak commercial, a.k.a. the only 30 seconds in my life that I’ve desired to have a child of my own.
No. 2 – This Peace for Dogs PSA that I first saw during the dog fighting episode of Bones last year.
No. 1 – This Peruvian Cancer Society commercial that won an award at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in 2005.
The “Embrace Life” Sussex Safer Roads ad is the most beautiful (and tear-inducing) commercial I have ever seen.
Oh wow. Those are AMAZING.
Oh my god – that last one has me tearing up at my desk, quick where are the tissues??!?
Wow. No kidding. That was something else.
I loved that last one. It was beautiful.
Why does that guy look so much like Matt Damon?
I’m not sure if you mean the soldier, but if you do, James Franco was actually my first thought.
Yeah, same. People always say my husband looks like James Franco, and he looks exactly like the soldier (but with blonde hair).
Deaf boy is HOT.
I kept seeing a skinny Matt Damon — maybe it’s his brother?
It is Ryan Lane a deaf actor.
The Visa Olympics commercials, in particular the Derek Redmond and Dan Jansen, always get me misty eyed.
And yeah even if it is shameless promotion for a credit card.
Yeah, Dan Jansen always does it for me. That, and animals.
Ooh, my tear-inducing Olympics commercial was the one for Tide (I think it was) where it shows a bunch of children in team uniforms competing as Olympians, and it says “to their moms, they’ll always be kids”….oof. That got me every time.
Talking dogs are creepy, regardless of what they talk about (sorry, Marmaduke.) The other three were all very powerful. Back in the day, there used to be “Hallmark Hall of Fame” movies which had tear-jerking Hallmark Card commercials… I’d watch for the commercials.
i think the pedigree shelter dog commercials are really quite emotional – and no talking dogs.
Like the one with the old lady across the street who never gets mail … until her little boy neighbor sends her a card.
Any commercial with dogs makes me weep, and makes me want to hug our two dogs, Gobias and Lenny.
Please tell me that you named your dog “Gobias” as in, “go buy us some coffee”!
What else would he be named after?
My husband also wants to name a daughter after Lucille 2, which is reason #2091 we should never have children.
And our other dog is named after Lenny Bruce. I think it’s safe to say we are a wee bit obsessed with pop culture.
Where is the french McDonalds one? That was so amazing!
I agree; although I should never have kids (I’ve already decided I’m going to parent them exactly like Lucille Bluth) that commercial makes me go “AWWW! Babies!”
Umm…I want kids for the express purpose of becoming Lucille Bluth. “I love all of my children equally. I don’t care for GOB.”
the google “parisian love” one really gets me too!
YES that one was my first thought.
Oh, I forgot this one! I loved that commercial. I teared up during our superbowl party, and my husband and his friends made fun of me mercilessly.
I always teared up at the Dawn ads rescuing wildlife, and that was before the oil spill. Now it hits me even harder.
The Dove Onslaught commercial, because my daughter is right on the cusp of it all. And the dog arthritis medicine ad with the dog growing from puppy to old dog trying to climb the stairs to see his now-teenage owner. Okay, I’m just about tearing up just thinking about it.
Outstanding! I STILL cry just talking about the Peruvian Cancer commercial. A beautiful piece of communication!
“whew” that was hard. I am at work so i have to keep it together great commercials!!
I’m glad I’m looking at these videos at home b/c I’m having a good cry right now.
I don’t see ANYBODY even RESEMBLING James Franco on these commercials! I think I just wasted 5 minutes of my time.
OMG! No2 make me well up with tears. It’s HORRIBLE! But in a heartfelt way.