Friday Ad Haiku: Screamer Spots

You may call them screamers, barkers or the Mays/Lesko special. Frequently found on daytime TV and after midnight between the local personal injury firm and phone "party" line commercials--they're the bane of every copywriter's existence. They're the low budget ads that look like they were made 20 years ago by the graphic wizards behind Press Your Luck and Flash Gordon. But they pay a hell of a lot of bills while agencies and production companies alike await the greenlight for their next The Matrix, because let's face it, most people looking to make a commercial don't have budgets like Saturn or Toyota.

Your Friday Ad Haiku: The Screamer Spot

1-800-Call-
Us. 1-800-Call-Us.
1-800-Call-

Us. Visit us on
the Web at 1-800-
Call-Us.com. That's

1-800-Call-
Us. Call right now. Us. Today.
Call. Us.--Who cares if haikus only have 5 syllables in the final line. This commercial isn't airing in China. Let's work in the phone number one more time. 1-800-Call-Us...Call today.

--Captain Awesome, Copywriter

PS From people who've met Billy Mays and Matt Lesko, I've heard they're both pretty awesome guys.

Last Week on the Friday 5-7-5: Rush Jobs

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In Memorium: Hal Riney, 1932-2008

A different kind of ad guy.

He gave political ads an air of respectability...relatively speaking.

Gave wine coolers credibility...for a minute anyway.

Gave car buyers a new take on the American car company...however different it was.

And he gave the average copy shlub like myself a roadmap...even if I never have what it takes to follow it.

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