I don't watch much television, so I am probably naive about what is considered acceptable these days. Last night, the commercial for Jimmy Johns sandwiches shown on our local NBC station during The Office shocked me as I haven't been shocked for a long time. It depicts a Columbine school massacre with masked terrorists shooting up a school as children and teachers scream and try to hide. While cowering under a desk, a teacher pulls out a cell phone and calls for a sandwich delivery from Jimmy Johns. The delivery boy shows up, and the terrorist rips off his ski mask and says, "Who ordered Jimmy Johns?"
Is nothing over the limit these days? What's next, an ad for shampoo that keeps hair looking gorgeous through a 9/11 disaster? A spot remover that can take the blood and brains off Jackie Kennedy's jacket?
Since the Supreme Court's ridiculous decision giving First Amendment free speech rights to corporations, such despicable advertising is legal and cannot be made illegal. But there is no law that says I have to eat Jimmy Johns sandwiches, ever again. And I won't. Here's the ad, if you have a strong stomach:
25 comments:
I haven't seen this one, and I don't want to! But they have another one that leaves a bad taste in my mouth too: it's a spoof on the Onstar commercials. Some guy is in a pretty bad accident with the vehicle flipped upside down, and the Onstar person says she has an ambulance on the way, and he tells her to order him something from Jimmy Johns too.
Here's a link to the one I mentioned if you want to see it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0RyzOY14Ik
If you Google "Jimmy Johns commercials", you'll see other people who are offended by their commercials too.
Gross!! someone ought to write them a letter. awful!
I'm not aware of Jimmy Johns but these stories are horrible. Vote with your dollar. Boycott Jimmy Johns for allowing sensationalistic shock marketing to sell a bloody sandwich. Making them a laughing stock is good, too.
Not sure how much of a difference this makes, but it's a bank holdup/hostage situation. Definitely *not* a Columbine reference. This is louder and has more gunfire, but there's a DirectTV (or something like that) ad with a similar premise (hey, I can program my DVR from my phone...)
You're right, Paul. Maybe it makes it a little less horrible if it's a bank robbery instead of a school shooting. I think when I saw black-hooded gunmen firing guns and people lying under furniture (I thought it was desks) and a victim making a cell phone call, my mind immediately associated it with Columbine. Sorry.
The owner of Jimmy Johns lives in Champaign. It is a local boy makes good story, for what that is worth. Also, my youngest son works at JJ, since it seems to be the only job he can get. I'm just saying. The new Eminem CD comes out today. I listened to it all yesterday. It is a long horror movie, with references to everything from Silence of the Lambs to Hannibal Lector, graphic, funny, self-conscious, obscene (and a little bit brilliant). Look at the popularity of the SAW movies and "torture porn." As long as (we older) people are "shocked, shocked" by these commercials and movies and music, they will continue to appeal and sell. It's not surprising that torture, suicide, and terrorism have become commercial. Is it? I'm not sure what good it does to express outrage at commercials, many of which sell products that are offensive to begin with. I'm completely sick of pharmaceutical ads which suggest symptoms and encourage unnecessary drug use.
This was in fact a bank robbery situation, and I know first hand as I was involved in the making of this commercial. It is meant to be humorous, and I believe it achieved that. Now you can either laugh at this commercial and make your day much better, or you can choose to take yourself way too seriously and add years of stress on to your life for worrying about things like this.
My husband and I saw this one and we too, were immediately alarmed. The violent forms of entertainment mirror reality so much that we are "immunized" It's getting too mixed up for thoughtful people but much more crazy and confusing for young minds trying to define RIGHT from WRONG.
We would like to request that Jimmy Johns and other commercial businesses take this "way more seriously"
You people are analyzing this way too much to see the humor in the randomness of someone ordering sandwiches in the middle of a bank hold-up.
Is it really that disturbing, Or just something else to whine about?
I have to say I love the Jimmy Johns commercial of the Mexican family all yelling in Spanish at the dinner table, when the dad orders Jimmy Johns and they're all little angels immediately. That one's brilliant.
awful, awful commercial...just saw it for the first time a couple of days ago
winny pussies
I would LOVE for Jimmy John's to comment (and stop showing these comercials)sssss. OnStar ~is~ a life saver and should not be used in such a manor to promote personal gain..
when ~anyone~ crashes that has "on star" the help should NEVER be comprimized by friverlas "requests". Jimy John'saddthat ~suggests~ that OnStar can be used to order sub sandwich during a ~rescue~ or otherwize is just GARBAGE!!! a useless ~stupid~ use of valuable resourses!
Jimmy Johns...you just LOT a customer, and any potentential future customer that I can reach!
columbine? come on. CLEARLY a bank. Don't be such prudes! don't you think you are all being a bit over dramatic? Do you just search you tube for the first video you can incorrectly analyze and bitch about? there are so many other things in this world that are wrong and offensive and THIS is what you come up with? get a life!
What is going on here? Are you people serious? You can not tell the difference between real and make believe? It's funny. Get a sense of humor losers!
I work for a Jimmy Johns in Colorado (ironically), and i am also a freelance advertising copywriter. This commercial is awesome. All the ad is saying is that Jimmy Johns is SO fast, they can get their sandwiches to the bank before their demands are even met. Same with the one with the woman giving birth, and the jimmy johns driver gets there before her husband does. It's just good advertising, and the consumer who the ad is directed towards recognize that, thus thinking twice next time about going to Subway, or Silver Mine. I wish i had created this advertisement.
Thank God for fast service, keep doing what you doing JJ's.
It's not a school shooting---it's CLEARLY a bank robbery! Get a clue, dude.
It's not a school shooting, it's a bank robbery - no kids, no teachers, no one getting actually shot. The Die Hard movies were more "offensive" than this. What REALLY offends me is that you would lie to get more views on your crappy pointless blog. Why are you a liar, Crockhead? You lose all your credibility when you fabricate make-believe stories. What are you, a sniveling child? Need something to cry about, yes? Why don't you go walk out into traffic. Right now. Do your friends and family a favor.
Nice way to stretch the truth why dont you just tell the truth dude it's hilarious that you post the vid that you slam.... Not at all what u say it is lol shittalker
Disappointed by this post, as it's just made to rile up the older segment of the population over a fairly trivial if funny advertisement. To call it something it is not, that is sensationalizing, in the same way that the commercial is trying to sensationalize the delivery service...
I'm leaving all these anonymous posts up, even though they clearly come from the same person who seems to be obsessed with my little post, just so the rest of you can see what people with too much time on their hands use the internet for.
This person clearly is out for attention. Probably in the lamest and most ridiculous way ever. The whole attitude of Jimmy Johns is happy and nice their commercials are just for humor. Companies have done a lot worse. Don't put hate on something that's great.. all the people who agree don't see that it's easy to get lost track in someones emotions than reading between the lines and finding actual meanings behind things. Grow up. but then again this was a long time ago.
JJ is stupid for making these commercials when they only seem to insult our emergency forces. Among other things like having a Spanish speaking commercial on an English speaking station, dumb. Their food sucks anyway overpriced and small portions.
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