Pepcid ad should give women heartburn A current Pepcid AC spot (doesn't appear to be available online), showing a man who suffers from heartburn in an airport about to recklessly eat a burrito, has one element that is ridiculously distracting. The ad shows the guy, an average, balding, overweight middle-aged man, in slo-mo about to take a bite of the burrito when his family panics and comes running to the rescue to stop him. His two kids look about right: teens or pre-teens, a son and daughter. Then there’s some blonde lady who’s about 20 years younger, and 75 pounds thinner, than Dad. Is that supposed to be his wife? His niece? The family’s au pair? Maybe a foreign exchange student?  She doesn’t look old enough to have kids that age, and doesn’t look like she would give the Dad the time of day, much less be married to him. The trend of dumpy fat guys married to thin, attractive women on TV sitcoms, such as King of Queens  or According to Jim  just extends to advertising, where women have to be eye candy but men get to look like regular schmos. Remember this show? Now that couple was realistic. If it were on today, John Goodman would be cast alongside someone like this. —Posted by Celeste Ward

December 9, 2005 | Permalink

Comments

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You have hit on a pet peeve of mine. (Ray Romano with HER, yeah, right). It finally struck me that we were seeing the life of a Hollywood writer/producer on screen. A schlump who never dated in high school suddenly finds that with a few points from the residuals of a syndicated sitcom, he magically becomes irresistable to the opposite sex, so the world must be like that, right? Go figure....

Posted by: Rick in Duxbury | Dec 9, 2005 1:23:54 PM

This is a peeve of mine, as well. And it seems to never stop.

There's one similar but slightly more disturbing element that really gets me - hot, oversexed babes attracted to animals, cartoon characters, and inantimate objects. The spot with the woman and the GEICO gecko whirling arm and arm is the first reference I can think of.

Posted by: Soraya | Dec 9, 2005 2:19:12 PM

I am glad to see I am not the only one with that particular peeve. Like the first commenter pointed out, someone obviously does not know how the real world operates. Actually, I used to watch Roseanne when it was on, and I always found it interesting the moments when Rosie and husband would be in bed, intimate or otherwise. Two regular people who loved each other through thick and thin. Try pulling that in the sitcoms today. It would not fly; I guess that's why it is escapist.

Posted by: Itinerant Librarian | Dec 9, 2005 3:28:42 PM

I am glad to see I am not the only one with that particular peeve. Like the first commenter pointed out, someone obviously does not know how the real world operates. Actually, I used to watch Roseanne when it was on, and I always found it interesting the moments when Rosie and husband would be in bed, intimate or otherwise. Two regular people who loved each other through thick and thin. Try pulling that in the sitcoms today. It would not fly; I guess that's why it is escapist.

Posted by: Itinerant Librarian | Dec 9, 2005 3:30:40 PM

It use to bug me and I can see why it bugs you. What changed my mind is when I married someone who is out of my league. What can I say... I'm livin'in the dream.

Posted by: Tim | Dec 9, 2005 5:47:51 PM

The woman in the spot looks to be in her 30's to me, the children arent teenagers yet. so it looks like it fits from where im sitting. And if you go out in the real world and look at people, the hottest people arent always matched up w/ other hot people. I have seen many families that look exactly like that. And she isnt a model or anything, she looks maybe 34 and a healthy weight.

Posted by: Scott | Dec 9, 2005 7:00:17 PM

I think this story may be the most subltle, cleverest and classiest click through enticement I've ever seen. Well done, I hope it sends a lot of business to VS.

BTW: You're spot on with the commercial analysis.

Posted by: Cannes Lions 2005 | Dec 9, 2005 8:59:40 PM

sorry - you all are wrong. Me, and all my brothers (4) are all married to complete hotties. We are all 250Lbs + and have kids.

so, sorry, the trend is there as often as you see it.

Posted by: Jonathan | Mar 20, 2008 3:46:25 PM

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