Get it, got it, now get your ads off the air

Ahh, yes. The irony of a television ad for TiVo. Utilizing the very medium you're obsolescing. Targeting the last bastion of regular TV viewers who lack the TiVos they need in order to fast forward through TiVo ads. Haven't you harmed television advertising enough, TiVo? Haven't you wrought enough pain on the business of marketing? Apparently not, because you went and did this:



Does your television "get" you? I mean, does it really "get" you? In that special way only an electronics product can "get" you? Does it "get" you in the sense that only a super-nebulous, super-unmeaningful word like "get" "gets" you? If not, you should consider "getting" a TiVo. And you should consider using the word "get" 5 times in 30 seconds.

This baseball version is the most egregious of the campaign's many ads, particularly for people who like baseball. It just leaves you with a sour taste for the sport.

(My Tivo) knows that I like baseball, so it records everything with the word 'baseball' in it.

"All right, my TiVo gets me and it recorded the Giants game. They're my team. And it recorded Baseball Tonight, too. I love Baseball Tonight. Man, I am being seriously gotten by my TiVo. Oh wait, it also recorded the A's game. I hate the A's. Oh, and the Braves game on TBS. And the Cubs game on WGN. What the hell, I didn't realize that when I set it to record everything with the word 'baseball' in it that it would actually record everything with the word 'baseball' in it. I thought my TiVo was a sentient being that was capable of understanding my television desires, or, more simply put, "getting" me!"

Do you seriously have data that show people use this feature, TiVo?

Woman (come-hitherly): Honey...
Man (raising eyebrows and TiVo 'antennae' or whatever they are): ... and I can pause anytime.

Are you sure you want to pause? You haven't given your TiVo a chance to "get" your sexual appetite.

And the whole antennae thing. Not much to mention except this it's just sort of gross and fake-looking. I can't wait until TiVo starts paying people to wear black antennae and pass out coupons in the street. Or maybe direct marketing is too cutting-edge for them -- after all, they're happy to put their ad dollars into :30 spots.

Tagline (in voiceover and on screen): My Tivo gets me.

Was this necessary? We "got" the message the first 4 times you said it.

There are more of these ads, including one randomly featuring Gene Shalit, to prattle on about, but, why?