When Apple introduced its wireless AirPod earphones at its media event last week, there was immediate suspicion that these cute little gizmos might pose a particular problem for consumers. Conan O’Brien latches on to that criticism in very amusing style with the parody ad below—spoofing Apple’s famous iPod “Silhouettes” ads from the early 2000s.
If you’ve ever seen late-night mastermind Conan O’Brien venture into the real world and interact with the commoners, you know you’re in for a treat whenever it happens.
Turns out the head of Conan’s I.T. department, Chris Hayes, is a Taco Bell superfan, eating it at least three times a week. As Conan is a benevolent boss, he decides to make Mr. Hayes’ dream come true and take him to Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine, Calif.
We get an interesting glimpse behind the tortilla curtain, where we see how the magic happens. But more important, comedy ensues as Conan and Hayes rollick through the chalupa palace, interacting with food taste testers, trying new creations in the “Innovation Kitchen” as well as inventing new ones like Conan’s Irish-inspired concoction, “The O’Taco.”
It’s not all flattering to the brand, but it ends up putting the chain in a good light just because it’s so entertainingly honest. So, sit back and enjoy this hilarious tour of Taco Bell HQ, with your guide, Conan O’Brien.
This week, Conan O’Brien has been doing shows at Dallas’ Majestic Theater in anticipation of the NCAA Final Four. Although O’Brien may not have acknowledged it, the “Son of Conan” was there, too.
Conan O’Brien look-alike Greg Keating was in Dallas, ostensibly to “reconnect” with Conan O’Brien, but with a few ulterior motives up his sleeve. In a slick move, Johnson & Sekin approached Keating with the opportunity to promote American Airlines, Omni, DART mass transit, Dallas Comedy House and Raising Cane’s while O’Brien was in Dallas. Although it meant taking a few days off from school, the Temple advertising major and aspiring copywriter jumped at the opportunity to further his “pursuit of dad” while diving headfirst into the ad world and gaining exposure. He can be seen in the above clip, slyly promoting Raising Cane’s while on a Dallas morning news program where he explains he first realized he looked like O’Brien in third grade when a basketball coach referred to him as “Conan.”
“Johnson & Sekin was great because it was crazy fast and they had it all organized,” Keating said, adding “I’m not just saying that because I’ll be looking for an ad job.”
We’d be surprised if Keating doesn’t land himself a copywriting gig at an agency somewhere in the near future (I mean, who wouldn’t hire this guy?). But hey, if advertising doesn’t work out, he always has a future as a Conan impersonator.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
America's gangliest talk-show host takes on TV-commercial auditions in this skit. With the help of Killian's Workshop, Conan O'Brien—not always the most comfortable commercial endorser—reads some copy about shrimp that sounds like Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up act ("Is it 21 shrimp, or 21 shrimps?"), turns the Bite and Smile into an exploration of possibly being gay, and drives an invisible car—all while trying not to look like a total spaz. Which is to say, he tries very hard to look like a total spaz.
Thirteen minutes is a bit long for the concept they're running with here, but Conan's ruthless derision of corny ad tropes strikes gold more than once; the shrimp/shrimps-induced mental breakdown and naming the invisible car the "Ford Delusion" are two highlights. And for the record, both "shrimp" and "shrimps" are acceptable plurals.
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Conan O'Brien's fake iPad commercial, meant as a parody of the latest Apple spots, including the one on the Oscars, isn't exactly groundbreaking (porn? on computers? why, I never!). But the delivery is as funny and observant as one would expect from Coco. If only real Internet porn were this tasteful most of the time. Pay attention to the fast-moving category screens, too—there are some hidden gems in there. "Doin' It" and "Doin' It Big Time" were my favorites, but I think there's something in there for everyone. OK, in context, that sounds weird.
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