We’re not sure quite what to make of MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER’s spot promoting season two of Netflix’s original series Grace and Frankie with a reference to what some quick Googling reveals to be the show’s running yam lube joke (we’ve never seen it).
Ostensibly an ad for “farm to vagina” yam lube, the spot opens with a voiceover proclaiming “I am a thunderstorm after years of drought” as an old woman dances onscreen, followed by a whispered “yam lube.” The product in question is character Frankie Bergstein’s (a hippie art teacher played by Lily Tomlin) all natural lubricant and the spot finally nods to the character (and the show, via a hashtag) at its conclusion.
For fans of the show, it serves as a reminder that season two is now available for streaming (in a way they aren’t likely to forget). For viewers who haven’t seen the show, meanwhile, it’s certainly an attention-grabber…and sort of a bizarre point of entry. Not having seen the show, we can’t really say if the humor of the ad fits its tone, but we do see how it could inspire curious (in a “WTF was that?” kind of way) viewers to watch at least one episode or two.
And a fake ad for a fictional product from the show (we think?) is kind of a clever idea. It follows MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER’s recent effort for Method, which saw the agency staging some quite memorable messes.