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Ad of the Day

Dr Pepper "Dr. Love"

Brand: Dr Pepper Soft Drink
Agency: Deutsch, Inc.
Review Date: April 10, 2009

For the sake of future archaeologists, let's hope this Dr Pepper Cherry spot via Deutsch/LA isn't the only artifact of our civilization to remain extant a millennium from now. They'd be hard-pressed to decode a culture in which a man with a bizarrely painted face told people to trust him because "I'm a doctor." For those of you whose pop-cultural literacy doesn't extend to nicknames for members of the band Kiss, it seems that vocalist/bassist Gene Simmons - the star of this spot -- is known as "Dr. Love." And that earns him a gig here as the latest "doctor" to endorse Dr Pepper, following Julius "Dr. J" Erving and Kelsey "Dr. Frasier Crane" Grammer. Actually, what we're seeing here is a spot within a spot, as Simmons' son Nick walks into view and asks him to tone down his typically over-the-top performance. The subsequent humor comes from watching Simmons speak his lines in a deadpan voice -- despite his outlandish appearance and the background pyrotechnics. Meanwhile, some viewers (I mention no names, least of all my own) will feel Simmons and the soda are upstaged by the three extremely decorative women shown sitting around him. If he's a "doctor," are they "nurses"? --Mark Dolliver

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Overall rating:

(2.88

) Good

33 Comments

1. David Ogilvy comments:

September 22, 2009

No laughs. No insight. No talent. The only people who would lift their eyelids to peruse this steaming dog dropping are fans of this simple-minded pyrotechnic carnival barker and his dim witted family. Hell of a target market.
2. razr comments:

May 18, 2009

Please...
3. The Critic comments:

May 14, 2009

Get rid of the kid. He's so annoying.
4. redcone comments:

April 15, 2009

Seriously, you don't get Dr. Love? First of all there's the song "Calling Dr. Love"( any KISS fan would catch that right away) then there's the cherry popin' daddy himself talking about smoothness. That alone is redonky-dickulous. Great spot. It's Funny. Keep 'em commin'.
5. the final word comments:

April 14, 2009

shite.
6. the final word comments:

April 14, 2009

shite.
7. Having Fun comments:

April 14, 2009

It's a fun televison commercial. Probably not meant to be high art. Haters: Respect your colleagues. At some point, many of the good ones in the ad industry cross paths.
8. The cat's meow comments:

April 14, 2009

This spot is brilliant!
9. honest comments:

April 14, 2009

woo hoo! Old Agency vs New Agency. This is fun to read. Lemme guess... the old agency hates it. The new agency loves it.
10. montel comments:

April 14, 2009

bring back the line dancers and the Dr. Pepper jingle.
11. stopit comments:

April 13, 2009

This spot is painfully bad. Not because it's unfunny, or because it uses a cliche "c" list celebrity, or because loaded with lame puns. It's painfully bad because it doesn't make sense. Dr. Pepper has a kiss of cherry? Trust me I'm a doctor? Drink it smooth? There are three horrible briefs at the heart of this deformed mess. I'm sure the client had a huge role in creating this Frankenstein of a campaign, but the agency is guilty as well.
12. WindyCity comments:

April 13, 2009

Horror has a point. This ad is for the masses, instead of a bunch of ad jerk-offs who sit around coming up with jokes that do nothing for their client's business. Here's an ad that will definitely get noticed and make people laugh, AND think about Dr. Pepper. Well done.
13. soljaboy12 comments:

April 13, 2009

maybe the worst soft drink campaign ever. stop it. please.
14. Siskel comments:

April 13, 2009

Everybody's a critic - even people who can't take two seconds to google 'Gene Simmons, Dr Love' to discover (aka fact check) that "Calling Dr Love" is a famous KISS song. I give 5 stars to the ad and -5 to Mr. Dolliver's clueless critique.
15. Crackpot comments:

April 13, 2009

Love it or hate it - the spot got you all talking. And I'd wager that Gene Simmons, rock 'n roll, pyrotechnics and hot women also grabbed the attention of the teen dudes to whom the spot's no doubt targeted.
16. Horror comments:

April 13, 2009

I agree with Boo, Pull The Plug, Enough Already, Less and the rest. This spot is a turd. A big fat steamy turd. Take a bite DoctorTragus! It's cliche, derivative, unfunny advertising for the brain dead masses.
17. DoctorTragus comments:

April 13, 2009

Dear Boo, Pull the Plug, Enough Already, less and the rest of the negative-nancy smack talkers, Way to offer up a constructive, thoughtful critique. I hope everyone else on this thread can learn from how you shared your eloquent, articulate thoughts on the spot up for discussion. I'm glad that you so obviously assert your superiority by not pulling any cheap punches. One day I hope to be like you. As for the spot, I really dig the absurdity of Gene Simmons in his make-up deadpanning the line, that makes for good TV. And, I happened to listen to the music over the opening and end cards, in which "Dr. Love" is played, so I got why they used Gene Simmons.
18. Adwank comments:

April 13, 2009

funny spot. certainly better than the crap pepsi put out there. Or gatorade for that matter.
19. M comments:

April 13, 2009

I love this spot! Awesome energy and creative along with the song...couldn't be more perfect! Oh and to the "Jay Chiat" comment- Jay Chiat died years ago so unless he is speaking from advertising heaven...
20. Jay Chiat comments:

April 13, 2009

Let's all get over ourselves and remember that this is just advertising. The spot's funny, attention getting, and people will remember it. It does its job well. It's easy to make fun of each other's work, or brag about what you would have done better, but remember that what we create is something most normal people choose to ignore. It's not art. It's not that important. And your work isn't going to get any better by making fun of it. N
21. boo comments:

April 13, 2009

Hack client. Hack agency. Hack spot.
22. E-wonder comments:

April 13, 2009

Love it!
23. Senorita Sassy Pants comments:

April 13, 2009

I'm not a real KISS fan but I love this commercial. It's hilarious. Nick steals the show and Gene's face is priceless. It's fairly clear from the lyrics why they chose Gene as the latest doctor: "They call me Dr. Love..."
24. snot nose kid comments:

April 13, 2009

What is wrong with you people. More engaging???What do you think the explosions are for? Soda pop plus KISS is advertising gold. ya'll keep drinking the haterade.
25. Zzzzzzz comments:

April 13, 2009

Wake me, I'm bored... Way to use celebrities Deutsch. Got any ideas? Smooth...
26. Pull The Plug comments:

April 13, 2009

Paging Dr. Kervorkian ... please.
27. Sssadow comments:

April 12, 2009

I kind of like the whole "trust me, I'm a doctor" theme, but they could have made this particular spot more engaging, I think.
28. David comments:

April 12, 2009

I think it captures attention well enough, but it strikes me as old and tired. The fact that they're sitting doesn't help either. Dr Pepper needs to be bold and new not old and tired.
29. Enough already comments:

April 12, 2009

Once again, Deutsch LA delivers embarrassingly pathetic creative. It makes you wonder if the guy/guys with their hands on the wheel of the creative department actually thing they're doing good work. Who knows....
30. less comments:

April 11, 2009

This ad is weird and lame
31. Bigdog comments:

April 11, 2009

Hey Mark, don't spew nonsense if you don't know what you're talking about. I bet you're a water drinker who thinks soda is BAD. This ad is great and gets people's attention...just as it's intended to. ..."the director walks into view"...what a joke of a reviewer.
32. The Voice Of Doom comments:

April 11, 2009

WTF?? That's the best "doctor" they can pull out of their a$$? Who could possibly be the next, and even less relevant, doctor? Dr. Zhivago? Dr. Alan Keyes? Maybe Mike Myers in a "Dr. Seuss" rip-off?? I shudder at the mere thought. Complete waste of perfectly good marketing dollars.
33. Jim comments:

April 10, 2009

That is not the director. That is his son Nick (who berates his father constantly in the Gene Simmons Family Jewels series an A&E) which makes the spot even more to the point. gene is larger than life, but he doesn't need to be because the drink is large enough on its own. THAT is drive of the spot. If you're going to critique television, you need to watch it more.