I Love Local Commercials

Local commercials have a unique charm. Absent production values, ad-agency guidance, a budget or, often, common sense, the results can be endearingly bad. Two filmmakers with an appreciation for such train wrecks are accepting nominations for businesses in need of a quirky local commercial of their own, documenting the absurdity on their website, I Love Local Commercials. (See the 50 best websites of 2009.)

The duo, North Carolina comedians Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, say they have a camera and plenty of ideas — they just need a business to film. They've produced six spots so far, for establishments ranging from a cosmetology school to a Cuban gynecologist turned car salesman. (Really.) The results are predictably absurdist, and local businesses have proved more than happy to play along — several hundred have nominated themselves for a spot.

The video that's gotten the most attention is the one for Cullman Liquidation, featuring a brutally honest owner and a memorable tagline: "Come get yourself a mobile home. Or don't. I don't care." The 1 min. 20 sec. spot's a little bloated to actually run on TV, but who cares? More than 700,000 people have viewed the clip online. That's probably nearly as effective as an actual ad on local TV.

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