I find this guy interesting in his persona as pitchman. It's so weird that he's been doing it for nine years. That's a very long time, especially when I think about where I was nine years ago. I guess ad campaigns that big and aged have a contorted life of their own and they mutate over the years. I remember seeing some of 'The Test Man's' ads recently and all he sorta does is raise his eyebrows or make some ironic hipster facial spasm. It seems like he barely speaks at all anymore, let alone delivers his signature catchphrase. The company just assumes we all know who he is and what he represents, whereas if someone somehow came to these ads with fresh eyes, they'd probably be confused about this oddly significant, oddly anonymous figure who pops in now and again.
The most outlandish contemporary of this guy are the Capitol One "What's in your wallet?" viking ads. I don't even remember what the original joke was here but it's somehow shifted to this very articulate guy with a British accent talking about credit cards who just happens to be wearing a viking costume. Do they even have the vikings in the background, pillaging things anymore? I don't think they even bother trying to be funny either, instead substituting a banal joviality. Again, what would someone think of this who saw the current incarnation of these ads for the first time?
Sure, I'm probably overthinking this dumb shit, but this is the kind of stuff that makes up the background hum of our daily existence, nine years of it in some cases. This guy is sitting somewhere in the back of brains and will live there forever.
