Saved by Zero’ Makes Viewers into Victims

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Saved by Zero,” a spot for the Toyota Tundra, has run in “seemingly every ad break during NCAA Football, MLB Playoffs and NFL games,” claims Rohit Thawani. I suppose that wouldn’t be terrible if the ad were good, or even innocuous, but — get this — it has a repetitive jingle with an audacious country twang.

You know you’re fucked then.

To save his sanity, Rohit created a Facebook Group called “Get Toyota’s ‘Saved By Zero’ commercial off the air before I harm myself.” Gotta love a good suicide threat. Adamant text on the description page reads:

“You’re telling me that this trash somehow was supported by a creative director?? You’re telling me that a powerhouse client said “Wow, this is a great spot! Lets buy 3,000 units and play it all day, everday!”? [sic] You’re telling me these people still have jobs?”

That’s some serious rage, but I guess it’s shared. Over a hundred people have joined so far. (Though if I had to put money on it, I’d say most of them are just respondents to a mass group invite from Rohit.) Toyota probably won’t flinch, but I guess Thawani’s labor of love leaves us something to ponder: Does your ad make people want to slash their wrists?

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Steve Hall

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