This is an excellent episode. Besides being humorous, the story is wonderful. Michael makes a commercial that constructively engages his staff in a project that makes them feel good and sells a product. Yet his ad is rejected purely for political reasons and Michael knows it and he is miffed for good reason. Corporate's ad is flashy but unimaginative and highlights the company as a corporate entity instead of the people who work for the company. What a downer. The episode also shows how Jim really likes Michael and does something to lift Michael's morale and the morale of the entire staff. Although Michael is self centered and boorish and commits numerous faux pas, this episode shows that he is also caring, engaging, and in his own way likable. What a great episode.
8 Reviews
Shooting an Ad... Michael at his best/worst
stagewriter27 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is the fifth episode in this season, and also the first episode to go back to the 1/2 hour slot. Most regular watchers probably viewed this switch back with a mixture of emotions, because it has been a joy to have an hour of The Office every week, but I think there's a part of most people that know the hour-long slots are best saved for the really pivotal episodes that need that much more time for exposition.
This episode was a great example of the love/hate relationship that probably a lot of us have with Michael Scott. Steve Carell imbues Michael with those glimpses of vulnerability that make us keep coming back and putting up with him, but there are still those moments that just make you want to throttle Michael Scott. For me, in this episode, it was the really fun theme song Darryl was putting together with the other singers in the office... and frankly, if Michael had gone with it, it might just have been what convinced David Wallace to allow them to go with their own ad. But, then again, he wouldn't have been Michael Scott if he HAD gone with it.
The writers are doing a great job at doling out the Pam/Jim relationship in small doses. This is one of the first times a series has succeeded in keeping a successful relationship interesting once it is official (of course, they are using the Dwight/Angela/Andy plot to sustain that area of tension.
Questions that are starting to surface for this season, have to do with past characters: Is Karen Filippelli going to make any more appearances. Here's a piece of trivia on Rashida Jones - she sang a capella in college. Will she maybe hook up with Andy at a singing conference? (probably not, Karen seemed to have objections to singing (Diwali/Initiation).
Where will we see Roy again? Will Pam and Jim run into him at some inopportune time? (maybe out to dinner with Katy) The most satisfying thing about this season is watching this show continue to improve AND gain a larger and larger following (in my own office, Schrute Bucks are pinned up in more cubicles every week.)
This episode was a great example of the love/hate relationship that probably a lot of us have with Michael Scott. Steve Carell imbues Michael with those glimpses of vulnerability that make us keep coming back and putting up with him, but there are still those moments that just make you want to throttle Michael Scott. For me, in this episode, it was the really fun theme song Darryl was putting together with the other singers in the office... and frankly, if Michael had gone with it, it might just have been what convinced David Wallace to allow them to go with their own ad. But, then again, he wouldn't have been Michael Scott if he HAD gone with it.
The writers are doing a great job at doling out the Pam/Jim relationship in small doses. This is one of the first times a series has succeeded in keeping a successful relationship interesting once it is official (of course, they are using the Dwight/Angela/Andy plot to sustain that area of tension.
Questions that are starting to surface for this season, have to do with past characters: Is Karen Filippelli going to make any more appearances. Here's a piece of trivia on Rashida Jones - she sang a capella in college. Will she maybe hook up with Andy at a singing conference? (probably not, Karen seemed to have objections to singing (Diwali/Initiation).
Where will we see Roy again? Will Pam and Jim run into him at some inopportune time? (maybe out to dinner with Katy) The most satisfying thing about this season is watching this show continue to improve AND gain a larger and larger following (in my own office, Schrute Bucks are pinned up in more cubicles every week.)
Local Ad (#4.5)
ComedyFan20104 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Michael wants to shoot the ad for Dunder Mifflin. Andy gets closer with Angela.
A great episode. I loved them filming the ad, and the result was pretty good as well. The highlight for me was Andy talking to Dwight about Angela. How he was asking for advice to get to first base and also how we find out that she was calling him D when making out.
A great episode. I loved them filming the ad, and the result was pretty good as well. The highlight for me was Andy talking to Dwight about Angela. How he was asking for advice to get to first base and also how we find out that she was calling him D when making out.
9
Edvis-19972 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
That will sound very strange but in this episode I agree with Mich this ad they were offering really looked lame and when I saw what Mich and team created at the ending I couldn't believe they refused to make that ad :/
New course?
mikegarcia26 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This season is uncharted territory for the office. In both the UK and US versions of the office the story has been about the unrequited love between Tim/Dawn and Jim/Pam. Only the US version tries to deal with the question of whether there is life after they get together. The other constant is that until now David Brent/Michael Scott are always, always, always wrong and wrong in the most embarrassing manner. This episode is also a significant departure in that way also. I understand that to maintain interest the show and its characters must evolve, I just hope in trying to prolong series life it doesn't turn into the last few years of "Cheers" or "Happy Days" or one of the others that simply lost their way trying to stay alive. They are approaching 60 episodes where the UK version only had around 14 albeit one hour (40 minute) with a couple specials to round it out.
Marketing Proposals
vivianla1 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Office politics and competition is shown in this episode. Michael dislikes corporate's ad and tells them he will make one by tomorrow. Andy sings the Who Let The Dogs Out song which was very early 2000s. We see new technology being implemented in the show to reflect reality. Dwight hilariously uses virtual reality to make a character that looks just like himself and that can fly.
At the bar where they watch corporate's ad together, Michael is bitter they didn't choose his. Jim requests to put in another DVD and Michael's ad is shown. I love Michael's ad way more, corporate's ad is dizzying with all the turning.
At the bar where they watch corporate's ad together, Michael is bitter they didn't choose his. Jim requests to put in another DVD and Michael's ad is shown. I love Michael's ad way more, corporate's ad is dizzying with all the turning.
Good But for the Subtleties
bkkaz9 October 2022
This is one of those episodes that gets a lot right. The basic premise of Michael Scott arguing for his vision of a corporate ad is a good character nod. It's exactly the sort of nonsense Michael would do. There are some other funny bits here and there -- nothing remarkable, but it is entertaining.
But the commercial itself is rather masterful, not so much for what it says but for what it shows that slips by many viewers. For instance, considered how rife with negative stereotypes it is. Stanley, being Black, of course would be the ex-convict who gets a second chance in White corporate America (which ties in with an earlier episode that featured exactly that situation when the other branch is absorbed by Scranton). Kelly, being Indian American, of course would be cast as the foreigner since Asian Americans are always perpetual foreigners whether born in this country or not. These stereotypes are precisely how Michael Scott -- the bumbling, unprofessional White male who keeps his job mostly by privilege -- sees the world. That satire alone is what makes the episode stand out from just a standard yukfest.
But the commercial itself is rather masterful, not so much for what it says but for what it shows that slips by many viewers. For instance, considered how rife with negative stereotypes it is. Stanley, being Black, of course would be the ex-convict who gets a second chance in White corporate America (which ties in with an earlier episode that featured exactly that situation when the other branch is absorbed by Scranton). Kelly, being Indian American, of course would be cast as the foreigner since Asian Americans are always perpetual foreigners whether born in this country or not. These stereotypes are precisely how Michael Scott -- the bumbling, unprofessional White male who keeps his job mostly by privilege -- sees the world. That satire alone is what makes the episode stand out from just a standard yukfest.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
