It seems like when something works for one company, brand or product, others will mimic it in order to get the same results. I’ve noticed it recently when Bud Light decided to make Bud Light Lime. This was in response to Miller making Miller Chills, which apparently I missed the memo that they were actually selling.

This strategy is also true for commercials. Remember back when Welch’s had that adorable little girl drinking the grape juice? And of course off the top of her head she knew that Welch’s never adds sugar to their products and all of the nutritional facts behind it.

Not believable.

I’m not buying my juice from a kid who has training wheels on her Muppet Baby trike. Though Welch’s commercials may not be the exact point of where this insanity started, they stand out in my mind the most and blazed the path for more ridiculous ads like it.

So this brings me to my next gripe: Connecticut commercials. They are all unmistakable for their low quality but even lower budget to make them. Among the things so very wrong with them, however, is the fact that every child of anyone employed by the company seems to be in the commercial.

Which, I guess this would be fine except the kids just aren’t cute. At least the Welch’s kids could articulate their words. I’m convinced that Connecticut TV prides itself on children within the state not being able to speak clearly until they are at least 12 years old.

But after the kids have done their best to seem lovable in their Terminator leather jackets and you think the torture is through, they get to the slogan. If you’re not looking at the screen it can come across as, well, creepy: “He just wants to get you a loan.” Sure, it probably sounded catchy to someone, but to many it sounds like he needs to let the neighbors know he moves into the area.

Although kids in commercials can “work” for larger companies like Welch’s, local places should just stick with the less is more attitude. Just because Superman costumes are on sale at Party City, it doesn’t mean dealership owners need to prance around the used car lot wearing them.

Imitation is said to be the highest form of flattery but in this case, who wants to emulate something that doesn’t really work to begin with?