Comcast's Chipper Ads Win Over Comcast-Hater

Is it possible make a cable company seem adorable in 60 seconds?

AdAge columnist Bob Garfield says Comcast’s new campaign — featuring a catchy jingle, guitar-strumming squirrels, dancing penguins and other bubbly cartoon flourishes — pretty much does that.

Garfield, you may recall, is the guy who got so incredibly cheesed off at Comcast that he created a Web site, ComcastMustDie.com, devoted to shaming the MSO into improving its customer service.

Though derivative, the Comcast “Singalong” ad is a success, Garfield writes in this week’s column, headlined “Goodby Does Impossible, Cures Comcast Affective Disorder.”

“Remember, this isn’t a nice, eco-friendly hybrid they’re jingling goofily about. It isn’t ice cream or circuses or Day-Glo condoms,” he says. “It’s the freakin’ cable company, which — after all the singing is done — you can’t help feeling better about.”

The ads carry the tagline “Dream Big,” and ordinary-looking people in “Comcast Town” extol the benefits of the MSO’s services (high-speed Internet, HD, on-demand, sports, etc.) in a sort of monotone chant, ending with the spelling out of C-O-M-C-A-S-T.

You can watch all 4 spots in the campaign at ComcastTown.com; the first 60-second spot is below via YouTube.

UPDATE: Comcast has also posted the sheet music for the jingle online, available as a PDF here.