Notable commercials: Mila Kunis for Jim Beam, Nina Agdal for Carl’s Jr.

While typically we limit our discussion of commercials to Super Bowl Sunday (and with good reason), there are a couple of ads out there across the internet that are making waves, and there is a certain amount of value therefore in analyzing them in much of the same way that we do spot for the big game.

Mila Kunis for Jim Beam – This is a spot that we certainly feel is surprising: You have an actress known for “Black Swan” and “That 70’s Show” basically telling you about how Jim Beam is made, and doing what we are led to believe is hard labor.

At first glance, you would wonder why in the world this commercial would make sense for either party, given that you wouldn’t think that Mila would have any connection at all to the brand or its Kentucky roots. However, we have already seen Mila and Jim Beam trend on Twitter as a result of these spots, and not even for them appearing after the Super Bowl. That’s pretty rare for something that most people hate to sit through during a commercial break.

Nina Agdal for Carl’s Jr. – Meanwhile, this new ad featuring the Sports Illustrated swimsuit model is basically the same exact thing that you have seen from a number of other ads that this burger chain has done over the years: Shown a famous person in almost no clothing eating something on their menu. Since it is a little racier, we’d say to visit it here rather than having it embedded on the site.

Agdal is running on quite a high since lading that cover, and to many, getting this commercial (in this case for a new charbroiled fish sandwich) probably feels like a badge of honor. We’ve never quite understand how this marketing campaign really works, since they never make the food look that appetizing.

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Photo: Jim Beam