GUEST BLOG #25: Diane Holloway salutes ads that outshine the show

Bianculli here: Having a problem finding an entertaining show to watch, even with the help of TV WORTH WATCHING? Oh, well, there are always the ads -- and contributing columnist Diane Holloway hones in on on ad campaign that comes through loud and clear, like a Sonic boom...

Pete and T.J. create a Sonic boom

By Diane Holloway

If Sonic would post a schedule for the Pete and T.J. commercials, fans like me could enjoy their 30-second chuckles on a regular basis. Think of it as the perfect summer comedy for folks with no time to spare -- or sadly short attention spans. Whatever . . .

While the majority of today's 30-minute sitcoms fail to produce a single laugh, these little snippets of the tater-tot-loving buddies never fail to produce hilarity.

For eight years now, the Second City-trained duo from Chicago have been pushing steak-and-egg burritos and pancakes-on-a-stick while building the kind of popularity rarely seen in commercials. These guys overshadow the Coke bears and the Budweiser Clydesdales. They're simply silly, offbeat and fun.

Even the new generation of TV fans who only watch recorded shows and thus skip the ads will stop for these -- or, even more amazingly, the spots are sought out and enjoyed online. (You can watch a compilation here.) You know those ridiculous drunken-buddy movies people pay big bucks to go see? They pale in comparison to these improvised half-minutes.

The Sonic Guys, as they are widely known, have been around so long you may already know the basics about them, but in case you don't:

Both are rather non-descript thirtysomethings, and they came to the Sonic auditions already friends. Their chemistry is instantly obvious.

T.J. Jagodowski is the blonde doofus who gets the punchlines; Peter Grosz is the dark-haired straight man. Both are trained actors, writers and improv specialists. T.J. has popped up in guest starring roles on TV series; Pete writes for and occasionally appears on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. And they appeared together in Will Ferrell's 2006 movie Stranger than Fiction.

Barkley, Sonic's ad agency, concocted the campaign to promote the drive-in chain's distinctive fast-food items, such as corn dogs and the aforementioned breakfast-on-a-stick.

Initially the spots were pure guerrilla theater. The Sonic Guys would drive through a competitor's window and pull some outrageous prank to promote the brand. An early attack found the guys asking an unsuspecting window worker to microwave their popcorn (Sonic doesn't use microwaves). Coconuts were cracked, and parking lots were invaded. It was mayhem.

The undercover spots had a Saturday Night Live feel to them, and thus appealed to hipsters everywhere. But as Pete and T.J. became famous, the pranks had to stop. They were increasingly recognized before they could pull off a stunt. No surprise, no fun.

That's when the ads moved into Pete's car, where the foolishness continues.

T.J. and Pete typically are seen stuffing their faces with whatever they're promoting. Clueless T.J. usually goes off on some tangent, knocking a tater tot out of Pete's hand as he's riffing about basketball, or wondering why Sonic chose to put raspberry and mango in iced tea instead of soda or coffee. Pete usually responds with frustration or amazement at his friend's flights of fancy. (They have sort of a Tommy and Dicky Smothers feel.) Then "smack!" The slapping noise means the ad is over.

The spots are clearly not scripted. You get the feeling the ad agency just tells Pete and T.J. what to hawk, and the improv guys go to it. They've made well over 100 separate spots.

Recent Sonic spots have also used a man-woman couple and a couple of lady friends, but Pete and T.J. rule. Besides YouTube, their online presence has included a game, maketjdrink, that let fans manipulate the front-seat action. Fans even posted their own versions of the ads on YouTube.

The Sonic Guys make us realize advertising still is an art form -- and that funny is funny no matter what the venue.

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Diane Holloway was the TV critic for the Austin American Statesman for 30 years, until the downturn in the newspaper business prompted her to take a buyout. She's now sniffing out other possibilities. Before newspapers, she worked in Washington for the Library of Congress, the American Film Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts. Maybe something entirely different is next. Or not.