More Possible Talladega Nights Commercial Tie-Ins

Undoubtedly many of you have already seen the Dodge commercial in which Gary Cole reprises his immortal turn in “Talladega Nights” (2006) as Reese Bobby, ne’er do well pops to NASCAR speed demon Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell). Proving once again that Cinema Romantico (proudly) runs on Internet-Aleutian Time, we only just saw this ad for the first time a week ago, even though it’s apparently been running since October. Whatever, time don’t mean nothin’ at all, not nothin’ at all, and we here at the blog know a list in the making when we see one. I mean, a big part of the brilliant “Talladega Nights” joke was corporate sponsorship, the movie virtually drowning in it, peaking with Ricky Bobby literally placing an advertisement on the front windshield of his racing car. “This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient,” says Bobby to himself, “but I do love Fig Newtons.” It would only make sense, then, that “Talladega Nights” might keep this  natural commercialized connection going. 

 More Possible Talladega Nights Commercial Tie-Ins

An obvious choice, granted, given that Applebee’s appears in the film as the gathering place for a Bobby family dinner gone wrong. But I like this one more than the other obvious tie in, Kraft Shake ’n Bake, because I like imagining a commercial re-creating that family dinner that ends, once again, with Reese Bobby being thrown out the front door. Cut To: the whole Bobby family sitting in a circle in the parking lot eating from takeout boxes. “Eatin good’,” says Lucy Bobby (Jane Lynch), “in the neighborhood.”

Gold-digging Carley Bobby (Leslie Bibb), of course, switches out spouses mid-movie, trading in Ricky for Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly), and so I imagine her trying to land ad deals with both Coca-Cola and Pepsi only to glumly settle for Dr. Pepper instead. 

Like Tom Bodett has become the folksy spokesman for Motel 6, I envision Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly) in a similar role for Econo Lodge.

There’s this story culled from Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People recounting how the actual Charles M. Schwab got his workers to produced by stimulating competition. So I’m picturing a Charles Schwab spot done like one of those old monochrome Dean Witter ads in which Ricky Bobby, in his modern racing garb, invades a Gilded Age boardroom to pass on his infamous If You’re Not First, You’re Last mantra. 

Susan (Amy Adams), Ricky’s assistant and eventual love interest, gives the climactic inspirational speech, of course, and I could see her bringing identical zeal to some otherwise hackneyed pitch about investing in yourself. 

There’s that brief scene at The Pit Stop where Glenn (Jack McBrayer) and Kyle (Ian Roberts), members of Ricky’s racing crew, are discussing what Glenn should get his mom for her birthday. And the vibe of that scene would perfectly translate to Glenn and Kyle becoming a version of Peter Grosz and T.J. Jagodowski for Waffle House instead of Sonic.  

Forget Orson Welles. Let’s create a new tradition with legendary lush Mrs. Dennit (Molly Shannon) laying passed out in an E&J vineyard.  

How do you convince a raconteur like Sacha Baron Cohen to go along with this? Get him to pull an Ali G or Borat by way of Jean Girard and have him peddle Angel Soft in order to lampoon The Koch Brothers.