Correct! That whole episode was basically a promotion for when Subway started serving breakfast. It was weird. Dave and Busters is the other one that springs to mind. They’ve gotten better about that stuff in recent years (minus the beer sponsors; those make more sense).
I honestly didn't even notice that the D&B one was product placement until I'd seen that one a couple times, they integrate it really well
Not really product placement but more an instance of them changing the name of something slightly in order to use it but Holidee Inn is something I just recently picked up on during like my tenth rewatch only because of the subtitles to be fair
I know we talked about it before, but the Dave and Buster’s thing was so so so lame when it aired live. Just completely bashed you over the head with it like a rat and made every “joke” infuriating. Coors has been bad as well, but at least that has never been an entire episode.
I thought the D&B episode was hilarious. In fact it’s one of my favorite episodes of the show. So many great bits in that episode.
I’d love to try to find a copy of the original airing to show how bad it was for everyone who never experienced it. Even having it taped was still awful because of how quickly they would burst in screaming, “THIS EPISODE BROUGHT TO YOU BY DAVE AND BUSTER’S!”
I think they did about as good of a job as you can do with the product placements. Didn't detract from the show at all for me and even led to some jokes. The fact that they kept meeting at a D&B made it even funnier to me.
I forgot Glenn actually commented on it at the time. This is from the wiki on the episode: The entire episode is one giant endorsement for the Coors Light and Dave & Buster's restaurant. A joke that was ruined, says Glenn Howerton, by the fact that FX ran commercials for both during the entire episode, resulting in overkill. From Glenn Howerton's ("Dennis") Twitter: 11:05 AM Oct 8th : Just got back from vacay. Gotta love n quite a bit of hate on last week's recession ep. Sounds like 50% got the joke and 50% did not 11:08 AM Oct 8th: Although I will say FX was NOT supposed 2 accompany the ep. w all those fucking D&B's and Coors commercials. That's what fucks it up. 11:10 AM Oct 8th: If u watch the ep. w no commercials on DVD or iTunes or whatever u will like it a lot more. I promise. We learned our lesson on that one.
Yeah, that’s why I always have to bring it up because so many have only done that and don’t get the hate. I’ve seen it since then and it is better, but I will always roll my eyes and dislike that side of the story just from that memory.
That one is funny because in the same episode they can't say "Philly Phanatic" either (though Charlie actually points that one out). Something kind of funny that I've noticed is that Coors is almost always visibly their beer of choice, but it always turns into a generic look-a-like beer whenever the gang is actually getting shitfaced. For example, in the Boggs episodes, the branding of the cans even looks like Coors but says "BEER" on the sides. Like Coors wants to promote themselves but doesn't want to be associated with binge drinking.
The best part about the D&B episode was that it kind of makes so much sense that they'd have their "owners' steak dinners" at a D&B's. Also the bit with Mac not understanding that the D&B Power Card can't be used at TGI Friday's. And the whole plot with Frank and Dee trying to get rich quick. Plus the Paddy's Dollars/Self-Sustaining Economy bit. I honestly don't remember the commercials bothering me when that episode originally aired, but then I also heavily tune out commercials when I watch live tv.
https://tv.avclub.com/the-always-sunny-team-thinks-the-show-can-and-should-1838414387 McElhenney wraps the panel with a pertinent anecdote: “I was talking to Larry David at an event, and he said, ‘Hey, can I give you a piece of advice?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll take a piece of advice.’ I was expecting some sort of comedic breakthrough, something about the episode or an approach to the show, and he said, ‘Don’t be an idiot. Never stop. Just keep doing it.’ He said, ‘One, because it’s the greatest job you could ever want, and two, because if you do a final episode, they’ll just destroy you for it.’”