I took a marketing class a few semesters ago, and I did not get a lot out of it. Most of the blame in that statement lies with me, as I did not pay attention (or go to class) as much as I could have.

One of the things we talked about in that class was advertising, including television commercials. Television saw its inception in the 1950s, and commercials soon followed. I remember watching old cartoon reruns from the decade and seeing subliminal advertisements hidden in the picture.

One such Looney Tunes cartoon had the word “smoke” flash in bubble letters on the side of a train for just a second or two, but I definitely saw it. Commercials have come a long way from interrupting actual shows like they used to. Now television stations sell time for commercials during regular breaks in the shows.

These commercials have a direct effect on consumers in some cases, including in my case. I began using AXE products because of the commercials. I used their products exclusively as body spray and anti-perspirant throughout high school. But then, it happened.

Old Spice decided to hit back with its own awesome commercials. They hired an actor named Isaiah Mustafa to play a character known as “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.” The tickets are now diamonds. Look down. Look up. He’s on a horse. Plus, I bet you just read that part in his voice.

His commercials were the only reason I switched to Old Spice products over AXE. I actually went into Wal-Mart’s body wash section and picked up an Old Spice product over AXE because of the commercials. I even went so far as to say in my head that the commercials caused me to switch.

Mustafa’s first commercial ran Feb. 8, 2010, the day after Super Bowl XLIV. There have been several follow-ups to the original commercial, including Mustafa, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and comedic actor Terry Crews. Be sure to watch out for swan dives, building kicks, explosions and universes in these commercials.

The point is that commercials can have a direct effect on how consumers spend their money. Most commercials suck, but there are those that are pretty awesome, usually because they are funny. I do not drink beer, but beer commercials are the absolute funniest ones out there, closely followed by Coke Zero and Doritos.

If a commercial is funny, it has a much better chance of getting me to do something or buy a product. If a product’s commercial is lame or sucks hardcore, then you can bet I will mute the television, change the channel or poke massive fun at the bad commercial. Here’s looking at you, scientists.