• by Todd Wasserman , February 28, 2022

If you grew up in the 1980s, you’re likely familiar with the "After School Special," an intervention by educators during the prime Saturday morning cartoon programming block.

This latest ad for Hooked On Phonics is a play on such efforts. The ad, via Little BIG Engine, is the first to acknowledge the brand’s role in pop culture. In its 120-second and 30-second versions, it's also the first time the brand has experimented with humor.

“We wanted to try something different in the ‘branded conversion’ space,” said Lauren Ball, vice president of Hooked on Phonics. “The creative shows what happens when a child is literally hooked on phonics.”

The ad stars off with the parents confronting their daughter. “Your mother and I think you’re hooked on phonics,” the dad says. The girl, who appears over-educated, replies. “This is preposterous.”

The mother then dredges up a dictionary, which she found under her daughter’s pillow. The girl says she has it for the pictures. “There are no pictures in a dictionary,” the dad says. “That’s your opinion,” the daughter counters.

After the mom recounts that HOP taught her daughter to read in 30 days, the daughter quotes Nietzsche and the three argue about him -- the parents think Nietzsche is a kind of pasta. The three finally reach an agreement: The daughter can continue HOP if she refrains from using big words. “This is stupendous!” the daughter agrees.