@Krumple,
I haven't had a tv for years and years either*, but back in the dark ages, my dad directed commercials for RKO and later an ad agency. I think a lot of 50's and 60's commercials were excruciating. I'm remembering Anacin, Anacin, Fast Fast Fast Relief, as particularly horrible. Not sure if that was just on radio, think also TV.
On the other hand, there were some I loved, at least at the time. The Herding Cats one (I suppose that was about beer) sticks in memory.
A friend's boyfriend, er, she married him for a while, directed commercials in the SuperBowl ads, back in the day, for some years. I'd gone to the wedding. One of those six degrees of connections things.
*I've long not accumulated a big bank account. Cable is out of my league.
But since it has been long that I've not paid regular US TV any attention, I've probably multiplied my book reading, and nobody yells at me about Anacin, or equivalent.