I heard the ad while I was driving. Very distracting and I thought someone was honking at me. I also don't like commercials that have a phone or cell phone ring in the ad. I am surprised the creative folks didn't think of this.

67GreenRambler wrote:

I heard a commercial for Volkswagen on 640 Toronto which used car horns to 'bleep' out swear words. Is this permissible ?

There was a time when it was a violation of CRTC rules and then later all stations adopted it as a general policy.

This was in place, of course, so not to distract, confuse, frighten or just plain lose a listener who is trying to negotiate the crammed roads os Southern Ontario.

Have you heard this spot lately, because it’s now running with a “bleep” tone replacing where the horns were. I guess someone else shared your concern.
 
There’s another spot that has become incredibly irritating in the last few weeks, not because it’s a bad commercial but simply because of the endless times it’s run. It’s the one with Jeanne Beker doing her best smiley voice and begins with “What does your dream home look like?”
 
It was tolerable at the beginning but it now runs every single damn commercial break on 640 and possibly on CFRB, as well. And because it’s repeated roughly 4,786 times a day, the opening - What does your dream - has embedded itself - home look like? – into my brain and won’t - What does your dream home look like? – go away.
 
I suppose you could say - What does your dream home – that’s an effective spot, except - look like? – I have to confess that outside of that annoying first sentence, I have no idea who it’s actually for.
 
I get that it’s a dictum of advertising that you have to keep repeating the message, but every single break? This “dream” has turned into a nightmare! Enough, already!    
 

There is an ad running recently I forget what it is for but it has a doorbell in it, which drives my wiener dog right up the wall every time it airs.