Well the Doc opened up the old mailbag today and here’s what poured out.

Dear Dr. Ads,

There are tons of A-list celebrities touting products in television commercials these days, as Boston Globe critic Don Aucoin noted yesterday.

Among those singled out by Aucoin is Bryan Cranston.

Bryan Cranston is indisputably one of the greatest dramatic actors of our time. But if Cranston was going to do a Mountain Dew commercial spoofing Jack Nicholson’s ax-wielding “Heeeere’s Johnny!’’ scene from “The Shining,” couldn’t he have at least insisted the writers come up with a better punchline than “Heeere’s Mountain Dew Zero!’’

What do you think, Doc? Bryan Cranston – drama hero to Mountain Dew zero?

– Mountain Doh!

Dear Doh!,

Let’s start by looking at the TV spot in question.

No doubt the whole thing is an example of Buckraking Bad. But has it been good for Mountain Dew sales? Not so much, according to Statista’s M. Ridder.

Market share of the Mountain Dew brand in the U.S. 2004-2020

In 2020, the market share of the Mountain Dew brand in the U.S. amounted to just under seven percent. Over the past decade and a half, the brand’s share has remained between six and seven percent.

So Heeeere’s Bryan! has not exactly broken down the doors at retail.

Glad you axed, though.