In the ad, as a family takes delivery of its new Kenmore Elite refrigerator, a teenage kid snarkily says to one of Sears delivery crew, "So, you're just gonna dump the old one into the ocean somewhere." After the Sears guy explains how the retailer has partnered with the EPA and will make sure the fridge is recycled properly, another boy suggests, "That's rad," prompting the deliveryman to talk about the RAD program and the first teen to posit, "So it's 'rad' literally." Okay, perhaps the spot is not that funny, but it does effectively introduce Sears' efforts to a wider audience.

The commercial also seems to reflect an effort to use the retailer's "Blue Appliance Crew" to connect with younger consumers who likely have never heard of the long-defunct Sears general-merchandise catalog let alone shopped with one.

—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Stay on top of the appliance-rebate news and see where Sears ranks in our report on the best places to buy appliances.

*Federal law requires the recovery of refrigerant, mercury, and PCBs from refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and humidifiers, but ODS-containing foam insulation can be shredded up and added to landfills. RAD goes a step further by requiring partners to recover the foam and virtually every other component of all appliances collected through their haul-away programs.