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My picks for best Super Bowl ads

Posted 02 Feb 2009 in movies, pop culture

Doritos, “Crystal Ball”

Who doesn’t like seeing the boss take one to the crotch?

Audi, “The Chase”

A fun tongue-in-cheek look at getaway cars throughout the years, making good use of Jason Statham’s on-screen cred as an expert driver.

CareerBuilder.com, “Tips”

The use of repetition is Advertising 101. But I despise repetition. This one uses a “House that Jack Built”-style prose to drive home their message. I don’t know if it differentiates CareerBuilder.com from Monster.com. But I give them extra points for punching a koala bear in the face.

Budweiser, “Clydesdale Generation”

Usually, Budweiser’s Clydesdale ads are touching or funny. This one, sadly, is neither. But I thought it made good use of the mascot and played off the heritage of the brand.

Pepsi Max, “I’m Good”

I’m torn whether this spot passes my bullsh*t meter (re: selling diet cola to men). But the slapstick was engaging and the “I’m Good” phrase has a 50/50 shot of catching on.

Cash4Gold.com, “Goodbye old friend”

Most of Cash4Gold.com’s ads are terribly cheap and eminently forgettable. This one makes good use of bygone celebrities in a self-deprecating manner that gets the message across with a smile.

Coca-Cola, “Heist”

While I might question the use of insects to sell a sugared soft drink, the animation is cute and whimsical enough to defuse the obvious clash in appetite appeal. Definitely gets the point across about refreshment and manages to show an innovative drink shot at the end.

Coke Zero, “Mean Troy”

I’ve enjoyed the Coke Zero campaign with the brand managers who seek to sue Coke for “taste infringement,” it’s a clever way to get sell Coke Zero as tasting better than most diet sodas. This commercial was a great tribute to Coke’s now-famous “Mean Joe Green” commercial from 1979, using Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu in the starring role. Works on the nostalgia level as well as for those who weren’t born at the time of the original spot. (h/t: Kanaka Girl for reminding me about this one)

Hulu.com, “Evil Plot”

Despite my dislike for Alec Baldwin’s politics (hey, isn’t he supposed to have moved to France by now?) this was of the funniest ads of the evening.

Bridgestone, “Taters”

I liked the humorous use of retro-icon Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head. Although I did wonder if feminists would complain about the nagging wife aspect of the spot. But I thought this one had a disarming way of working in the product attribute.

Pepsi MacGruber, “Pepsuber”

Although this is a terrible shoehorn of the Pepsi brand, I must admit that the MacGruber skits on SNL are a guilty pleasure of mine. So I laughed at this, despite how obviously forced it was. Given the fact that the heavy-handedness with the brand is done with a knowing wink to the audience, I think it still works. Nice cameo by Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver), too.

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One of my favorite things about the Super Bowl commercials is the fact that studios take advantage of the opportunity to wow audiences with trailers for the newest upcoming blockbusters. These didn’t disappoint.

Star Trek trailer

I still don’t know if this retread will chart a new course or not, but it looks damn good. If nothing else, I want to see how well Zachary Quinto (Sylar from TV’s “Heroes”) portrays Mr. Spock.

Land Of The Lost trailer

As someone who grew up watching the Saturday morning episodes of everything Sid & Marty Croft ever made, I’ve got a built-in interest in seeing this one. The Jurassic Park dinosaurs and Will Ferrell add extra incentive. But I’m most looking forward to seeing the Sleestaks!

Besides, this trailer gave me my favorite line of the night: “Matt Lauer can eat it!”

Because he can.

And should.

Posted by FullMetalPatriot
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT

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