The crop of ads this year weren’t stellar by anyone's standards.
Fortunately the game was even worse, so many of the ads received more attention
than they might have.
That can be a good thing or a bad thing. In this case, the
ads were just good enough to pick up the slack and keep many people from
abandoning the game altogether. Fox should be grateful for that. And the $4.5 million-a-spot doesn’t hurt either.
Here are my tops:
1. Cheerios: Gracie
The message is great. The casting is better. I choose to
think they didn’t make this spot to adjoin the whole multi-racial debate; either way, it rises above all of that noise to put smiles on people’s faces. Just
what a brand should want.
2. Radio Shack: Phone call
While the premise is overwhelmingly Super Bowlian, in the
end the message is clear — Radio Shack is coming clean, literally, and you need
to at least check them out.
3. Budweiser: Puppy love
It seems like Budweiser is almost compelled to do an ad like
this. The fact that they can still get such
an emotional reaction from us is a tribute to how good it is.
4. Hyundai: Sixth sense
A great message, especially for parents, is coupled with unbelievably
realistic situations that make dad the hero. That the car comes in second is just
smart marketing.
5. VW: Wings
Now the quality starts to fall off a bit. This spot is
engaging but still relies on some cheap humor— and where are the female
engineers, Vdubs?
6. Honda: Hugfest
This spot has to win the award for the simplest (read: cheapest)
set up. It keeps you wondering who the advertiser is and it’s actually not a
letdown to find out it’s from Honda.
7. Beats: The right music
While a bit expected, the somewhat subtle hint to little red
riding hood is nice; and who doesn’t want to see Ellen dance? Okay, with bears
though? Super Bowl only, please.
8. Weathertech: You can’t do that
I can’t do what? Tell me! Tell me! Oh, okay. Not bad from a
smaller brand.
9. TurboTax: Love hurts
Nice spot for the silent majority who just watch the game
because everyone else is and they don’t want to look like an idiot on Monday.
And great timing for a tax preparer.
10. Oikos: The spill
I didn’t find this spot as controversial as some, and it was
great to see the Full House guys back together again. As long as the target here
is women, 35+ (and, for yogurt, it probably is), the message is right on.
And here are my bottom five:
5. Chobani: Bear
This one screams Super Bowl ad. You can almost see how the
pitch went: Okay, a bear walks into a store…
4. Chrysler: American Import
While the choice of Bob Dylan is interesting/daring, for
Chrysler to keep hitting the American-made theme after being bought out/saved
by Fiat just misses. Give it up, boys.
3. H&M: Uncovered
This is the bad side of playing to a target market.
Pandering is more like it.
2. Audi: Doberhuahua
This is just stupid. It’s about a car?
1. CarMax: Slow clap
I totally do not get this. Beyond the fact that no one would
do this, no one wants this to happen when they buy a car, either. And the look
on the teen girl’s face at the end is just odd. Is she his daughter? Is that
disapproval? Throw in a random karate kick and we have a loser. Not what you
want to leave me with, CarMax.
What are your thoughts?
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