Review of Super Bowl Ads 2010

Not even going to give it a fancy title; no links to my stupid jokes/references. Did this for class; felt good (or, at least, not bad) to be reviewing spots again. It is easy to tell which embedded vids go with which reviews. Enjoy.




Although Brett Favre has been known to make a little fun of himself for television commercials (see some recent Sears Blue Crew spots), his futuristic turn in this piece does provide him with some comedic dialogue as well as an unintentional reference to his impending non-decision concerning his return to the recently disheartened Vikings. The semi-coincidence of 2010 become 2020 (a potentially great year for geometricians) in ten years being compared to Hyundai’s ten-year warranty makes for a nice a-ha moment. What’s creative about the piece is that it took some courage to say, “Look, the ‘Brett Favre is old and can’t make decisions’ joke is totally staid, but we can do this well enough and make it relevant enough to entertain the masses.” The MVP trophy hologram was a nice touch too.




I may be a little biased having seen this spot and others like it a couple of months ago but I still love it. It asks the audience to read! Wow. In a time where CGI reigns supreme and a mediocre story can be overcome by amazing visuals (Here’s looking at you, James Cameron.), Google tells a delightful story that compels the audience’s involvement. They didn’t throw a novel up on the screen. They gave you bullet points in the form of the search suggestions that took you through a simple story that could have been trite or sentimental but hit you right in the heart with the final ‘cribs’ search. Amidst the men in underwear, pseudo-controversies, and year(s)-old Internet viral references, Google demonstrated a much classier form of familiarity.




The above spots are really the only ones I actually liked. But this spot from the normally over-juvenile Bud Light comes across as dumb in a smart way with jokes that make sense in context. With punchlines from “environmentally responsible” to “there’s Bud Light in the fridge made of Bud Light” to the showering girlfriend in the “window,” it’s slightly less juvenile than the Bud Light spots we’re used to. It also created a unique setting; you wouldn’t be surprised if you saw the Bud Light house in future spots. Lastly, the spot has energy, an attribute that recent Bud Light spots, advertising in general, and the Colts in the fourth quarter lacked.




Looking at the rankings of these 2010 Super Bowl ads, this one is ranking near the top in every one. I don’t understand the hype but I do believe that there is a smart enough message coupled with a nice performance from an elderly stateswoman. And despite the obligatory tackle-crunch sounds that are louder than the sounds in the actual game, the spot doesn’t go overboard in the way that all post-Janet Super Bowl spots (and all comedy movies for that matter) have gone overboard. It keeps it light enough so that you are waiting for the switch that happens once the Betty-man takes a bite of the candy. The crunch-tackle of Abe Vigoda’s ghost was a little much but the spot managed to maintain a light-ish tone that separated it from the rest of the pack.




I actually don’t really like this one that much. I was laughing...er...laughed once during the E*TRADE “Baby Girlfriend,” Denny’s “Chicken Warning,” and Volkswagen’s “Punch Dub” spots (below). But this piece had an element that none of the other Super Bowl spots had: post-Bowl viral potential. And as simple as a concept as that is, NONE of the other advertisers reached the conclusion that the most sexually enthralling woman on the planet in the bathtub in a commercial would bring massive online video searches. Maybe it was because Fox couldn’t bring big box office success with Jennifer’s Body, but for thirty seconds I think she can get the job done. Considering that this year’s slew of Bowl spots didn’t quite knock it out of the park, a piece that makes it to online afterlife seems remarkable. And at least a little creative.

Really Important News: Lie Detector Edition

Don't laugh. This is seriously important news. In fact it's so important that it's my first post since college started. Via AdFreak, I have learned that Tony Stewart, also a member of the Old Spice team, will be taking a lie detector test on October 20th that will finally and forever prove that he is a Whopper lover. The site is just a goofy page though you are able to submit questions at the end of the month. Now, we all know that polygraphs are Bullshit! but this still should be intriguing because it will be broadcast Starbury style. The new spot below shows Tony trying to help Erik Estrada and Carrot Top with endorsement deals.

What The Hell Do Pizza, Brownies, And Dog-Eating Have To Do With Each Other?

Well, it all adds up to a bit of racism and a lot of publicity notice for New Zealands' Hell Pizza. The operation has been responsible for many instances of controversial marketing like those described in the original article and this anti-Bush billboard. The company seems to be willing to piss anybody off to get some widespread promo so I'm not sure why this piece that pokes fun at the culinary practices of some Tongans (I initially thought it was a Filipino thing but I guess there aren't any in NZ) has people up in arms. The statement reads, "at least our brownie won't eat your pet dog." It's one of the silliest pieces of copywriting I've ever seen; it just seems like another goofy statement referencing cultural differences.



Giving this piece credit for bringing on the hate is like believing that Bill Donahue speaks for all Catholics. You are giving it too much credit when it is only a dumb idea with lazy execution. However, I will give it a 'good' rating because of all the attention its getting. I guess by that method Paris is a dope celebrity.

Is Brett Favre Ever Going To Make Up His Mind?

Well, he did for a small decision, but he just can't seem to find the right HD television. In this new spot for Sears and its Blue Electronics Crew, the ancient quarterback just can't decide which TV he wants. A store employee mentions that there are "some guys out there who agonize about making decisions" and Father Time replies, "those guys drive me crazy." The portion ends with Favre still unsure (sequel?) and a couple of the product attributes that differentiate Sears from Best Buy or Walmart (you know, where you are more likely to shop). Despite all of that, the spot is presented in good fun with Favre taking soft shots at himself and Sears touting their strengths in the electronics department.



The piece ran during preseason games this past weekend. The Vikings better hope that Favre is careful and doesn't get a concussion opening the box. (See 5:25 to find out where I stole that joke from.)

What The Fruit Is Cranberry Doing Here?

Well, there's a decent chance that she's here to promote Nestle Raisinets' new Cranberry Raisinets. And she does so in highly fashionable fashion in two new webisodes from the chocolate giant. The first is full of innuendo, normal raisins gossiping, and a mildly clever rip off of the theme from Shaft. The piece seems a little too cute considering its demo: crazy women. The product itself seems perfect; what's better than cranberry and chocolate besides doing the dishes?



The second one is kind of obvious. They're setting up some tension (seriously, a fresh new individual enters the realm of wrinkly old prunes, of course there's some chocolatety tension) that will reach a peak into part 4 of the series but then everything will work out and cranberry will be a part of the Nestle family. Plus, you have to love a shot of a berry with Jesus light in the background.



I'm iffy on the idea that the pieces include "drama." They're very lighthearted and incorporate bright colors. The level of feuding is more likely to reach High School Musical than what this could have been. Upcoming webisodes include 'Cran Fan' and 'Dance Off.' Though the pieces seem more Disney than guilty pleasure, you've got to love a bunch (get it?) of jealous women.

I'm kidding. No you don't!

Have These Gentlemen Intentionally Forgotten When Napoleon Dynamite Came Out?

It would appear so since director Jared Hess (responsible for this and this) and distributor Fox Searchlight (responsible for this and this) are still trying to build upon the success of the 5-year-old cult smash. Hess' "unique view of the world" presented in the aforementioned movies seems to be taken a step further in Gentlemen Broncos, which is coming out October 30. The trailer makes it very clear that the film will present a whole lot of quirkiness, weirdness, fantasy, or whatever buzzword the fat Hollywood producer signed the check to. The really bad-looking special effects work gels nicely with the clumsy way in which the reality-based portion is shot. The titles, however, do not communicate the movie's 3rd act very well; it seems that it is made up of some fantasy mind game when there is actually a movie-within-a-movie element.



I'm not going to see the damn thing, alright. Napoleon Dynamite was so bad that I needed a laugh track under the audio to figure out what was supposed to be funny. But I acknowledge that it is pushing the right buttons. I prefer comedies with characters, not just profiles based on some of your idiot slacker friends.

God Rested So That Young People Could Dance?

In promoting its fourth season of America's Best Dance Crew that premiered last Sabbath (accidentally caught part of it during breaks for the Joan Rivers Roast), the MTV (also producing) has been running spots with the tagline, "Sundays are for worship." While the line by itself makes no sense unless there's somehow a troupe called 'Worsh1p' or some involvement with Rev Run, the spot the MTV has been using features slick DP work, good sound, and a ridiculous move about 30 seconds in, resulting in an intriguing piece.



You can watch an extended clip via the MTV here. Look, I realize that the dance shows (like those silly dance movies) are stupid; for Moses' sake, the name-attached is Randy Jackson. But you've got to admit, some of that breakin' is mad fly yo!

Did Wet N' Wild Confuse Big Budget With Professional Production (1st Local Ad Review!)?

Look, I don't want to be too hard on local ads; there's no way that they'll measure up to high-profile pieces from national campaigns in terms of production value, creativity, and ambition. But what I can do is make sure that a core message is present and that that message is executed with sensible direction.

In this spot by Co Creative Studios for the grand opening of Hawaii Wet 'n' Wild (used to be Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park), the point is to be informational and intriguing. There is a new waterpark in town...and his name is; guess I can't throw in a 48 Hours reference. The idea is obviously fine: people in Hawaii (not sure why the people on Ni'ihau need to know) should be aware of something fun to do during the summer, especially since a lot of residents were unaware of the change in title. Starting off like a 1960's PSA, the piece dives right in with crane shots, POV shots, and well-lit photogenic glory; the thing is bursting with energy. The music sort of sounds like techno with Down Syndrome. All the individuals at the park seem to be having a fun time in the sun and from that point of view the spot works perfectly.



But this is Ads Honorem and it's time to bring the pain. One of my major beefs with this production is its lack of understanding of its target audience. It feels like they're going after the 12-25 crowd made up of local residents. Look, people from Hawaii are used to getting either loud Mainland ads or subdued Local ads neither of which kill. This piece is the former; and worse yet pretty much everybody featured is haole. C'mon, when you have a little bit of a budget, get some bruddahs and sistahs on da water slides; it's called building rapport. By the end we go from a fun-filled family time to a shitty Abercrombie and Fitch shoot. Also, get your damn website up; if you're changing to such a special name, give the people a reason to see it in their heads.

Overall, it's a good spot with energy. It accomplishes much of what it sets out to do in a fairly homogeneous fashion. However, you don't need to look picture perfect. Amusement parks sell well when they're on either the uniquely absurd extreme or the highly relateable one. Something you don't want to do is trade in your local-sounding name for a mainland-sounding name and estrange the masses that could keep you in business.

A big time "Aloooooo-haaaaaaa" to Co Creative and Wet 'n' Wild for making this ad review possible. Hopefully, there are many more to come (that I can actually embed).