Super Bowl Commericals (First Half)

So to the best of my knowledge, the Super Bowl ads have sold out (see my blog from two days ago for details). For my blog today I’ll have a running commentary on the commercials.

Doritos – Snow globe predicts the future: Pretty well done. Not quite sure how it makes me want to eat Doritos more but that failure to properly use phony technology is almost always going to garner a few laughs. Promotion possible for the creators of this ad.

Budweiser – Weird actor does dumb commercial: Slightly amusing but not Super Bowl worthy. I mean, you’ve got to come up with something better than a weird Swedish commercial shown in Times Square for the big game.

Halftime Show Ad: Ok, maybe NBC didn’t sell out all of the ads. Why in the world would you waste valuable ad time telling about the halftime show when you can have your announcers do that? Oh, wait, they did that about seconds later. Sorry NBC but I’m seriously considering watching ABC’s “Wipeout” during halftime. Can we get someone my generation has heard of for the big show at the big game? And please, I know its asking a lot, lets not make an awful mix like we suffered through with NSYNC/Aerosmith. On their own they would have been fine. Think less is more.

Bridgestone – Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head: Amusing AND product related. Who hasn’t had a blabber mouth that your stuck with (not necessarily a wife) and wanted a way to make them zip it? Or at least had to slam on the breaks and hope your car can stop in time?

Side note: do they still make potato head dolls?

Not even going to mention the name of the company that always seems to think attractive females make men want a website. Garbage.

Budweiser: Clydesdales playing fetch: Ok, I’m impartial because in college I was a “Clydesdale” on the cross country team, but still a sweet commercial. Again, a lack of product/commercial connection, but who doesn’t love Clydesdales showing up the Dalmatian?

Budweiser – Clydesdale Romeo: I’m starting to wonder if its possible to make a bad Clydesdale commercial, especially when the Clydesdale is the underdog. America loves an underdog, and the underdog Cardinals are certainly not looking like they’ll satisfy that love tonight.

Cars.com – child prodigy grows up: Another well done commercial. Amusing set up and then great product placement. Sucks in the businessman (pie chart at 3), ladies man (asking out the older girl prior to 4th grade), genius (applies for dean of Princeton), professional (open heart surgery), and person who fears making the wrong big investment (almost everyone), then provides a simple solution that attracts even the tech geek as he uses his blackberry to go to cars.com.

Not a commercial, but people always look funnier in slow motion. Take Santonio Holmes: Roders-Cromartie deflects the ball and it hits Holmes in the head. At full speed it doesn’t look bad but when you slow it down you can see his head bobbling all over the place as he tried to locate the ball.

Hyundai – everyone knows how to say it now: Is that how you even spell it? The only other recognizable company in the commercial was BMW – and honestly that was the most memorable part.

Pixar – Up: Is this seriously a movie? I mean really. How much can go wrong with an old man and a young boy stuck in a house? Michael Jackson do NOT answer that.

Bud Light – Skiing: Nice use of an ongoing campaign with the drawings. But the super Bowl really isn’t the place for ongoing campaigns. This is where you go big or go home and while it’s not the worst commercial by any means, this one can go home.

Another commercial for the halftime show? Seriously. Obama better get the economy going so we can start watching better ads…

H&R Block - Death: Ok. I guess it works, but not that great. Would have been better if it used “I’ll see you in eight days” as the closing line rather than “Can you validate my parking?”

Telefora – Send Live Flowers: Harsh words from the dead flowers in the box. Needs a little more memorable name. If I didn’t write it down at the start of the review, I would have forgotten it before I started typing this last sentence.

Please tell me the blue car is not going to be a Viagra ad…hmm, its not. Just some type of ad for NBC. Call an emergency session of congress and pass a stimulus bill now!! Please!!!

Cheetos – Pigeons: Eh, the other one was funnier. Sure this woman’s kinda annoying but it didn’t make me crack up when she got swarmed by pigeons. I know pigeons are brave, but why would one fly on her bag on the table right in front of her when the food is on the ground? Poor technical research.

Ok my friend just asked me what the halftime show is going to be. So not only are the halftime show ads annoying they’re also useless. Well done NBC.

Incredible return by Harrison. And now he's completely out of breath. I see a future commercial using him lying flat on the ground, totally sapped, and then is given Gatorade, Vitamin water, Powerade, heck even an oxygen tank company, and then show him dominating the second half. Bailout package to the company that comes up with the best commercial!

And great sideline reporting: "Coach, you were about to score and then they did. What happened from your perspective?" "Well, since I was on the near sideline, the ball started out to my left, made its way right in front of me, and then kept going to my right."

Monsters vs. Aliens: Seriously?

Sobe - Aliens and weird guys trying to dance: Why would I want a product that makes me dress in all white? Or dances like that? Or turns me into one of those ugly aliens? That's all.