Between Jennifer Hudson's national anthem and the winning 78 yard drive by Pittsburgh, NBC Sunday night viewers saw $206 million dollars in advertising. Rather than bash all the awful ads I'll tell you my favorites and briefly mention the ones that didn't make the cut.
My Top Four
Hulu's ad featuring Alec Baldwin was one of the best ads of the night. It worked because A) Alec Baldwin is hilarious, and B) it gave viewers an immediate reason to visit the site -- to watch your favorite Superbowl ads! I also liked the ad because it educated viewers who aren't as Internet savvy about another "free" source to view high quality TV. Take heed, there is no longer a need for fancy DVR or expensive cable and satellite! Hulu provides high quality entertainment for the price of a high speed Internet connection.
Doritos Crystal Ball ad was hilarious. Some will argue that it contained unnecessary violence. To them I say get over yourself. While I have seen ads where the college humor goes too far this one had everyone in the house laughing. Maybe those who were offended have just been kicked in the balls too many times?
Not all the Miller High Life one second ads made it to game time, but they were great. The Milwaukee market saw the "High Life" ad. These ads work because they stick to Miller's brand. In a time where $3 million seems a bit excessive for a Superbowl ad, Miller went the cheaper route and bought ad time in local markets. The media buy complimented the brand message perfectly. Miller High Life clearly gives you the best bang for your buck.
Finally, I have to give up for PETA. Creating an ad that you know will be banned isn't exactly a new trick, but PETA was successful in creating a ton of buzz. Most major news sources and several blogs ran stories on the ad.
I'm not sure if it will convince anyone to go "veggie," but it's a nice spot. Does anyone know if the women in the ad are actually vegetarians? If they are, that might give people something to think about.
'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad
Other ads that deserve honorable mentions are: Cash4Gold, E*Trade (I can't help, it I love the baby) and the NBC: LMAO ad.
What Should Have Stayed on the Cutting Room Floor
While there were many disappointments this year the Budweiser ads were the worst. The Clydesdale's did not make me want to drink beer much less Budweiser. I was also put off by all the 3D ads. No one I was with had brought special 3D glasses to watch the ads and without them they fell short. Maybe I would have felt differently if I'd had the glasses?
To see what the Twitterverse thought of the ads go to Search.Twitter.com and type in #superads09. What were your favorite Superbowl ads?
My favorite superbowl ads are right in line with yours. I put the Doritos snowglobe ad first. Luv the etrade babies and bud dropped the ball.
dcharno said...
February 3, 2009 at 3:55 PM