Game? What Game?
Let's talk commercials!
Admittedly, nothing really blew me away last night during those segments 'twixt the on-field action. As The Glaswegian and commenters have discussed, the Clint Eastwood/Chrysler ad was two interminable minutes of unconvincing glurge. I have to admire GoDaddy.com's unflinching commitment to offensiveness, even if it is beginning to wear a little thin. Lots of car ads, most of which were unremarkable and/or missed opportunities. The Audi vampire ad had potential but ended up falling flat. Hyundai had several that were cute and clever but otherwise unmemorable; I do appreciate that they don't seem to take themselves too seriously. I enjoyed the Fiat commercial with the hot Italian chick (although I'm not sure how that one went over with the rest of the Rico-verse!). Jerry Seinfeld needs to retire and just go away. Budweiser and Pepsi were ubiquitous as always, but I was even less impressed with their efforts than usual. One of the electronics ads, for a phone (I think) with a stylus, was promising in its veiled jabs at Apple, but I wish it had been more explicit about it.
I think my favorite spot of the night was the post-apocalyptic Chevy trucks (the guy who drove the Ford didn't make it!). Memorable, funny, a little shocking at the end, didn't shy away from mentioning the competition, Twinkies. My nominee for the night's winner.
How about you?
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Comments:
Jun '11
Re: Game? What Game?
Not really impressed.
Maybe it was because I was with a loud group of friends and couldn't hear everything. Maybe it was because I am studying marketing and now I am extremely critical and would have done things differently. Or maybe it was because a lot of the car commercials had been leaked prior to the game.
I was also a bit disappointed with the 2012 Volkswagen commercial when comparing it to their emotional Star Wars commercial from last year, but the music made me smile!
Edited on February 6, 2012 at 5:41pmRe: Game? What Game?
Wasn't Elton the pitchman for Diet Coke once upon a time? Has he become the Alcibiades of the cola wars?
Apr '11
Re: Game? What Game?
I didn't watch the Superbowl but am wondering if there was an ad for Velveeta ... or Ro-tel, maybe?
Jun '10
Re: Game? What Game?
Amen. I didn't get the first polar bear ad. And the "end of prohibition" ad was a bit overblown--they played it as though it was the Second Coming of beer.
Mar '11
Re: Game? What Game?
Pilli
GLDIII
Sure does, I was aways having to tinker with my 79' fiat 2000 Spyder.
GLDIII. My best friend had a Spyder after a TR
You're right. The TR4s had more soul. The Spyder was a better driver. · 1 hour ago
One would hope the unibodied car designed in the mid 70's would be a better driver vs the body on frame car design from the middle 50's (ie TR-2 vintage). Why couldn't the Italians give a 20 year leap in reliability over the "Prince of Darkness" (a.k.a. Sir Lucas)?
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
I wanted to do the Fiat one but didn't want the suits to get mad. So I went vampires instead.
Who are these amorphous "Suits" I keep hearing about either here or from Derb/Jonah @ NRO. Are they the leaders of the right wing cabal that the Dem's keep insisting drives our pavlovian impulses?
Feb '12
Re: Game? What Game?
Three cheers for the chimps and CareerBuilder.com! I may be biased, though, because I worked on that one.
Edited on February 6, 2012 at 6:58pmAug '10
Re: Game? What Game?
They are truck owners and, thus, REAL men. They will refine their own gasoline.
Mar '11
Re: Game? What Game?
Tommy De Seno:
Also, I have to find out from Katievs and Mama Toad if I can still be a Catholic since I've been unable to get the vision of that Italian Fiat girl out of my head. · 2 hours ago
Rome is in Italy right? I think that makes it ok.
Edited on February 6, 2012 at 7:16pmMar '11
Re: Game? What Game?
etoiledunord
Charlotte
Casey, I was about to mention the Matthew Broderick one. Do you really think it worked? That movie was made 26 years ago; it seemed so presumptuous that a wide audience would get the references. And how depressing that Matthew Broderick hasn't done anything memorable or noteworthy since then. But you're right that they got some buzz, which is really the whole point. · 35 minutes ago
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is one of those movies, that somehow, everybody has seen. It's kind of like "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." That's over twenty years old too, but nearly everybody has seen it. · 3 hours ago
At the very least, everybody who the CRV would appeal to has seen it. People between 30-50 who have kids would be my demo guess.
May '10
Re: Game? What Game?
Good commercial, terrible product. It helps the owner to see at night, but blinds every other driver on the road. These days, it's hard to tell if another driver has his brights on or just has those new headlights.
Feb '12
Re: Game? What Game?
Oh, and the Fiat ad was brilliant.
Feb '11
Re: Game? What Game?
Dog bribes man with Doritos link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znRK3tvdpUU&sns=em
Jun '11
Re: Game? What Game?
The gas will come from Moon Base Gingrich.
Songwriter
They are truck owners and, thus, REAL men. They will refine their own gasoline. · 20 minutes ago
Mar '11
Re: Game? What Game?
It never fails: Every February when I watch Super Bowl ads I feel like I've been converted into a Vulcan for those 4 hours. I know a majority of them are supposed to be funny but I don't find them so. Granted, I'm 41 and thus not in the demographic for many of them but even the ones marketed to my age group or, uh, sex group fall flat. And I think I have a pretty good sense of humor.
It does reinforce something overlooked at Super Bowl time: We get so caught up in the cost of running an ad during a Super Bowl, we forget how much money it takes to make one of these overtly extravagant commercials. And, to me, the production costs are where these companies are getting ripped off, not the broadcasting cost. No matter what, the ads are going to get seen so the NFL comes through in its part of the bargain.
But, the marketing companies? The ad agencies? They are laughing all the way to the bank making these commercials that, I don't think, motivate anyone to buy anything.
Jul '10
Re: Game? What Game?
GLDIII
Sure does, I was aways having to tinker with my 79' fiat 2000 Spyder. It was barely more reliable than my 65' TR4 and 71' TR6 Triumphs, but with less soul than the Brits. I noticed the commercial was pitching the "Abarth" version which should make it as high a maintenance as the lady with the foam is in real life. · 3 hours ago
Had bought a TR7 (BRG, of course) years ago and one morning my manager called to me as he saw me exit a friend's car in the parking lot, "Quick, Barbara. What's the difference between a pedestrian and a British car owner?"
Sep '10
Re: Game? What Game?
EJHill: Re: The Fiat Commercial
Obama's hand-picked Chrysler overlords do not understand the basic American male. Yes, we want the leggy Italian vixen. No, we do not want the tiny Italian car. · 4 hours ago
What a complete disappointment. All that breathless hype for... a tiny underpowered Fiat.
On the other hand, a great metaphor for the Obama presidency. Government by fiat, indeed.
Re: Game? What Game?
Casey
Tommy De Seno:
Also, I have to find out from Katievs and Mama Toad if I can still be a Catholic since I've been unable to get the vision of that Italian Fiat girl out of my head. · 2 hours ago
Rome is in Italy right? I think that makes it ok. · 2 hours ago
Edited 2 hours ago
A more than adequate justification! I shall continue thinking of her then!
Feb '11
Re: Game? What Game?
Tommy De Seno: No one mentioned the John Stamos head butt? Thought it was a good commercial because of how sudden that twist was.
Also, I have to find out from Katievs and Mama Toad if I can still be a Catholic since I've been unable to get the vision of that Italian Fiat girl out of my head. · 4 hours ago
I can't grant absolution, Tommy, nor can I speak for your wife, but I'm willing to forgive you if you come here and check out my post... I put it up for you!
Edited on February 6, 2012 at 9:30pmMay '10
Re: Game? What Game?
Maybe it's just because I'm a cat person, but I didn't like the Dorito's one with the dog.
Dec '10
Re: Game? What Game?
It's definitely because you are a cat person. No maybe about it.