Gear up for the Best Super Bowl Commercials!
Don’t you dare get up and go to the bathroom this Sunday! It’s Super Bowl Sunday which by the laws of pop culture means you have to hold your bladder for three-plus hours until the game is safely over, and there’s no chance of an overtime. When it comes to Super Bowl Sunday you’ll have to throw out what you’ve always known as a given, that commercial breaks are a time to relieve yourself. With approximately $2.6 million spent on a 30-second commercial during the game these days, it would be almost cruel to miss out on the creative genius behind these ads. More importantly, you’ll need to be able to participate in the important water cooler chat the next day.
I don’t know exactly when the commercial craziness started, but I do remember back in 1987, hearing the now-classic line, “I’m going to Disney World,” in response to the question to the MVP quarterback of the New York Giants, Phil Simms. “Hey Phil Simms, you just won the Super Bowl, what are you going to do now?”
That campaign has already gone down in history as one of the most brilliant ever. I remember looking forward to the end of the game (no matter how good or bad) just to hear this classic line (and see which player said it).
Every brand is looking for that slam-dunk experience but the competition to stand out is huge. The big question is how to distinguish your brand from the all the others. Some turn to humor, others to emotion and others to just shock value.
My all time favorite Super Bowl commercial is the classic Budweiser Clydesdale horses (which will be in the mix again this year). Just hearing that music chokes me up. And, yes, I’m a softie, but who could forget the Coca Cola commercial where Mean Joe Greene is offered a Coke from a young fan, smiles and gives the boy his jersey.
This year we have the usual suspects, some unusual newcomers and of course some controversy. Here are some highlights. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Anheuser-Busch (A-B has purchased ten 30-second spots):
Clydesdale horses are back…yeah! We’ll also see astronauts and celebrities like Carlos Mencia, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and a chess match between Don Shula and Jay Z.
Taco Bell:
Two lions will promote their new carne asada steak grilled taquitos with former Fantasy Island star (Ricardo Montalban) as the voiceover talent.
Pepsi:
The beverage company is sponsoring half-time show with Prince and giving away a $100,000 jewel-encrusted can during the first and second quarter.
Coca-Cola (back in the Super Bowl after 10 years):
They will air an animated spot called “Videogame.” No hints on what that means, yet.
Frito-Lay’s Doritos:
Doritos held a contest for amateurs to create their own 30-second spot and will air the winning spot (unedited). All the finalist spots were aired online, and viewers had the chance to vote on their favorites. All of the finalists will be flown to Miami to watch and see which one of their spots actually won.
Chevrolet:
Chevrolet held a contest for contestants to pitch their ideas. Both groups had the spots professionally developed and shot.
NFL:
The NFL also used amateurs to pitch new ads, which were then professionally shot.
CareerBuilder:
Remember the cute Chimps? Well, they’ve been axed. CareerBuilder is generating pre-Super Bowl buzz by phasing out the cute chimps with the new campaign set to air Super Bowl Sunday. These chimps didn’t do anything wrong, but CareerBuilder apparently wants to freshen things up. Wow, it’s not just a Man eat Man world, it’s a Man eat Chimp world, too.
Marriage Proposal, sponsor still unknown:
Here’s a new one: A man named JP (not his real name) plans to propose to his girlfriend on Super Bowl Sunday and has raised more than $2 million to do so. Apparently a number of companies are interested in taking part in this spectacle. If this actually airs, I hope for his sake she says yes. A marriage proposal in front of 100 million people? $2 million dollars. A “no” in front of 100 million people watching? Priceless!
Nationwide Insurance:
K-Fed….yes, it’s true. The guy just won’t go away. Nationwide Insurance has hired Kevin Federline to star as a wannabe rapper toiling in a fast food restaurant and dreaming of stardom. When I first started hearing some controversy about this spot, I naturally assumed it was because K-Fed, who as far as I can tell, has no brain, no soul and absolutely nothing redeeming about him, is extending his 15 minutes of fame on the biggest TV day of the year. YUCK! Alas, this is not the gist of the controversy. The National Restaurant Association is upset with the spots (not with K-Fed) because it demeans the profession of fast food workers.
Can’t wait to hear your favorites! So, remember, in order to avoid any unnecessary bathroom breaks, drink responsibly.
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This is when Tivo really comes in handy! If you have to go for a break, you can pause and not miss a single moment of the game or commercial. I just got Tivo and wonder how I lived without it!
There should be a side bet for the marriage proposal. I wonder how many girls say yes on the spot out of pressure. This is more pressure than the college kid that proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend!
You forgot the biggest one of all. !984, directed by Ridley Scott. One girl, one hammer, and thousands of mindless drones. It introduced the Mac... "It's why 1984 won't be 1984." The greatest ad for a computer company that even Bill Gates couldn't kill (I'm typing this on my 17" laptop).
The hype about Super Bowl commercials is to try and trick those who have no interest in football whatsoever into hanging out with you on Sunday. Who needs 'em?
Okay, that's a little harsh. There are plenty of "good" Super Bowl commercials. At www.superbowl-ads.com, you can even watch the one that started it all. Farah Fawcett giving Joe Namath a Noxema shave, circa 1973.
But with the inevitable ad nauseum repetition we are sure to endure as the year(s)wear on, I say give the big game its due and your bodily functions the respect they deserve.
Superbowl AD factiod: The ad which is currently considered the best ever - actually aired during the Superbowl in the early 80's. Created by the L.A. agency Chiat Dey, it is called 1984 and was for the launch of the Apple computers. Personally I think the Budweiser ad with the little horse dreaming of leading the Clydesdales was the best ever - but I'm just one person. Let's see what this year brings!
Hey Mimi, read the previous posts. Already mentioned the Apple ad. It also didn't launch Apple, it launched Mac. Apple had been around since the 70s.
I'm very far from only home (Texas) this year - Korea. I decided to teach here for a year. I am soooo mad that I will not only miss the comercials, I'll miss my favorite musical artist - Prince. Maybe someone will YouTube it?!?! Pretty please, with a football on top!
commercials have really come a long way. the best ones to me were the simple ones. the all time best in my opinion is the coke commercial from the 70's where people sang "i'd like to buy the world a coke and keep it harmony"... does anybody remember that one??
commercials have really come a long way. the best ones to me were the simple ones. the all time best in my opinion is the coke commercial from the 70's where people sang "i'd like to buy the world a coke and keep it harmony"... does anybody remember that one??