What makes my ad review the definitive one? A highly
scientific process involving two things:
1. I work in the industry
2. I watch the game for the game. If I happen to remember an
ad, congrats, you have a winner. It’s usually when the room goes silent. If I
missed your ad because I was stuffing my face, well, then you just wasted $4
million dollars.
First, I sympathize with any Creative put through the
gauntlet of peer reviews, client reviews, focus groups, VP/CEO whims and all of
the other daunting trials and tests that an idea has to survive to actually
make it on the air. Unless you work on the GoDaddy account: then you just have
to hate self-respect as much as you seemingly hate women and/or good taste.
Second, if you watched the ads BEFORE the SuperBowl, get a
hobby or something. Seriously, there’s more to life than buying stuff.
Third, I will not be reviewing any beverage ads because of a
few conflicts of interest. Also, I don’t consider movie trailers “ads” unless
they did something unorthodox, like not showing the best parts of the movie.
Fourth, the best line of the night from a person in the room
was when Madonna came out on stage: “Is that Betty White?”
Ads I remembered
·
The hot version of the J. Lo car. A stunning woman* seduces a nerdy dude
in Italian or some other language I don’t speak. Va-va-vroom.
·
The bulldog running in shoes. Entertaining until
the end. Did we really need to give Tone-Loc money for “Wild Thing”? Know your
joke, people.
·
The spot with the couch and the monkeys. Don’t
remember what it was for, but it made me laugh.
·
The kids playing sports. One of the few
heartfelt spots of the night.
·
The Seinfeld spot. Not all that funny until Jay
Leno saved it at the end. Who knew? Also, it was for a car. Four wheels, I
believe.
Ads I remembered for the wrong reasons
·
Audi vs. Vampires. Really? The lights? That’s
the best feature on a luxury car?
·
Doritos. The nice thing about these spots is the
job security.
*Call me
