Quarter

Spot

The Spot:  Brand + Review

Spots are listed in alphabetical order according to brand

FEDEX: Don't Judge  This ad tries to be cute in reminding the audience that you can’t judge performance based on how a name sounds; but this ad seems a bit juvenile for the intended users of the service, namely mature adults – typically business people.

MILLER: Catfight Girls Return   I love sequels that work, and this ad works well as a parody of the infamous spots that featured girls fighting over Miller beer.  This year, it's the boys' turn; and they come packing a lot of weight.  While this ad is very entertaining, there's no direct association with the product.  This ad is about the fight, not the product or brand.  A classic example of a message intercepted.

GARMIN NAVIGATION: Maposaurus   This spot is reasonably entertaining, especially if you have a fondness for Japanese-made, Godzilla-style monster movies.  But the ad fails to establish the brand, at least in this viewer’s mind; and it fails to promote its attributes and benefits.  Before zapping the map monster, tell me how the Garmin Navigation system is going to satisfy my needs.  After all, a map is a guy’s best excuse for not asking for directions.

NISSAN: Auto Claustrophobia  This ad is a bit corny and hairy.  It highlights the vehicle's "roomy" back seat, which still looked tight to me.  I suppose the wild hairdos are suppose to make me think about how much space there is in the car - enough to accommodate a cowboy hat in the front and a Mohawk hairdo in the back.  I have to admit, they are good visual references, but the problem is I think about them more than the car.  Clearly, this ad put me on the wrong road.

PIZZA HUT: Chessy Bites: In theory, this spot should have worked.  It should have been entertaining, but sadly it wasn't.  Somewhere along the way, the magic was lost because the spot focuses on Jessica Simpson and not the pizza.  It's been a rough year for Simpson.  Maybe next year she'll find her one true love and Pizza Hut will get back to marketing its pizzas.

SPRINT: Power UP  This spot is a parody of a pharmaceutical ad. It's cleverly conceived and well executed; but for guys of a certain age, the message gets lost.  Poking fun at the most distressing form of male dysfunction imaginable makes it hard to think about anything else.  Connectile Dysfunction is amusing, but doesn’t necessarily lead to a desirable connection in viewers' minds.

WILD HOGS: This ad is a promo for another Martin Lawrence movie.  Well, not exactly, but close enough; and that alone makes it scary.  I didn't see much to get excited about, but the scene where a white guy makes reference to black jokes caught my attention.  It made me wonder why this spot was being shown during the Super Bowl.  Oh, sure it's a fun adventure film about four guys who go out to rediscover themselves – I guess; but the Super Bowl should feature great ads - not promos for B-rated movies. 

See how I scored other Super Bowl ads:

|  Summary  |  Touchdown |  1st & Goal  |  Completed Pass  |

|  Fumbled  |  Intercepted  |  Penalty  |

or see the spots for yourself at http://www.ifilm.com/superbowl/18373