Super Bowl 2008 Ad Recap by the Brand -
Overall I kept having the feeling that I was watching the terrible Dot.com ads from the 2000 Super Bowl. Too many brands behaving badly, trying too desperately to get our attention with sophomoric gross out humor and stunts while forgetting to tell us anything about the brand. (Toyota, Sales Genie, Planters, Tide, Career Builder, Go Daddy, Cars.com, E-trade, Doritos mouse trap, Amp, etc.) We can watch stuff like that on YouTube every day. As a matter of fact, you can see all 55 of the Super Bowl ads on YouTube Ad Blitz in the gallery section and also see how people voted for the ads
I think most of the brands forgot this year that almost half the viewers of the Super Bowl are women. We desperately needed a Dove ad. I think the biggest losers this year was consumer created content and viewer generated contests that are running out of steam. Doritos "Crashed the Superbowl" last year and showed great ads created from consumers as part of a contest. This year the winning song and music video from the Doritos song contest was Bum, Bum, Boring. I also found it remarkable how poorly the celebrities were used in the ads. No real connection with the ad concepts or brands.
Bud started out well in the first half and fizzled in the second half. The automotive ads were all pretty bad but Hyundia had better ads than Toyota and GM. Movie Trailers? Is it just me or are most of the new film trailers looking exactly like the same Matrix movie remake?
With the best ads featuring animals and balloon characters, I am surprised that we didn't get to see an ad featuring a talking baby monkey that flies with x-ray vision super powers that allow him to see through the clothes of sexy women. Let me know if you agree with my ad recap. Do you think I missed any of the biggest winners or losers?
Best ads -
Coke - Dueling Balloons - Loved it. Finally a big idea rises to the occasion and delivers.
Bridgestone - Screaming animals. Screaming fun. Screaming Richard Simmons. Traumatic. Also, a winner - Bud - The Rocky theme with the Dalmatian training Hank the Clydesdale was also fun.
Worst ads - Doritos, Sales Genie, GoDaddy, Toyota, Career Builder, T-Mobile, Victoria Secret
1st Half Recap - Few ads stood out. Use of celebrities in ads make fans the biggest losers.
The animals in the ads have been the best thing about the first half.
Bud Light Continues to fan the cheesy flames of the American funny bone.
By the Brand - 1st Half
1st Quarter Recap
Bud Light - Flame on funny.
Audi - Grotesque is not a good way to sell a beautiful brand.
Diet Pepsi Max - This Saturday Night Live rip off is ten years too late to be funny.
Sales Genie - If Sales Genie wished to put me to sleep their wish was granted.
Under Armor - Apple 1984 Big Brother wannabe was not Super Bowl ready.
Bridgestone - Screaming animals equals screaming good fun.
Doritos - Bum, Bum, Boring. Thank goodness Doritos got some mileage from all of their pre-game hype.
G2 - Special effects never make up for the lack of an idea.
Go Daddy - Multi-tasking is so common that this concept is Go-Dull.
Dell - Desperate plea to save Dell.
Fed Ex - Big Idea and special effects drops little payoff.
2nd Quarter Recap - Tide - Talking stain annoys rather than engages.
Bud - Rocky theme continues to inspire.
Toyota - Threat of badger attack erodes brand equity. Was this an ad for a late 90's Dot.com?
Garmin - This cliche of the French is short on building the brand.
Career Builder - Heart escape is creepy and bizarre. Maybe the heart is a symbol for the U.S. economy. "I quit."
Life Water - I thought I was watching an ad for Geico. Beyonce (Naomi / Tyra) is the worst use of a celebrity in awhile.
GM - Why this ad? Never again please.
Bud Light - Demeaning immigrants is Bud's first half misstep
Planters - Unibrow is instinctively mean spirited.
T-Mobile - Fave 5 gets my vote for the bottom five of the Super Bowl ads.
Pepsi - Justin Timberlake brings nothing back to Pepsi.
Doritos - Recycles last years mouse trap. Consumer created content is running out of steam.
2008 Super Bowl Ad Recap by the Brand continued
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